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Rural women are at the heart of agriculture – yet they’ve less resources, time and decision-making power than men. So how does IFAD combat gender inequality in rural communities?

West and Central Africa is as intricate as it is vast. We sat down with Regional Director, Bernard Mwinyel Hien, to better understand the region’s strengths and challenges.

“Los productores agropecuarios en pequeña escala están particularmente expuestos a los efectos del calentamiento global y son actores fundamentales en la solución a la crisis climática”, señaló Juan Carlos Mendoza, Director de la División de Ambiente, Clima, Género e Inclusión Social del FIDA.

As Brazil redoubles its efforts to combat poverty and hunger, IFAD and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) signed a new financing agreement today to strengthen the resilience of one million people in rural areas of the Sertão, Brazil's semi-arid and highly vulnerable region in the Northeast of the country.

Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam praised the long-standing collaboration between IFAD and the Government of Viet Nam to transform rural lives and livelihoods in the country.

IFAD is working to tackle malnutrition and food security in Laos. Find out how the Agriculture for Nutrition Programme has improved the diets of rural communities across northern parts of the country.

IFAD and Grow Asia launched the Smallholder Economic Empowerment through Digital Solutions project with financial support from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs today.

IFAD is contributing to rural development and social innovation in Guyana’s hinterland.

Find out how small-scale farmers can get locally grown food to the children who need it, when they need it, while earning a decent income and supporting their families and communities.

Water is key to food and agriculture, but with many parts of the world increasingly affected by water scarcity, it’s critical that we use it wisely. Luckily, small-scale farmers are up to the challenge.

On International Rural Women's Day, we recognise the tremendous strength of rural women and girls across the globe. These women and girls, the backbone of our rural communities, are not just farmers, entrepreneurs, and caregivers; they are the very heartbeat of the land they nurture and the families they sustain.

In celebration of Rural Women's Day on 15 October, IFAD has collaborated with the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir (SGC) to launch the #Sing4RuralWomen social media challenge. Through a new song composed by IFAD’s Carlo Ladd, and interpreted by SGC, this initiative aims to celebrate the pivotal role played by rural women worldwide and raise awareness through music and dance on social media.

Cerca de 4 000 jóvenes de áreas rurales y periurbanas en Bolivia, Colombia y Honduras han mejorado sus medios de vida tras su participación en un proyecto de desarrollo rural para jóvenes financiado y promovido por el FIDA, junto a su socio estratégico ICCO Cooperación.

Amid growing climate impacts and water scarcity, the Kingdom of Morocco and IFAD signed an agreement today for a new project that will improve the livelihoods and living conditions for rural people in the mountainous areas of the Oriental region and reduce their vulnerability to climate change.

Women are the driving force behind rural communities, yet they have less resources, time and decision-making power than men. Join us and Soweto Gospel Choir and sing for rural women so more people can hear why they matter.

When rural women access finance, the entire world flourishes. Find out how financially empowered women are leading the fight against climate change, achieving sustainable development and ensuring food security for their communities and the planet.

Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD and Dr Aboubakar Nacanabo, Minister of Economy, Finance and Foresight of Burkina Faso, today signed a new financing agreement to further strengthen the resilience of small-scale farmers.

All over the world rural women face numerous challenges that men do not. Find out how an IFAD-funded project in Türkiye is providing them with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive.

Moonshots for Development (M4D), the alliance of innovation labs and venture arms of several multilateral development banks, launched the groundbreaking AI for Climate Resilience in Rural Areas Innovation Challenge.

IFAD and the Government of Malawi today signed additional funding of US$57 million to increase support to small-scale farmers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Rural people in Nigeria face unimaginable challenges. Find out how farmer-focused social enterprise Babban Gona and IFAD have joined forces to support those who are most in need.

Meet IFAD’s new Vice-President. Gerardine Mukeshimana discusses the importance of investing in rural communities, climate change adaptation and giving women access to resources.

The Near East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Division of IFAD is pleased to share this call for proposals aimed at selecting a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive an IFAD grant.

Food loss occurring after harvest and before retail sale, also termed post-harvest loss, is a key challenge in many developing countries and one that IFAD is committed to alleviate.

Investing in rural communities is a long-term solution to many of the problems the world is facing – but projects must keep giving, long after they’ve come to an end. Find out more about IFAD’s longtail impacts across the globe.

After France and Norway announced their highest-ever financial contributions to IFAD yesterday, preceded by Spain’s pledge of a four-fold increase last week, IFAD President Alvaro Lario is calling on leaders to urgently follow suit.

