Promoting rural innovations through grants
Message from the Grants Coordinator The September issue of the newsletter focused on agricultural research supported by IFAD regional grant programmes. This issue presents a selection of grant programmes that have been working on and promoting various rural innovations in the Asia and the Pacific Region. Promoting pro-poor innovation is one of the main tenets of the IFAD policy for grants financing (2003). The policy places a premium on rural innovation and supports the development of innovative community-based approaches. The IFAD Innovation Strategy (2007) retains the definition of innovation articulated in the Initiative for Mainstreaming Innovation: “In its simplest form, innovation is a process that adds value or solves a problem in new ways. For IFAD, it is the development of improved and cost-effective ways to address problems and opportunities faced by the rural poor…the most important innovations are those that change the way smallholders and other rural poor people invest in, produce and market their products; manage their assets; get organized, communicate and interact with their partners; and influence policies and institutions.” (IFAD Initiative for Mainstreaming Innovation, Operational Framework for the Main Phase, EB 2004/83/R.2). IFAD provides grants to institutions to pilot innovative approaches that can enhance the livelihood strategies of IFAD’s beneficiaries. These innovations – if proven successful – could be then further developed and scaled up by loan-funded investment projects. This newsletter presents a range of innovative approaches that grant programmes have been promoting in the last few years in different fields and countries of the region. Carla De Gregorio, Grants Coordinator, Asia and the Pacific Division Narrowing the gap between generating and implementing research recommendations
For research to effectively support development interventions it is important that its results are implemented. There is often a gap between generating and implementing recommendations of research. This is primarily because researchers and implementers often do not interact and the process of research dissemination takes time. In a recently concluded research grant from IFAD, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) adopted a unique approach to narrow this gap. This article highlights important features of this approach and lessons learned. IFAD’s grant to CIFOR entitled ‘Programme for Improving Income-Generation for Forest Communities through IFAD's loan portfolio in the Asia and the Pacific region’ (2004-2008) aimed to generate knowledge to support IFAD’s poverty alleviation initiatives in forest communities in Asia. CIFOR implemented the grant in collaboration with three IFAD-supported loan projects that have significant forestry components:
Needs-based research
Research topics were identified and prioritized through country visits, consultations with stakeholders by the Principal Scientist and Project Coordinator from CIFOR, and through the programme’s start-up workshop. The workshop involved potential principal investigators and research partners from the three countries. To generate lessons and allow comparability of cases, the identification of country studies was guided by four themes: forest products and markets, institutional mechanisms, review of natural resource management strategies and policy support. Country studies are listed below:
Locally based research partners
CIFOR selected locally based research partners to lead the investigation on the identified research topics. This helps to build the lacking capacity in research within the selected project sites. CIFOR also made arrangements with senior officials from the three projects to serve as its country liaison officers. Their role was primarily to maintain collaboration with CIFOR’s research partners in the selected locations of the research projects and direct the research outputs to meet the needs of the loan projects. Impacts and lessons The collaborative approach proved to be effective in increasing the usefulness and impact of the entire research project. Focusing on priority research issues generated strong support from loan projects and their openness in incorporating the research recommendations. The results of research have been disseminated primarily through national workshops, presentations to IFAD country programme managers and through online publications. Many recommendations were and are being incorporated in project strategies and country policies. For example, CIFOR’s collaboration with the Leasehold Forestry and Livestock Programme in Nepal resulted in changes being made in the implementation of the programme. These changes include:
In Meghalaya in Northeast India, the studies on forest products and markets showed the high contribution of forest-based enterprises to the state economy and led to new investments and policy support amongst the policy makers. However, there are some constraints in this approach, such as additional tasks for project staff, who may be less supportive out of fear that their participation in the research would add another layer of ‘evaluation’ to their performance, causing some delay in implementing the research. Another constraint is the lack of baseline data in the study areas, making assessment studies particularly challenging. Nevertheless, these costs are outweighed by the benefits. The research project affirmed that research can provide the necessary information and analysis to guide IFAD and government policy. It also demonstrated that the collaborative research approach can help identify research topics and shorten the time for implementing and disseminating research results. Adrian Albano, Project Intern Read more:
Research on dairy goats improves livelihoods of women and children in Afghanistan and Pakistan
