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After Cyclone Freddy, investment brings hope to rural Malawi
Rural Malawians are still rebuilding and coming to terms with Freddy’s impacts. But thanks to much-needed investments in small-scale farming, hope is finally starting to appear on the horizon.
The three types of biodiversity: explained
Genetic, species, ecosystem: learn about the three main types of biodiversity and explore the role each plays in making agriculture productive, nutritious and resilient.
See how water and peace go hand in hand
Peace and water are inextricably intertwined. That’s why sustainable rural development can help reduce conflict in communities – and why water is often the crucial element that can make the difference.
Champions of change: Meet the winners of the 2024 IFAD Gender Awards
Visit the five inspiring winners of this year’s Gender Awards and find out how they’re addressing the harmful practices, social norms and economic disparities that keep women from achieving their potential.
Twenty years on from the first Farmers’ Forum, four farming leaders weigh in
We asked four farmers’ organization leaders from around the world about current challenges, new developments and their hopes for the future at the eighth global meeting of the Famers’ Forum.
Recipes for Change: Nsima with chicken casserole and khobwe balls
Learn how to make a delicious and sustainable Malawian meal with these recipes collected from rural communities by Chef Sophie Grigson.
The wonderful power of wetlands
Wetlands are closely linked with our wellbeing – they protect against erosion, improve water quality, and host a vast range of species. Let’s visit some of these precious ecosystems and meet the rural people protecting them.
In rural China, greenhouses bring new life to the desert
Growing food is a challenge in the harsh desert landscape of northwestern China. But thanks to new greenhouses built by a local cooperative, this village is bursting with fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.
Clean energy, thriving rural communities
Rural communities need energy to develop, but in a rapidly heating world, a green transition is crucial. Renewable sources, like solar power and biogas, are allowing them to prosper without relying on polluting fossil and wood fuels.
Early warning systems help small-scale farmers prepare for climate change
Climate change is making extreme weather events more intense and frequent. With IFAD’s support, small-scale farmers are getting the advanced warning they need to limit damage to their livelihoods – and recover faster.
Self-sufficient farming for better health in the remote Pacific
Rural people in Kiribati are leading the way in sustainable farming, making nutritious foods available and creating a foundation for better health in the years to come.
Integrated farming strengthens climate resilience in Cambodia
Integrated farming provides ecosystem benefits and builds climate resilience. Find out how this system is strengthening Cambodia’s small-scale farmers and their communities.
The world is not prepared for climate change
For rural people, the climate nightmare is a reality. They urgently need support to adapt to a changing world. To do this, IFAD is issuing three calls to action – find out what they are.
Persons with disabilities and IFAD join forces to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
In a world of climate catastrophes, rising food prices and global instability, find out how persons with disabilities are taking their rightful place in the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
COP: Where does it come from and where is it going?
COP is an annual meeting where decision makers discuss how best to tackle climate change. But how did the summit come to be and what difference does it make for rural people? Find out here.
How indigenous youth are grappling with climate change
Climate change is having a huge impact on Indigenous Peoples all over the world. We sat down with three indigenous youth to talk about how erratic weather patterns are affecting their communities and how they are drawing on tradition and technology to cope with it.
With the right resources, rural women can change the world
When rural women access finance, the entire world flourishes. Find out how financially empowered women are leading the fight against climate change, achieving sustainable development and ensuring food security for their communities and the planet.
Thriving in Türkiye: meet the women lifting themselves out of poverty
All over the world rural women face numerous challenges that men do not. Find out how an IFAD-funded project in Türkiye is providing them with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive.
Four questions with IFAD’s new Vice-President
Meet IFAD’s new Vice-President. Gerardine Mukeshimana discusses the importance of investing in rural communities, climate change adaptation and giving women access to resources.
Why the Sustainable Development Goals matter: your questions answered
As countries meet to evaluate how much progress has been made towards the Sustainable Development Goals, find out more about these 17 objectives and why they’re important for the rural communities we work with.
Healthy planet, healthy people: How IFAD and GEF are partnering to transform the world
Small-scale farmers need financial support to face the climate crisis. For the last 20 years, IFAD and the Global Environment Facility have been supporting rural communities as they build food systems that nourish us all.