In this episode, we’re tackling malnutrition. In the spotlight we have an intriguing report on obesity in developing countries. Then we speak to IFAD's Lead Technical Specialist on Nutrition, Joyce Njoro, about the factors driving food inflation and its impact on access to healthy diets. Also in episode 48, Nadine Gbossa shares with us the key findings from this year's UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment.

Fitch Ratings confirmed IFAD Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'AA+' with a Stable Outlook.

Con el objetivo de revalorizar la ruralidad desde el protagonismo juvenil, el FIDA premió hoy en su sede en Roma a los jóvenes ganadores del Concurso de YouTubers y TikTokers Rurales, provenientes de Bolivia, Colombia y Honduras.

Poverty is both a symptom and a driver of conflict. That’s why IFAD supports the poorest and most marginalized people as they contribute to a more peaceful world where everyone can access dignified work that fosters shared economic prosperity.

El Niño is back, and its effects are expected to have dire consequences for rural people. Oliver Page explains why we must do more to create a resilient, sustainable future in the face of this devastating climate phenomenon.

World leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to rebuild trust, reignite solidarity among nations and rescue the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes rescuing Sustainable Development Goals for Zero Hunger and No Poverty. Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, warns of the dire and irreversible effects that the climate crisis will have on hunger and poverty if sound adaptation measures are not taken quickly.

FAO, IsDB, and IFAD have joined hands in a significant partnership agreement aimed at enhancing global food security and nutrition. This trilateral cooperation agreement focuses on empowering rural smallholder farmers by providing them with accessible, affordable and adaptable technologies crucial for ensuring food security.

As countries meet to evaluate how much progress has been made towards the Sustainable Development Goals, find out more about these 17 objectives and why they’re important for the rural communities we work with.

IFAD’s Regional Director for the NEN region, Dina Saleh, reacts to the disastrous events that have occurred in the region this week.

Roads may sometimes be taken for granted. But for remote rural communities, they can be life changing. Find out how integrating roads and water management can lead to sustainable economic growth.

A devastating earthquake in Morocco has rocked rural communities. IFAD’s team are on the ground to understand how our project participants and the projects themselves have been affected.

Rural people across the world live in a dizzying array of contexts, yet they face surprisingly similar struggles. Through South-South and Triangular Cooperation, countries in the Global South learn from each other and share resources so they can overcome development challenges together.

Chef Saeng's Gaeng Nor Mai Som, a hearty and delicious Lao sour bamboo soup, takes us on a flavourful journey into the heart of Southeast Asia.

The Asia Pacific region is one of dizzying contrasts and incredible scale. We caught up with Regional Director, Reehana Rifat Raza, to find out the challenges faced by rural people in this dynamic region and how investment can make all the difference for their futures.

En el marco de la Cumbre de Finanzas en Común 2023, la Asociación Latinoamericana de Instituciones Financieras para el Desarrollo (ALIDE) y el FIDA han anunciado su nuevo partenariado para promover el desarrollo agrícola y rural, impulsar la seguridad alimentaria y combatir la pobreza rural en toda América Latina y el Caribe.

Public Development Banks are a crucial but often underappreciated force driving global change for the better. As the world confronts compounding crises, we deep dive into PDBs and why they matter for rural people.

East and Southern Africa is home to a diversity of landscapes, people and challenges. We sat down with Regional Director Sara Mbago-Bhunu to talk about rural life and the importance of investment.

“Public development banks must ensure that their significant financial resources better serve the fight against hunger, poverty and climate change”, said Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, at the Finance in Common Summit 2023 (FICS) today in Colombia.

IFAD and Stanbic Bank Uganda (SBU) today announced a partnership that will cut the cost incurred by Ugandan migrant workers sending money home in half by using Flexipay, a digital payments’ platform.

It’s time countries step up their investments and secure a climate-resilient future for small-scale farmers in Africa. Here’s how.

Innovatech, el novedoso proyecto financiado por el FIDA e implementado por la entidad financiera alemana Sparkassenstiftung, está sentando un precedente en Latinoamérica, al lograr una exitosa vinculación entre startups tecnológicas –empresas fintech y agtech–, y el sector rural en seis países de Latinoamérica y el Caribe.

Amid growing global food insecurity and an intensifying climate crisis, Gerardine Mukeshimana takes up duties today as Vice-President of IFAD. Mukeshimana, a former Rwandan Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, was instrumental in leading agricultural growth in Rwanda for almost a decade.

The future of farming belongs to rural youth. In this episode, we explore how to enhance productivity and empower young farmers.

Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Abdur Razzaque highlighted the dramatic progress made by Bangladesh in the agricultural sector at an event commemorating 45 years of partnership between IFAD and the Government of Bangladesh.

The line between getting by and going under is often all too thin. Disasters can immediately upend lives and reverse decades of progress and rural development. That’s why rural people also need their community, their country and their planet to be resilient.