The project is being implemented by the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Balochistan and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and in Baghlan and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. It reaches its beneficiaries by interacting closely with all members of local communities, supporting already established groups of women and initiating new groups with the help of women facilitators. In Afghanistan After the programme started, 272 women in seven villages in Nangarhar and 274 in seven villages in Baghlan became members of local women’s organizations. Re-stocking of dairy goats through credit-in-kind This programme activity restocks goats that were lost during the war with adapted breed goats (Gujri breed). In this way, the improved breeds will enhance the genetic base of village flocks. The indigenous Gujri breed of Afghanistan is a preferred breed. It is resistant to diseases and is able to produce under cold temperatures and high altitudes. The Gujri breed produces an average of two to three litres of milk per day and ideally gives birth to one to two kids every eight months. Re-stocking is for women and women-headed households. The activity is implemented through a ‘credit-in-kind’ scheme, in which a woman programme participant forwards a young female goat to another beneficiary. This system allows the programme to reach out to many more women. The eligibility criteria for re-stocking targeted three categories of beneficiaries. The first category includes widows or women who are heads of their families and who:
The second category includes widows or women who are heads of their families and who own one to three goats but lack technical knowledge on improved goat production. These women will receive technical advice and support to build their assets. The third category includes widows or women who are heads of their families and who do not own goats but have other livestock and sufficient goat-rearing experience. These women would receive a kid through the ‘pass on the gift policy’ from women who received goats as first beneficiaries and will become ‘second-round beneficiaries’. Availability of shelter, willingness to collect data and access to feed resources are considered for eligibility The programme distributed 93 pregnant does and six bucks to beneficiaries. Bucks are used for service in village flocks grazing in communal pastures. Vaccination and de-worming Programme participants in both Afghan provinces acknowledged the impact of vaccination and de-worming, provided by the programme, on the health of goats. The vaccination against major diseases such as enterotoxaemia increased kid survival and overall flock productivity by three to five times. Programme staff and their partners believe that this positive result will convince households to share the cost of veterinary services in the future. Introducing a service fee is an important step to ensure the sustainability of the intervention.
The programme introduced important innovations for reaching to women by a ‘training women through women’ approach. In this model, the programme was able to reach all women project members (over 500) through various trainings including milk hygiene and processing. In addition, the programme introduced successful technologies to improve the feed resource base (e.g. mulberries, intercropping of legumes and maize), animal health status (participatory livestock disease control through vaccination and treatments administered by animal health workers), and genetic resources (‘pass-on-the-gift’ approach). The activities were positively evaluated by an IFAD supervision mission in April 2008 and consequently considered for scaling up by the new investment project of IFAD in Afghanistan – the Rural Microfinance and Livelihoods Enhancement Programme. This is an outstanding achievement of the grant programme. In Pakistan
The programme works in ten villages in Punjab and five villages in Balochistan. About 180 women in Punjab and 75 women in Balochistan are members of local women’s organizations. The implementation of programme activities was relatively easier in Pakistan than in Afghanistan because of the availability of trained human resources to undertake on-farm research. However, the productivity of livestock in Pakistan is constrained by many factors, including:
As in many developing countries, studies on livestock production are limited to government research stations and thus do not reflect the real situation in the farmers’ field. The IFAD-funded programme addressed this by designing programme interventions jointly with the communities and by directly implementing these interventions on-farm with the women participants. The benefits of supplemental feeding on goats’ milk yield The programme tested the benefits to be gained in milk production, as well as the financial benefits, by feeding a supplemental concentrate mix that meets goats’ nutritional requirements. It used 68 dairy goats in six villages in rain-fed Punjab for this experiment. The results revealed that dairy goats supplemented with 250 grams of the concentrate mix per day produced 0.8 litres of milk per day as compared to 0.5 litres before the testing. During the nine-week testing period, the goats produced a total of 51 litres of milk, as compared to only 30 litres before the testing. The benefit cost analysis revealed that the benefits from the supplemental feeding were three times higher than the additional costs. The benefits of supplemental feeding on sacrificial goats The programme also tested the feeding of supplemental concentrate on fattening male goats for sacrificial purposes (for Eid). On average, the goats fed with the concentrate gained 170 grams, compared to 113 grams before the testing. The net benefit per goat from improved fattening was PKR 1,148 (US$ 15) as compared to PKR 585 (US$ 7.7) using farmers’ traditional practice. The benefits of supplemental fodder on dairy goats Another option to improve the production of goat milk is by using guar hay (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) as supplemental fodder. Goats that received two kilograms of guar hay per day produced 0.9 litres of milk per day, compared to only 0.5 litres of milk produced by goats being fed in the traditional way. Guar hay also increased the weight gain of female goats. Goats that received two kilograms of guar gained 133 grams per day, compared to 47 grams for the control goats. The market studies conducted by the programme in Punjab have shown that women do not obtain the full market value of goat meat. While 1 kilogram of meat sells at PKR 200–220 (US$ 2.6 to 2.9) at the programme site, the price at the nearby supermarkets is PKR 250–300 (US$ 3.3 to 3.9). Programme staff are currently exploring the possibility of women forming cooperatives to improve their bargaining with respect to accessing these markets. Looking ahead The IFAD-supported programme is developing an innovative approach that links poor farmers to adaptive research. National agricultural research institutions in Afghanistan and Pakistan are directly involved in the programme through identifying appropriate demand-driven and market-oriented practices for goat production.
