Serving the rural poor in the time of physical distancing: Staying safe, well – and connected
It has been three weeks since COVID-19 has drastically altered the daily lives of IFAD staff headquartered in Rome and stationed around the world, and the distancing measures needed to contain the coronavirus outbreak are slowing down the world’s economic engine.
What we can do to support farmers on the front lines of climate change
Each of the world’s agricultural production systems had millennia to adapt to local climatic conditions, especially in terms of temperature and rainfall.
The potential impact of COVID-19 on SDG 2 (food security) – in China and globally
Last week’s OECD Interim Economic Outlook confirmed, as predictable, that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on China’s and the rest of the world’s economy is going to be extremely severe.
Rethinking government support to farmers
It is becoming increasingly clear that the ways in which we produce, market and consume food need to be reconciled with environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Handle with care: Vulnerability, the human face of state fragility
Vulnerability and fragility might not be perfect synonyms, but they share a very similar meaning. Both words refer to something breakable, delicate and frail – something that needs to be handled with care.
Fighting against COVID-19: the importance of building long-term resilience in rural communities
Two months have passed since the beginning of the new coronavirus outbreak in Hubei, China. It seems an appropriate time to reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on rural communities in China, and on the importance of investing in rural people in order to build long-term resilience to shocks.
CGIAR announces agritech blog post contest winners
Agritech – the use of cutting-edge technological innovations in agriculture – is generating a lot of buzz these days. Entrepreneurs and start-ups all over the world are brimming with brilliant ideas for bringing big data, connectivity, and digital platforms into the field, and the results so far have been incredibly promising.
To move the needle on ending extreme poverty, focus on rural areas
The considerable gains made worldwide in poverty reduction over the last 10 years have been widely recognized. And indeed, in a year when China aspires to complete its 40-year project of lifting some 770 million people across the poverty line, it is clear that a greater proportion of the human population is wealthier today than at any other moment in history.
The importance of agrarian development in India
Although our world continues to urbanise at an alarming rate, there’s no getting away from the fact that agrarian activities will always be necessary.
Interview with Recipes for Change Chef Robert Oliver
I have always loved food - how it brings people together, the smells and flavours of new cultures. I guess I associate food most with gathering, communion.
IFAD awarded for advancing practice in knowledge and organizational learning
The Henley Forum has recognized IFAD with an award for Advancing Knowledge & Organizational Learning Practice during its 20th annual conference.
Talking about climate risk insurance with women in Ethiopia: How to improve value, access, and delivery
Women in Ethiopia and the world over play a huge and growing role in farming and food production.
Interview with Recipes for Change Chef Ska Mirriam Moteane
My love and passion for food inspired me to become a chef. My mother was a good cook and I grew up admiring her cooking and learning from her.
One size doesn’t fit all: How to design a user-friendly climate insurance
Weather index insurance can protect and support smallholder farmers from climate-related disasters, providing them with means to buy food when harvests fail.
Interview with Recipes for Change Chef Pierre Thiam
As a chef, I believe that we have a responsibility and we should take concrete actions to tackle climate change.
What does it mean to be “smart” on planet Earth?
What are the global transformations required for our food systems to become sustainable in the face of climate change?
Interview with Recipes for Change Chef Lance Seeto
In addition to climate change, the Pacific Island communities are succumbing to modern diseases caused by a change of diet and lifestyle.
Enabling farming families to fight climate change: the key to survival
IFAD has adapted its development strategies for Viet Nam from focusing on boosting agricultural production to commercialisation and sustainability of smallholders.
The advantage of investing in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and coastal communities
The fisheries sector is crucial for enhancing healthy diets, as fish are a valuable source of nutrients and micronutrients.
Mobile money: A product of choice for women to send and receive remittances
Women constitute the majority of remittance recipients globally and remittances have an impact on both women’s actual income as well as on social norms.
China’s remaining challenges in reducing poverty
Next year China is hoping to announce that they have eradicated extreme poverty - but what are the challenges that China would need to deal with after 2020?
Meeting the challenge of SDG2: The moment for action
We are just over 10 years out from the deadline to the meet the SDGs, but the goals will require a step change in the quantity and quality of financing made available.
More than 100 million young adults are still living in extreme poverty
In recent years, the concerns and worldviews of young adults have been increasingly occupying center stage in global debates. And they should.
Strengthening the resilience of small-scale farmers is critical to reversing the rise in hunger and ending poverty
Today, on the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I wanted to step back and reflect on progress.