As temperatures rise, so too does our need for diverse crops
Drought is the number one cause of agricultural production loss. This is why IFAD supports small-scale farmers as they grow crops that are resilient, but often neglected.
Her land, her rights: How land ownership can transform the lives of women - and hold back desertification - in Niger
Meet the woman who fought for her right to land ownership and contributed to halting drought and desertification.
A New Day is possible
Small-scale farmers in developing countries produce one third of the world’s food. But today they are only one flood, one drought or one failed harvest away from ruin. To stem the impact of climate change on food security and to reduce poverty, IFAD is calling for more investment in rural communities - now.
A New Day: Q&A with the people IFAD supports
IFAD's new film, ‘A New Day’, tells the story of Tunisia’s rural people and is a testament to their resilience as they battle to adapt to our changing weather. We speak to two IFAD-supported project participants about their daily struggles, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.
Behind the Scenes of ‘A New Day’
IFAD’s latest film, ‘A New Day’, was shot in Tunisia amid soaring temperatures. Get a behind the scenes look of how we made the film, the people we met and the challenges of shooting in an area dramatically affected by climate change.
Why development is a smart investment even in unstable times
In an age of multiple intersecting crises, only a holistic approach to both humanitarian and development assistance can disrupt the cycle.
Debunking three myths about rural people and the environment
The world is full of misconceptions about rural people and the environment. Find out what’s true and what’s not, as we debunk three major myths.
Rural people rely on biodiversity. Here's how IFAD protects it
Biodiversity is especially important for small-scale farmers. Here’s how IFAD is further integrating it into projects all over the world.
Rural people make a beeline for prosperity
On World Bee Day, meet the pollinators buzzing to protect our planet and the rural people taking care of them.
Winds of change for Argentina’s herders
Climate change poses a myriad of challenges for Argentina’s rural herders. But one woman has no intention of backing down and tells us how she plans to forge a new way forward.
Five tips for journalists reporting on Indigenous Peoples
Journalists can play an important role in telling the stories of Indigenous Peoples. Here are five ways in which the media can report on these important communities in a meaningful way.
Caravan of hope: How mobile shelters changed the lives of shepherds in Türkiye
Shepherds in Türkiye rely on the Taurus Mountains for their livelihoods - but living and working in these highlands is no mean feat. Here’s how IFAD-funded caravans have provided them with more comfortable, hygienic and safe living conditions.
Six proven ways to transform rural communities
After 40 years working with rural people, here are some of the things we have learned to make our work under IFAD13 a success.
It’s not too late to prevent the worst-case scenario
The IPCC’s latest Synthesis Report is a reminder that the power is in our hands to prevent the very worst outcomes of climate change—if we take decisive and ambitious action now.
When the world is drying up, every drop of water counts
Climate change and a growing population are exacerbating water scarcity. As the water cycle is disrupted, farmers are coming up with inventive ways to harvest, store and use water. IFAD is helping them with simple but effective and climate-smart water infrastructure.
As Cyclone Freddy breaks records, vulnerable rural people are in the eye of the storm
For over a month, Cyclone Freddy has been battering south-east Africa. This may be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded—and vulnerable rural communities are in the eye of the storm. We explain what this means for IFAD’s project participants in the region.
2022: Resilience in the face of adversity
As we near the end of 2022, IFAD looks back on some of the themes that defined a year of dramatic change.
Rising sea levels threaten Egypt's fertile plains in the Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the breadbasket of Egypt, but climate change threatens agriculture here. IFAD is working to protect the land and improve the quality of previously infertile land. Sabrina Dhowre Elba, IFAD colleagues, and project coordinators and participants describe how this is changing people’s lives.
How disability and the climate crisis converge
18 million persons with disabilities are expected to be displaced by climatic events by 2050, we must urgently include them in climate action—both as participants and decision makers.
COP27 is over. Here are five things the world must do now to move forward
As the countdown clock to 2050 ticks ever louder, IFAD was at COP27 to share what we know about responding to climate change. Here are five solutions to help the world get back on track towards a more sustainable future.