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Recognizing ‘default organic’ production systems used by subsistence farmers Himalayas
Many Himalayan countries are promoting organic agriculture. One of the reasons is to address the growing health and environmental concerns arising from excessive and unwise use of chemicals, especially in rainfed upland farming. But national policies and guidelines for organic production and processing often do not explicitly include prime organic production pockets such as shifting cultivation (jhum), sloping hilly watershed and mountain valleys. The IFAD-funded ‘Programme for securing livelihoods in the uplands and mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas’ (2005-2010), implemented by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), is harmonizing these traditional farming practices with the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) for organic certification. Poor farmers who practise shifting cultivation lack access to chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Their traditional farming systems are ecologically sound and could be profitably converted into organic production systems and recognized as ‘by-default organic’ (natural) by national and international certifying bodies. However, subsistence farmers in the uplands are currently unrecognized and unrewarded for these practices and for providing environmental services that potentially benefit downstream communities with clean water. Farmers willing to convert their farms to organic also lack support from the government to improve their ability to assure the quality of their products and at the same time comply with organic standards and periodic monitoring by certification agencies. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has been concerned about the high costs of existing ‘third party’ certification processes and their exclusion of poor and marginalized farming communities. The ‘third party certification’ is mandatory for international markets. For domestic markets, however, the third-party certification can be substituted by a ‘peer guarantee system’. Groups of producers and farmers mutually guarantee adherence to norms of organic practices, thereby ‘certifying’ both their farming processes and products as organic. The system includes poor, marginalized farmers in the organic production system. A third party certification is necessary only when the products are targeted for export or when bulk buyers require the certification and are willing to pay the premium price. Based on the principles of the peer guarantee system mentioned above, the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) evolved from more traditional certification systems. Such traditional systems include the IFOAM’ Organic Guarantee System (OGS) which was set up in 1980s and 1990s. The PGS came about in 2004 following a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on existing organic practices in different parts of the developing world. According to IFOAM, “Participatory Guarantee Systems are quality assurance initiatives using their own written standards, often based on IFOAM’s Basic Standards.” It is one of the simplest and most effective certification methods, and is particularly suitable for marginal and upland farmers such as those practising shifting cultivation in Northeast India. In India, the system is promoted by the Organic Promotion Council of India with support from IFOAM. In 2007, the PGS Organic Promotion Council of India approached staff of the IFAD-supported North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas to conduct an assessment of shifting cultivation systems and associated practices. The aim was to examine whether such practices could be harmonized within the PGS. The project approached ICIMOD for technical support, resulting in a US$ 1.2 million IFAD grant for the ‘Programme for securing livelihoods in the uplands and mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas’. One of the outcomes of the programme is a publication titled ‘Harmonizing Jhum in Northeast India with PGS Organic Standards: Ways Forward’, which highlights the organic nature of shifting cultivation practices. It also outlines how the practices can be harmonized with PGS. The document was shared with the PGS Organic Promotion Council of India, which, in principle, accepted the harmonization of shifting cultivation practices in PGS. Two IFAD-supported projects – North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas and the Livelihoods Improvement Project in the Himalayas (Meghalaya) – plan to pilot PGS with farmer groups in their respective areas, thereby facilitating the promotion of PGS in shifting cultivation systems in northeast India. The work to pilot and scale up PGS activities requires building the capacity of farmers to adhere to PGS norms and multi-stakeholder agreements. Credibility is ensured through the participation of all stakeholders involved in the production of organic products for outside markets. To address these needs, the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas and ICIMOD organized a training workshop in February 2008. District-level project teams, NGO partners and farmers gathered to build up a cadre of trainers and develop a PGS field manual. The manual now provides a tool for trainers to train farmers in PGS practices and norms. Both IFAD-supported projects currently provide the institutional support for PGS activities. Such support includes raising awareness at the policy level and building technical and institutional capacity at the community level. To ensure that these activities become sustainable, ICIMOD is now looking at transferring this responsibility of capacity building and overseeing the compliance to the PGS norms away from IFAD-supported projects to a partner NGO at the state and local levels.
