Knowledge

Evidence suggests that smallholder family farms are more sustainable, better at protecting biodiversity, more inclusive and more productive per unit of land than other kinds of farms.

The involvement of indigenous peoples is key to achieving the ambitions of the SDGs.

After years of decline in hunger, the number of undernourished people has been on the rise for several years in a row. 

Inequality holds back national growth and prevents economic development. Poor rural people are among the most marginalized groups but can act as catalysts of economic growth across developing countries when infrastructure, services and institutions are in place to enable them to contribute to development processes.

People’s movement between rural and urban areas is necessary for stable and vibrant modern economies.

IFAD’s vision of inclusive and sustainable rural transformation fits closely with the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda. We work to create the social and economic conditions that can transform rural areas into places of prosperity and hope, where people can build decent livelihoods. Increasingly, IFAD acts as an assembler of development finance, mobilizing resources from a range of sources to fund projects that empower poor rural people to grow, process and sell more food, increase their incomes and determine the direction of their own lives.