Saving the Amazon: The story of the indigenous women fighting climate change
In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, a group of indigenous women are fighting climate change through reforestation and ancestral farming techniques.
Why climate finance matters: Your questions answered
Climate finance is complicated, and we get a lot of questions about everything it entails. We’ve put together some answers to the ones we receive most often.
Climate finance keeps carbon where it belongs: underground
Climate finance is essential to prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening and to protect the most vulnerable people from a climate breakdown.
Financing resilience: how ASAP+ is helping rural communities adapt to climate change
When it comes to climate change, small-scale farmers are among the world’s most vulnerable communities. This is why IFAD focuses on climate resilient agriculture and climate finance through programmes like ASAP+.
Four ways small-scale fishers can help us weather the climate storm
Climate change and environmental degradation are posing an unprecedented threat to the world. Find out how small-scale fishers are weathering the storm – and becoming part of the solution.
Seeing the bigger picture: 6 ways IFAD uses GIS to optimize climate investment
Discover how IFAD uses Geographic Information Systems to better understand where and how climate change is affecting smallholder farming, and what is needed to mitigate its effects.
A tale of two towns in Tajikistan
In Tajikistan two neighbouring towns face different fates as one suffers the aftermath of drought and displacement and the other is saved by irrigation.
Five ways IFAD is helping to reduce rural poverty in an age of climate change
Even when a world without poverty seems out of reach, here’s how IFAD continues to work in developing countries, amplifying the voices of rural people and integrating them into value chains, so they can earn and save, while feeding the world and conserving the natural environment.
Water brings life to rural people
Irrigation brings water to the world's poorest rural people in the right quantities and when they need it, helping farmers adapt to climate pattern shifts.
East Africa is experiencing its worst drought in decades. It’s time to invest in climate adaptation
East Africa is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades, with millions facing food insecurity as crops fail, livestock die and water sources dry up. Read how IFAD is building resilience to climate change and what else needs to be done.
Women-led sea patrols in the Philippines are protecting livelihoods and the ocean
Coastal communities in the Philippines depend on the sea for sustenance, but these once thriving oceans are emptying due to climate change and harmful fishing practices. Local women are fighting back, protecting fisheries while using them sustainably.
See how permaculture transformed farmland in Nepal from barren to lush
When Megnath Ale Magar returned to his village in Nepal after a decade working abroad, he found a degraded land. In just three years, he transformed his barren farmland into a lush ecosystem using a permaculture approach.
From subsistence to self-sufficiency: how women in Sudan are using savings and credit groups to build a better future
Climate change, commercial agribusiness, and societal norms threaten small-scale farmers’ way of life in a small village in Sudan. A women’s savings and credit group is changing this.
Against the backdrop of conflict and COVID-19, IFAD is helping farmers grow in Yemen
Years of conflict in Yemen have taken their toll – and among all of the devastation that’s been wrought, the country’s agricultural sector is one of the hardest hit. Now, an IFAD-supported initiative is helping Yemeni farmers get back on their feet.
It’s been 50 years since the first Stockholm Conference. What have leaders done to protect our planet since?
In June 1972, members of the United Nations gathered in Stockholm for the first-ever conference on protecting the environment. Fifty years later, global leaders are returning to where it all began to decide where we go from here.
Our planet is losing its biodiversity. Here are five ways IFAD and rural people are protecting it
Biodiversity is the key to all the essential benefits we get from nature: from clean air to our ability to regulate the climate. At IFAD, we integrate protecting biodiversity into everything we do.
How farmers around the world are protecting nature’s delicate balance – and reaping the rewards
Healthy ecosystems are diverse ecosystems. And at IFAD, we believe that small-scale farmers are amongst the greatest stewards and beneficiaries of biodiversity.
As COP15 tackles desertification, here are three ways IFAD is helping farmers in sub-Saharan Africa build their resilience to climate change
Sub-Saharan Africa’s drylands – that is, the areas where more water is lost through evaporation than gained through rainfall – are facing widespread degradation. There are many factors causing this, but one of the most prominent is the use of agricultural practices that aren’t adapted to the land, such as overgrazing and intensive agriculture.
