6th IFAD/NGO Consultation, Rome, Italy, 1995

Land Degradation and Poverty

The sixth Consultation took place in June 1995 and was attended by 30 NGOs, 15 of which were from developing countries. The theme was selected because of its relevance to IFAD's operations and the recent adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The Consultation was followed by a one-day symposium on the same theme, held in the seat of the Italian Parliament. Two papers on drought-mitigation strategies were presented, one by IFAD and another by an NGO.

The IFAD paper concentrated on recent developments in the way drought was perceived and effective intervention strategies for reducing its adverse effects, particularly at the rural household level and by farmers themselves. Effective intervention strategies, which must be launched well in advance of emergency actions, included on-farm improvement of water-retention and management techniques, building on the farmers' own knowledge, and drought-resistant crop development, including perennials; stronger rights for users of common-property resources, which farmers rely on as a reserve resource; greater off-farm employment opportunities; and improved rural systems of communication and trade. The NGO paper summarized the experiences — of southern NGOs and community-based organizations and representatives of international financial institutions, governments and international NGO networks — in farmer-centred development for alleviating the consequences of desertification.