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IFAD, together with the Government of Cambodia and the European Investment Bank (EIB), are launching a US$125 million rural development project today that aims to boost incomes and food security for 200,000 families in Cambodia.

Around the world today, women make up over half the people working in agriculture – as smallholders, market gardeners, wage labourers, unpaid workers on family farms – and that figure is on the rise.

Have you ever found yourself looking outside the window, wondering if it will be raining soon? Perhaps you never thought of asking the ants.

La Oficina de Evaluación Independiente del Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA) y el Gobierno del Ecuador están organizando un taller para presentar los resultados de una evaluación independiente de las operaciones del FIDA en el Ecuador en los últimos diez años (2009 a 2019), período en el que se ejecutaron cuatro proyectos en 16 provincias por un valor de más de USD 160 millones.

Heads of state, ministers, celebrity artists and development leaders will gather in Rome to renew the commitment to ending hunger by 2030, and to define what needs to be done and how to do it.

This call for proposals is to select a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive a three-year IFAD grant financing to implement the project: Disability inclusive rural transformation for a total amount of up to US$3 million.

Innovative and forward-looking, the IFAD-funded project in Guinea-Bissau will transform rural economic networks for a sustainable agriculture of the future.

The purpose of this Call for Proposals is to identify the recipient of a three-year grant financed by IFAD of a total of US$2 million to implement the Scaling up Renewable Energy Technologies in Agriculture project.

In this month’s programme we look at one of the most pressing issues facing farming today – that of youth and what’s being done to offer interesting and viable options for life on the farm for young people in developing countries.

This call for proposals is to select a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive a three-year IFAD grant financing to implement the project: RESOLVE - Results based management for rural transformation.

Weather index insurance can protect and support smallholder farmers from climate-related disasters, providing them with means to buy food when harvests fail.

With an estimated 30 million hectares throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia and the Americas, bamboo can provide a significant contribution to combatting climate change in the developing world, particularly in rural communities.

Grassroots and international farmers’ and rural producers’ organizations play an invaluable role as representatives of the farming community.

Guatemala has the largest economy in Central America but it also has the worst rates of poverty and malnutrition. This is especially the case in rural areas and for indigenous communities.

Åslaug Marie Haga, a Norwegian national, has joined IFAD as Associate Vice-President of the External Relations and Governance Department.

A new US$305.7 million programme will help more than 13 million of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable farmers to increase and diversify their incomes, access financial services and build their resilience in rural areas threatened by climate change.

In the community of Larguero, in the Chaco Salteño, a group of indigenous beekeepers are raising the profile of a unique wild honey

IFAD has long drawn on the services of the FAO Investment Centre (DPI) to assist it in its operational work at country level.

The Government of Sweden has contributed approximately US$12 million to help rural farmers adapt to a changing climate and to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries, IFAD announced today.

As a chef, I believe that we have a responsibility and we should take concrete actions to tackle climate change.

We asked colleagues for their favourite podcasts on topics related to development, food, agriculture and climate. If you are looking to learn something new check out our suggestions.

In this month’s bumper edition of Farms. Food. Future. presented by Brian Thomson, we’ve been all over the UNFCCC COP25 Climate Conference in Madrid.

At least 300,000 highly vulnerable Malawian families will benefit from a new US$125.4 million programme that aims to increase their productivity and strengthen their market access.

What are the global transformations required for our food systems to become sustainable in the face of climate change?

As part of IFAD’s recognition of well-organized, transparent and value-for-money driven project procurement as a key determinant for development effectiveness, IFAD has approved a Grant under its Global/Regional Grants Programme to address capacity gaps in public procurement in borrower/recipient countries.

Rural development projects financed and supported by IFAD have contributed to increased agricultural productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers in Nepal, according to a new report presented today.

Climate change is affecting global food systems in such a way that those who already suffer from hunger and undernutrition are also the most vulnerable to the added threats from climate change.

Current food systems are at a crossroads. There is a strong need for transforming food production and consumption patterns in a sustainable way. One where farmers adapt and build resilience to the increasing challenges from climate change and where nutritious food is available for all. Agroecology provides one solution towards this transformation.

The United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will inaugurate its first Liaison Office in the Gulf Region today.

Climate-resilient and sustainable reforestation practices to support Pakistan's national development is the focus of a one-day seminar convened by IFAD and the governments of China and Pakistan in Islamabad today.

Tajikistan is a mountainous country nestled in Central Asia. Over five million people live a rural life, the majority of them depending on agriculture for their livelihoods.

An IFAD co-sponsored event at COP25 in Madrid brought together experts and celebrity chefs to examine how climate change is effecting food systems.

Deep in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan sits the picturesque village of Minimarg. Almost 200 kilometres from Gilgit, the region’s capital, Minimarg can only be accessed via the 4,000-meter Burzil Pass.

The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD and the Government of Nepal are holding a one-day workshop to share the findings of an independent evaluation of IFAD’s operations in Nepal over the last seven years (2013-2019).