The thin green line that’s holding back the Sahara desert
The Great Green Wall was envisioned as a line of trees stretching across Africa to protect against desertification. Today, it is a mosaic of farms, forests, and wilderness, where sustainable agriculture is the norm and rural-dwellers thrive.
These numbers show that restoring drylands and preventing desertification is good for the planet – and good for us
From California to the Sahel, from the steppes of Central Asia to the Andes, drylands are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. But they’re also some of the most fragile.
Indigenous peoples lead adaptation efforts through IFAD’s dedicated funding
Over the millennia, indigenous peoples have developed practices that honour the interconnectedness of people and nature – yet all too often, their contributions are overlooked and devalued. IFAD is committed to supporting indigenous peoples in overcoming poverty and meeting global challenges through building on their identities and cultures.
Agriculture is not just a contributor to climate change. It is an essential part of the solution - IFAD’s reaction to the latest IPCC report
While we can no longer avoid climate change, we can still limit its impacts. It is time we start viewing agriculture as an essential part of the solution.
Communities use GIS maps to conserve forests and adapt to climate change
Making the right decisions about managing natural resources isn’t always easy. That’s especially true for watersheds, where the local ecosystem depends on the health of multiple waterways. Now, GIS technology is helping communities in rural Nepal monitor and preserve the forests fed by local watersheds.
Meet some of the women leading sustainable development around the world
Sustainable development can only be achieved with the contributions of rural women, yet they face many challenges. Let’s meet three women who have transformed their lives with the help of the JP RWEE initiative.
Recipes for Change: Sri Lanka - Polos Curry
In Sri Lanka, the climate crisis is causing rising temperatures, increasingly extreme weather events and variable precipitation patterns are harming agricultural productivity and food security. Through the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnership Programme, IFAD offers solutions for rural people, including promoting jackfruit among smallholder farmers because of its high value and resilience.
Uncovering the truths about groundwater
Below our feet lies a hidden treasure: groundwater. It sustains ecosystems and provides food, drink and livelihoods for billions. And as climate patterns change with global heating, this reliable water source is becoming ever more important for food security and livelihoods.
In Moldova, shelter belt forests build rural livelihoods and protect against climate change impacts
Forests are an excellent buffer against the effects of climate change. They’re also home to a variety of native plant and animal species that can foster resilient, sustainable local economies.
Promises kept: Crop insurance makes a difference for Kenya’s small-scale farmers
Farming can be a risky business indeed. Recently, some IFAD-supported initiatives have begun piloting crop insurance programmes for participating farmers – and for KCEP-CRAL farmers in Kenya, the new insurance policies arrived just in time.
These numbers prove that rural women are crucial for a better future. But they're not getting what they need to succeed
Despite being largely responsible for the food on our farms and on our tables, women don’t have access to the same resources as men. Without access to land, finance, training, inputs and equipment, women can’t produce effectively, achieve financial stability or food security, or grow their businesses.
To tackle climate change, we need to empower rural women. Here are four ways to do that
Rural women already know what needs to be done to help their households and communities adapt to climate change and build resilience. Here are four ways to empower them for a climate-safe future.
5 questions you should be asking about climate change and rural women
Women and girls all over the world are more strongly affected by climate change. For International Women’s Day, we’re taking a look at why that is and how women and girls can lead the way in adapting to the new environment.
An alarm we can no longer ignore: IFAD’s reaction to IPCC’s latest report
The IPCC’s new report, “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”, underscores the urgency of climate change adaptation.
A green new hope for degraded soils
Over half the world’s arable land is already degraded, and this number is growing at a rate of 23 hectares per minute. But with the support of an IFAD-funded project – along with an unlikely ally – farmers in Bolivia’s Pando region are restoring the land in record time.
Highlights from COP26 – Friday 12 November 2021
The end of COP26 is fast approaching, and we’re still waiting for a final agreement. However, based on the draft texts that have been released, it’s clear there’s still a risk of gaps between long-term targets and short-term action.