Press release number: IFAD 25/05

Rome, 23 May 2005 - The President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, met with the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Lennart Båge, today to take stock of IFAD-supported poverty reduction projects in his country.

“Rural development, including ensuring food security, is an integral part of human security,” said Compaoré, adding that “Burkina Faso places agricultural production at the core of its rural development policy.” With support from IFAD, two new rural development programmes are about to begin in Burkina Faso.

The Community Investment Programme for Agricultural Fertility will help rural poor families, including women and young people, increase agricultural productivity and incomes by improving soil and water conservation techniques and by promoting income-generating activities. IFAD is supporting the US$26.8 million programme with a US$12 million loan.

Another initiative, the Sustainable Rural Development Programme, will enable 440,000 small-scale farmers, landless migrants, women and youth to plan and manage their own development through village committees for land resource management. Activities will improve land access, better manage watershed development, intensify agricultural production and provide jobs. The US$38.3 million programme is being supported by IFAD through a US$16 million loan. The programme is based on lessons learned during an earlier programme, the Special Programme for Soil and Water Conservation and Agroforestry in the Central Plateau.

IFAD is working with the Government of Burkina Faso to develop a new country strategy and opportunities paper, laying out a plan for IFAD to support their efforts in reaching their rural development goals. IFAD also has an active grant programme in the country. One grant is funding a small-scale irrigation programme. Other grants will support a national platform of farmer organizations and encourage policy dialogue on rural land tenure issues.

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IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s poorest people – 800 million women, children and men – live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. Through low-interest loans and grants, IFAD works with governments to develop and finance programmes and projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves.

There are 192 ongoing IFAD-supported rural poverty eradication programmes and projects, totalling US$6.5 billion. IFAD has invested about US$2.8 billion in these initiatives. Cofinancing has been provided by governments, beneficiaries, multilateral and bilateral donors and other partners. At full development, these programmes will help more than 100 million rural poor women and men to achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Since starting operations in 1978, IFAD has invested almost US$8.7 billion in 690 projects and programmes that have helped more than 250 million poor rural men and women achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Governments and other financing sources in the recipient countries, including project beneficiaries, have contributed about US$8.4 billion, and multilateral, bilateral and other donors have provided about US$6.9 billion in cofinancing.