IFAD and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh have signed an agreement to launch a project to accelerate inclusive economic growth, sustainably reduce poverty and improve food and nutrition security.

Agriculture is uniquely placed to tackle climate change while reducing poverty and increasing food security. The key role of the sector has been recognised by the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA).

IFAD have launched a photo competition on the theme of youth and rural development to promote youth participation in rural development in Latin American and the Caribbean.

The rapid economic growth in China has brought numerous benefits, but also many challenges. Rapid urbanization, environmental vulnerability, an aging population and internal migration of young men is putting pressure on rural agricultural production systems.

Agriculture is responsible for much of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but family farmers are also responsible for promoting biodiversity and guaranteeing ecosystem services upon which agricultural activity depends.

Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, Coordinator of the Congress of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) visited IFAD in Rome, where he discussed the situation affecting the Amazon and the implications for indigenous peoples’ livelihoods and for humanity as a whole.

Climate change is no longer a problem for the future: it is happening now. Actions to tackle climate change and address the challenges it poses are paramount on the international policy agenda, as well as among IFAD priorities and commitments.

A new €82.6 million agricultural development project financed by IFAD and the Government of Morocco will help 11,200 vulnerable households to increase their productivity and incomes in the face of climate change.

Development projects that integrate investments in rural indigenous peoples, youth and women with measures to adapt to climate change are more likely to be successful in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a new report launched today by IFAD.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and ASEAN Secretariat have launched the Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia (MAHFSA) Programme today to reduce transboundary haze pollution and its impacts in Southeast Asia.

Designed to be ‘Good for You, Good for the Planet and Good for Farmers’, IFAD’s new podcast series raises awareness on the challenges smallholder farmers face, highlighting the need to invest more in solutions focused on women and young people, environmental protection and better nutrition in the context of a changing climate.

In this episode of Recipes for Change, Italian celebrity chef Rubio is in Sri Lanka to learn about moringa, a drought-resilient superfood that is helping rural households cope with the effects of climate change, increase their incomes, and improve their nutrition.

In this episode of Recipes for Change, Italian celebrity chef, Carlo Cracco, is in Bhutan to find out how farmers are rediscovering traditional crops that can help them mitigate the impact that climate change is having on their staple cultivations.

Small-scale farmers in developing countries are already suffering from a changing climate they did not cause – with lower crop yields, reduced water availability, price spikes and increased food insecurity.

Martín Vizcarra, President of Peru, and Rossana Polastri, Director of the Latin America and the Caribbean Division of IFAD, to chair the closing of the Sierra y Selva Alta Project (PSSA).

In addition to climate change, the Pacific Island communities are succumbing to modern diseases caused by a change of diet and lifestyle.

IFAD has adapted its development strategies for Viet Nam from focusing on boosting agricultural production to commercialisation and sustainability of smallholders.

Rural development projects financed and supported by IFAD expanded access to rural finance and increased agricultural production in Sierra Leone, despite the civil war (1991-2002) and Ebola epidemic (2014-2015), according to a new report released today.

This is the inaugural episode of Farms. Food. Future. In this month’s programme we will be hearing from farmers on the climate front line.

On the international day for the elimination of violence against women, IFAD reaffirms its commitment to eliminate and prevent gender-based violence.

Welcome to Farms. Food. Future. A podcast that’s good for you, good for the planet and good for farmers.

It has long been recognized that the money remitted by migrants is used to supplement the receiving family’s income and is therefore largely spent on consumption. Only a small amount of remittances is invested in productive assets, much less saved.

Half a million of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable families are set to benefit from a new US$451 million project to increase their resilience to climate shocks in the country’s poorest regions.

Water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development, critical to the survival of people and the planet. SDG6 not only addresses the issues relating to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, but also the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide.

The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD and the Government of Sierra Leone are holding a half-day workshop in Freetown to share the findings of the independent evaluation of IFAD’s country strategy and programme for Sierra Leone.

Wool and mohair form the bedrock of Lesotho’s rural economy. Producers range from smallholder farmers with small flocks, to breeders of large flocks of superior gene-quality animals. With over 1.2 million sheep and 845,000 goats there is a lot of potential to develop the industry.

With about 60 per cent of the developing world’s rural youth living in Asian and Pacific countries, specific and effective policies and investments are urgently needed to offer them a future, according to a report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to be presented at Peking University today.

The fisheries sector is crucial for enhancing healthy diets, as fish are a valuable source of nutrients and micronutrients.

This call for proposals is to select a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive a three-year IFAD grant financing to implement the project: Promoting sustainable technologies and marketing strategies to increase incomes and reduce food losses in small fish systems for a total amount of up to US$2.5 million.

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.

Most of the population of Bhutan depend on farming to make a living. However, as the climate crisis bites, this Himalayan nation is being hit by erratic rain, hailstorms and flash floods. This in turn is effecting farmers’ production.

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?

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are calling for urgent funding to avert a major hunger crisis and for the international community to step up investment in long-term measures to combat the impact of climate shocks and build the capacity of communities and countries to withstand them.

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.

Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, will meet with government leaders in India this week to strengthen joint efforts to boost farmers’ incomes and build sustainable food systems, and review project activities that have already empowered more than one million rural women.

A new €81.9 million project will help more than 1 million vulnerable small-scale farmers in Chad improve their incomes and food security and boost an underperforming agricultural sector hampered by recurrent droughts and rain-fed farming practices.

In recent years, the concerns and worldviews of young adults have been increasingly occupying center stage in global debates. And they should.

IFAD and Samoa have signed a financing agreement to significantly increase agricultural production and incomes for 25,000 smallholder farmer and fisher families, and to help protect against natural disasters on Samoa’s Savai’i and Upolu islands.

Sri Lanka is a small island nation in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean off India’s southeastern coast. Given that a large proportion of the population is concentrated in coastal areas, the country is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Today, on the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I wanted to step back and reflect on progress.

Hoy, el FIDA, en conjunto con el Gobierno Federal, inauguró su oficina en Brasilia y lanzó una agenda de discusión sobre su Estrategia de País con entidades del Gobierno Federal, representantes de la sociedad civil y agencias internacionales.

With over 80 per cent of the Sudanese labour force engaged in agriculture, a new €77.7 million programme that aims to increase food security and ensure access to natural resources is a vital investment in Sudan’s future.

A powerful short film featuring acclaimed poet Maya Angelou was launched today by IFAD on the International Day of Rural Women to raise awareness of the power and potential of rural women to help fight global hunger.

Mapai is one of the driest districts of Mozambique, with an arid and semi-arid tropical climate where water for consumption, cattle and agriculture is the major challenge for the people living there.

The second Friday in October is World Egg Day. A day to recognise the vital role of eggs in feeding people around the world.

With increasing population, underemployment and increasing demand for food, youth can pay rich dividend in terms of social and economic growth when given the right opportunities and support.

IFAD opened a regional office in Cairo today that will serve as a strategic rural development center for its work to reduce poverty, empower women and youth, and create employment opportunities in seven countries across the region.

Over a decade ago, in the region of Tombali, Arama Tudarame’s husband and local chief sought land around their village suitable for growing cashew trees. Then, as now, monoculture of the kidney-shaped nut dominated the country’s agricultural sector

The President of the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Gilbert F. Houngbo, will meet with H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, during a four-day visit to the country from 6 to 9 October to discuss IFAD’s ongoing investments and to pave the way for a strengthened partnership towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About 30,900 rural people in the Kingdom of Eswatini will benefit from a new US$38.5 million project that aims to improve the prosperity and resilience of poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs in the country.

This call for proposals is to select a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive a three-year IFAD grant financing to implement the project: Inclusive red meat value chains for women and youth farmers in Eastern and Southern Africa for a total amount of up to US$2 million.

The resilience of smallholder farmers, coupled with the support of development projects is allowing Peru’s rural people to progress towards better living standards. Women and youth are very often on the frontline of that effort.

IFAD is the only IFI with the specific mandate to eradicate poverty and hunger by investing in poor rural people through financial and technical assistance to agriculture and rural development projects in developing member states.

Mohamed enjoys welcoming visitors to his vegetables garden in Fria town, in Guinea, and is proud to show every crop he has been growing. This 32-year-old rural entrepreneur recalls how his business succeeded thanks to an unexpected opportunity while he was pursuing a civil servant career.

Last Friday was the global climate strike day. I have found myself wondering how we have arrived to this point.

At first glance it may seem access to energy shouldn’t be high on the development agenda as almost 89 per cent of the world's population has access to electricity. However, the data mask disparities between rural and urban areas.

Climate change ranks among the most important dynamics shaping livelihoods of young people now and in the future.

About 150,000 rural young people in Senegal – 50 per cent of them women - will benefit from a new US$93.3 million project that aims to create income and decent sustainable jobs in agricultural, pastoral and fishery value chains.

Today the Rome-based agencies (RBAs - FAO, IFAD and WFP) recognized the interagency country team based in Guatemala for their concerted efforts in maximizing results and impact on the ground.

Following the spikes in global food prices in the years 2006, 2008, and 2011, agricultural risk management has become an important topic in G20 discussions.

The UN Rome-based Agencies (RBAs), namely, FAO, IFAD and WFP, gathered on the occasion of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation and highlighted the importance of “leaving no one behind” in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Haor region is a wetland ecosystem in north-eastern Bangladesh, which is located in a tectonic depression. During the monsoon period, the Haor gets between 3,000 and 4,000 mm of rainfall, together with the flow of monsoon river from the Meghalaya and Barak basins.

Is it possible to link small-scale producers to emerging opportunities in dynamic food systems?

Sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse is unacceptable and has no place in IFAD, including its operations and financed activities. IFAD reaffirms its no tolerance policy.

Opportunities for migration and mobility have long influenced people's lives and livelihoods.

Thabo Lefatle owns and runs a small vegetable farm in Lesotho’s Mafeteng district, south of the capital Maseru. He is one of 55,000 smallholder farmers in Lesotho who applied for and won public grants.