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Enhancing the sustainability of organizations of poor rural people: lessons from Bangladesh and Mongolia Development institutions envision poor rural people’s organizations (RPOs) as a mechanism to ensure the sustained capacity of their members to fend for themselves. Yet the External Review of the Results and Impact of IFAD Operations commissioned by IFAD in 2002 revealed that RPOs often functioned as mere conduits for projects. IFAD might be retreating from projects before newly formed RPOs have developed sufficient capacities to sustain themselves and take over project activities. Through the ‘Strengthening Capacities of Organizations of the Poor: Experiences in Asia (SCOPE) Project’ (2004-2008), IFAD supported interventions to build the organizational capacity of RPOs in four of its loan projects. Initial results show that these RPOs have developed their capacity, thus enhancing their chances to become sustainable, as exemplified in the cases of Bangladesh and Mongolia. In 2005, SCOPE assessed the capacities of the following five IFAD projects to build sustainable RPOs and coalitions:
The assessments identified the needs of the five projects in terms of building RPOs and coalitions. Consequently, SCOPE provided small grants to four of the five projects to support their identified needs. OTELP decided to use its own project resources. In Bangladesh, SCOPE helped to:
In Mongolia, SCOPE helped to:
The results of these interventions highlighted that the following actions are necessary to make projects and RPOs sustainable: Develop social mobilizers from the community who can continue to assist COs after the project ends According to Sk. Md. Mohsin, Project Director, SCBRMP: “…Through the CDFs, the capacities of COs have increased in banking affairs, resolving social conflicts, and dealing with line departments.” Provide sufficient resources to support the organizational processes of RPOs such as:
Dalai Dagvaa, Project Director, RPRP said that: “Through the SCOPE grant, the project incorporated participatory approaches in strengthening RMMCs and other groups and communities. The project plans to cover all RMMCs in all aimags [provinces]…” Develop the capacities of RPOs to link with other RPOs, governments and other sectors, such as businesses, religious organizations and advocacy groups, for policy advocacy and to address their common issues and concerns According to Antonio Menor, Project Director, NMCIREMP: “There is now a core of ‘bridging leaders’ and coalitions that could facilitate consultations with multi-stakeholders to address common issues. These coalitions now focus on the main challenges facing the project… unresolved indigenous peoples’ issues and natural resource management…” Assist RPOs to generate and sustain their own resources Djadi Purnomo, Project Director, PIDRA, said: “The SCOPE grant supported microfinance training for District Implementing Officers and PIDRA staff. Self-help groups and federations have established a Common Fund to support members’ economic activities. The local government units now provide training funds for self-help groups and seed capital for microfinance institutions, and link them to banks.” The SCOPE Project was implemented by the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP).
