Strengthening indigenous peoples’ communities and their organizations
The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) is an innovative funding instrument that indigenous communities can use to find solutions to the challenges they face. The objective of the Facility is to strengthen indigenous peoples’ communities and their organizations. It finances small projects that foster self-driven development.
IPAF supports projects designed and implemented by indigenous peoples’ communities and their organizations through small grants ranging from US$20,000 up to US$50,000 for a maximum duration of two years. Supported projects build on indigenous peoples’ culture, identity, knowledge and natural resources. The objective is to build a direct partnership with indigenous peoples to enable them and their communities to design and implement grass-root development projects based on their own perspectives. IPAF is one of the instruments to implement the principles of engagement of IFAD Policy on indigenous peoples.
At the global level, IPAF is directed both operationally and strategically by a board mostly consisting of indigenous leaders. At a regional level IPAF is co-managed and coordinated by regional indigenous peoples’ organizations as the implementing partners. The IPAF comprises three main components:
- Empowering indigenous peoples' grassroots organizations
- Strengthening indigenous peoples' networks and linking them with the global indigenous movement
- Knowledge Management
Through projects being implemented worldwide IPAF has contributed to improving the livelihoods of indigenous peoples' communities in the following areas:
- Improve sustainable agricultural practises, develop new off-farm enterprises and enhanced market access
- Develop capacity on indigenous peoples' rights, revitalize cultural heritage and traditional knowledge
- Map indigenous territories and cultures
- Empower indigenous women
- Boost disaster and climate change risk management based on traditional knowledge and practices
- Preserve and promote local varieties of traditional crops.
The call for proposals for the fifth cycle closed in June 2018, the next call for proposals is planned for 2021.
More information about IPAF can be found in the IPAF assessment of 2019: The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) Assessment of the performance of the fourth IPAF cycle. Among other things, the performance assessment provides detailed information on the direct beneficiaries and the activities.
Contact
IPAF Secretariat
News and stories
Indigenous youth in agriculture during COVID-19
IPAF Call for Proposals 2018
New IFAD grant supports efforts to help indigenous peoples find their own development path
The Executive Board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has recently approved a US$3 million grant in support of indigenous peoples' communities in developing countries for the period 2017-2020.
Related publications
Good practices in IFAD’s engagement with indigenous peoples
The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility: Linking grass-roots indigenous peoples’ organizations and the international community
Indigenous and tribal peoples and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented among the rural poor. Many of the poorest communities of indigenous peoples are difficult to reach through mainstream development programmes.
The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) - Assessment of the performance of the fourth IPAF cycle
Related videos
Photo stories
Youth leaders working towards transformative rural development
Six ways investing in rural communities makes people healthier
Malnutrition causes health problems and losses in economic productivity. Over the course of their lifetimes, malnourished individuals can earn 10 per cent less than those who are well-nourished.
Indigenous communities in Malaysia building capacity for resilience through IPAF
The value of indigenous tree species in Ethiopia
Increasing the production of traditional crops in Brazil
IPAF regional implementation partners
Cofinanciers
