Media are invited to participate in the International Conference on Rural Inequalities: Evaluating approaches to overcome disparities. Organized by the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD, the two-day conference will explore critical questions regarding whether strategies and programmes that aim to eradicate rural poverty reduce disparities within rural areas. The analysis and discussions of the Conference will point to viable policy options for eradicating extreme poverty with a redistributive lens.

• WHAT: International Conference on Rural Inequalities: Evaluating  approaches to overcome disparities. Organized by the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD.
• WHERE: IFAD Headquarters, Via Paolo di Dono, 44, 00142, Rome
• WHEN: 2-3 May, from 9:00 to 14:00.

Nearly 60 international speakers – representatives of universities, think tanks, governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations – from more than 15 countries will participate in the conference. Among them: Eko Putro Sandjojo, Minister for Village, Transmigration and Disadvantaged Areas of Indonesia; Diana Alarcón, Adjunct Academic Secretary, Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Mexico; and Estrella Penunia, Secretary General of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development.

Context

The number of people living in extreme poverty stands at 836 million. This figure is especially alarming given the rise in the estimated number of chronically undernourished people in the world – from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016. In all regions of the world, rates of extreme poverty and food insecurity are higher in rural areas, where three-quarters of the extremely poor and food-insecure people live.

Information on the conference can be found here. Consult the conference agenda.

Note to the editors:

Interviews with participants can be arranged after speaking with the communication officer in charge, Yolanda Polo Tejedor, y.polotejedor@ifad.org

Media Alert No: IFAD/04/2018

IFAD has invested in rural people for 40 years, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, IFAD has provided about US$19.7 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 474 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the United Nation’s food and agriculture hub. For more information, visit www.ifad.org.

The Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) conducts evaluations of IFAD-financed policies, strategies and operations to promote accountability and learning. The main purpose is to contribute to improving IFAD's and its partners' performance in reducing rural poverty in recipient countries. IOE's independent evaluations assess the impact of IFAD-funded activities and give an analysis of successes and shortcomings – to tell it the way it is – as well as identify factors affecting performance. Based on the key insights and recommendations drawn from evaluation findings, IOE also communicates and shares IFAD’s knowledge and experience in agriculture and rural development with a wider audience.