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Centre established to improve atoll agriculture in the Republic of Kiribati
A new research and development centre for atoll agriculture is being established in south Tarawa, Kiribati, at the research station of the Department of Agriculture at Tanaea. The main partners in this research and development (R&D) programme are the Kiribati Government, IFAD and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The Centre of Excellence for Atoll Agriculture Research and Development in the Pacific will become a focal point for Pacific scientists developing technologies to help atoll farmers increase their productivity. Producing food crops on an atoll island requires perseverance. Nil or almost no land resources coupled with infertile coralline soils and long spells of dry weather make any form of agriculture very difficult. As a result, atoll communities face problems in maintaining food security and eating a balanced diet. Technologies to increase food crop production will improve local food supplies and nutrition. Other benefits will include more market opportunities for farmers and higher incomes. For a number of years, governments of atoll countries and territories have requested regional and international organizations working in agriculture and forestry to give special attention to their research and development needs. In their 2007 Vava'u Communiqué, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders called on SPC to develop a new agriculture and forestry initiative with a focus on atoll agriculture. The new centre is being established in response to these requests. “SPC is proud to partner with the Government of Kiribati and IFAD in establishing this centre of excellence,” said Mr 'Aleki Sisifa, Director of SPC's Land Resources Division. “The centre is the beginning of a process that we hope will attract more assistance from the international community for research and development of improved technology and best practice for agriculture and agroforestry on atoll islands, including the high islands of the region.” An R&D programme has been developed and agreed on between the main partners – the Kiribati Government, IFAD and SPC – and a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed. IFAD will provide most of the financing and SPC will manage the programme, provide technical backup and organize equipment and supplies. A programme coordinator has also been recruited. The Government of Kiribati is providing the facilities and will contribute labour, materials and supplies, as required. Research activities will be undertaken with the full participation of the farmers. The centre will emphasize the use of participatory methods to engage beneficiary groups to promote local produce and to revive production of traditional food. It will also promote gender equity and seek the involvement of women and youth in agricultural and fisheries production. Initial research priorities for the centre will include documenting some of the proven technologies used in the region; for example, banana circles in Kiribati, coconut hydroponics in French Polynesia, and indigenous agroforestry systems such as pulaka pits. The centre will also source appropriate and transferable technologies developed on atolls in other regions, such as the Maldives and Caribbean. The centre's research areas will include soil improvement, water harvesting and irrigation, crops adapted to atoll conditions, pest and disease control, improved local livestock breeds, waste management and improved agroforestry systems. Technologies developed or refined at the centre will be tested by farmers in Tarawa and on the outer islands of Kiribati and other Pacific atolls, using established outreach approaches such as farmer field schools. Information on successful technologies will also be made available through specially developed extension materials. Assessing knowledge networks: a social network analysis of ENRAP
Networking is a natural social phenomenon between individuals and groups. One of IFAD’s important networks in rural development is the Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia/Pacific Region (ENRAP), a programme financed and implemented by IFAD and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Through ENRAP and other regional networking programmes, IFAD is encouraging its stakeholders to share knowledge and learn from each other. This helps IFAD-supported projects in their effort to reduce poverty. IFAD’s Knowledge Management Strategy identified networks as one of IFAD’s key knowledge management assets since they provide a platform to share ideas, issues and experiences. The strength of networking can be assessed through a social network analysis (SNA). The analysis can also provide feedback to improve the network management and sustain the network in the future. ENRAP has recently conducted a social network analysis. This article summarizes some results. What is SNA? According to Orgnet.com – a company that provides social network analysis software and services for organizations, communities and their consultants – SNA maps and measures relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, computers, websites and other information/knowledge-processing entities. The nodes in the network are people and groups. The links show relationships or flows between the nodes SNA provides both a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships. To understand networks and their participants, SNA enables the location of actors in the network to be evaluated. It helps in identifying which actors or nodes are central to the flow of information, who connects people to others and who may be unconnected. Through a visual mapping of connections, decision makers can analyse the connections and linkages between actors in a network and take appropriate action to strengthen networking or decide how best an idea can travel within a network ENRAP: An SNA snapshot Ms Patti Anklam, a social network analyst, initiated the SNA of ENRAP. She mapped the ENRAP networking processes and behaviour through an online survey sent to 72 ENRAP members. Sixty-nine per cent of members responded to the survey. The map below shows the interconnections between the people surveyed, who knows whom, and who is communicating with whom. This is defined as actors being ‘aware’ of each other’s presence in a network. The study has two phases. The first phase involves collecting initial data, which offer a visual map or snapshot of the network and provide an analysis of the connections and inter-linkages it actors. The second phase will analyse any observed changes in networking processes towards the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010. The first phase of the SNA reveals that the network has a healthy structure. The staff of IFAD’s Asia and the Pacific Division and ENRAP are the key nodes through which information flows across the network. Within the network, the number of people knowing each other and connected to each other signifies how well connected each person is within the network. It is also referred to as ‘network density’. The distance between network members in terms of how frequent and close the connections between members are is also analysed through a calculation of degrees of separation between each member. Compared to other networks of ENRAP’s size and diversity, according to Anklam, the analysis indicates positive connections and flows between network members. The SNA of connections between network members within countries and across countries also helps to identify the key connectors and gate keepers of information flows. Anklam’s analysis provides detailed country mappings which can be used to explore how the network can evolve in the future at the country levels. In this way, this analysis can be used to help ensure the network survives when the ENRAP regional programme ends, More detailed reports on the study will be available soon on the ENRAP website and through the mailing list. Those interested in learning more can contact Apoorva Mishra at [email protected]. Apoorva Mishra, Research Officer, ENRAP Read more about: New projects and programmes approved The 95th Session of IFAD Executive Board, which took place on 15-17 December in Rome, approved the following projects/programmes in the Asia and the Pacific Division:
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[email protected] Martina Spisiakova
Making a Difference in Asia and the Pacific Issue 23: November-December 2008 Special issue: October 2008 Issue 22: August 2008 Issue 21: June-July 2008 Issue 20: January-February 2008 Issue 19: January-February 2008 Issue 18: December 2007 Issue 17: September-October 2007 Issue 16: June-July 2007 Issue 15: Issue 14: January/February 2007 - Sustainable natural resource management Issue 13: November/December 2006 - PBAS: looking beyond the resource allocation system Issue 12: September/October 2006 - Communication for poverty reduction and rural development Issue 11: July/August 2006 - Working with UN agencies at the country level Issue 10: May/June 2006 - Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities Issue 9: March/April 2006 - Access to land Issue 8: January/February 2006 - Agricultural Technology Management Issue 7: November/December 2005 - Pro-poor policies Issue 6: September/October 2005 - Gender & MDGs Issue 5: July/August 2005 - Partnership Issue 4: May/June 2005 - Rural Finance Issue 3: March/ April 2005 - Donor Harmonization Issue 2: January/ February 2005 Issue 1: November/ December 2004
Cambodia Asian Development Bank (ADB)/IFAD debriefing with donors on the technical working group on decentralization and deconcentration (D&D) – Tonle Sap Poverty Reduction and Smallholder Development Project, 19-23 January 2009 ADB/IFAD fact finding mission and detailed project design and quality enhancement mission – Tonle Sap Poverty Reduction and Smallholder Development Project, 26 January – 8 February 2009 ADB/IFAD/World Bank joint country portfolio review meeting – 2 February 2009 Indonesia Start up workshop – Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Programme in Central Sulawesi, 9-10 March 2009 Nepal Review of results-based COSOP – January 2009 Joint review mission – Western Uplands Poverty-Alleviation Project, February 2009 Philippines Supervision and implementation support mission – Rural Microenterprise Promotion Programme, 19-30 January 2009 Start-up workshop – Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project, 2-4 February 2009 Sri Lanka Post supervision visit – Smallholder Plantations Entrepreneurship Development Programme, February 2009
Useful links Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia/Pacific Region (ENRAP) is a programme financed and implemented by IFAD and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The programme aims to bring the benefits of accessing and sharing global information resources to IFAD-supported programmes and projects in the Asia and the Pacific region. Occasional papers are a series of studies on emerging thematic issues in the Asia and the Pacific Region published by IFAD. The papers contribute to IFAD’s efforts to share the knowledge and experience emerging from its activities and those of its partners in the region. Rural poverty portal powered by IFAD is a website where rural poor people, policy-makers, donors, research institutes, non-governmental organizations and other development partners can share information about eradicating rural poverty. |
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in developing countries. Its work in remote rural areas of the world helps countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Through low-interest loans and grants, IFAD develops and finances projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves.
IFAD tackles poverty not just as a lender, but as an advocate for the small farmers, herders, fisherfolk, landless workers, artisans and indigenous peoples who live in rural areas and represent 75 per cent of the world's 1.2 billion extremely poor people. IFAD works with governments, donors, non-governmental organizations, local communities and many other partners to fight the underlying causes of rural poverty. It acts as a catalyst, bringing together partners, resources, knowledge and policies that create the conditions in which rural poor people can increase agricultural productivity, as well as seek out other options for earning income.
IFAD-supported rural development programmes and projects increase rural poor people's access to financial services, markets, technology, land and other natural resources.