Farmers’ organizations mean small-scale farmers can access markets, inputs, finance and information that would otherwise be hard to come by. Find out what farmers’ organisations are and what IFAD is doing to support them.

Joint investments in small-scale farming in developing countries not only increase vulnerable rural people’s capacity to cope with the ever-increasing climatic and economic shocks, but significantly benefit the environment and climate by helping to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, recovering degraded land and curbing biodiversity loss, according a new joint report launched today by IFAD and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Small-scale farmers need financial support to face the climate crisis. For the last 20 years, IFAD and the Global Environment Facility have been supporting rural communities as they build food systems that nourish us all.

El Gobierno del Perú ha anunciado esta semana la puesta en marcha de un proyecto para conservar los ecosistemas silvestres de la Amazonía, mediante la puesta en valor de la biodiversidad para la seguridad alimentaria y los bionegocios. Esta nueva iniciativa contará con el apoyo técnico y financiero del FIDA, junto con la FAO y la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Industrial (ONUDI).

Few storytelling mediums are more powerful than film. Find out how IFAD is using virtual reality and 360° video technology to ensure that rural people’s voices are heard.

Young people in rural areas are struggling to find work and earn an income. Here’s how the green transition is changing that in Africa.

Indigenous youth not only embody many generations of tradition, but they are also the guardians of our future. By playing critical roles in today's society, they are shaping a better world.

Stuffed vine leaves are prevalent across much of the Middle East and the Mediterranean – in fact, there are countless variations of this dish.

Overweight and obesity are on the rise in low- and middle-income countries. Here’s what we can do to help reverse this health crisis.

The project is expected to reach 160,000 people, with a focus on women, youth, returnees and people with disability.

Leaders from FAO, IFAD and WFP warn of a deepening crisis in South Sudan without immediate action and investment in resilience.

Remittances are a lifeline for countless people across the world. In this episode we look at the ways in which these funds have revolutionised rural development.

Le FIDA convie autour d’une table ronde, les ministres et les hauts fonctionnaires chargés des finances, du développement rural et de l'agriculture de l'Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre ce jeudi 27 juillet 2023 à Rome.

Countless rural people depend on livestock for livelihoods, nutrition and traditional ways of life. Supporting small-scale farmers to become even greener can strengthen food systems, preserve livelihoods and benefit our planet.

Following recent news that the fight against hunger has stalled, a gathering of global leaders taking stock of progress made in transforming food systems becomes even more urgent.

Our current food systems cannot keep up with the world’s growing population – as a result, millions face hunger. Now more than ever, countries must take action to transform how food gets from farm to plate.

A new multi-stakeholder partnership to advance labour and human rights, decent jobs and fair and adequate incomes and wages within the agri-food sector has been formed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), IFAD, and CARE International.

The partnership between the Government of Brazil and the IFAD aims to achieve unprecedented levels of results in the coming years to transform the lives of people living in rural areas.

The fight against hunger has stalled according to the latest figures that the UN released last week, with 122 million more people suffering chronic malnourishment since 2019. The challenges to eradicate hunger and poverty are many. Yet, without financing for food systems transformation, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate targets will remain out of reach.

Steep price gaps between healthy and unhealthy foods, coupled with the unavailability of a variety of healthy foods, are driving rising obesity rates in both urban and rural areas of developing countries, according to a literature review released by IFAD.

Drought is the number one cause of agricultural production loss. This is why IFAD supports small-scale farmers as they grow crops that are resilient, but often neglected.

In 2022, despite conflict, climate change and the continued stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic which threatened the food security and livelihoods of millions of rural people, IFAD invested US$7.96 billion in rural areas in the world’s poorest countries, according to its annual report released today.

The Annual Report provides milestones and highlights from IFAD’s work during 2022. Readers can learn how IFAD is supporting rural people to build their resilience to the crises of today and tomorrow, and of the different initiatives that will put us in a position to achieve even greater impact.

Agricultural programmes are key to food security and dietary diversity in rural areas, we must continue investing in them.

IFAD and the Government of New Zealand signed a NZD 5.75 million (USD 3.57 million) agreement to support Pacific communities to ensure sustainable access to water and healthy diets.

Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today jointly by five United Nations specialized agencies.

The SOFI 2023 report reveals that many people are still going hungry, with the world’s most vulnerable regions and people worst affected. We explore what is causing hunger today and how we can make real change, now.

Con apoyo técnico y financiero del FIDA, el Ministerio de Desarrollo Rural y Tierras de Bolivia ha anunciado la puesta en marcha de un nuevo programa orientado a incrementar los ingresos y la resiliencia climática de más de 19 000 pequeños productores rurales vulnerables en 35 municipios de los departamentos de Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, La Paz, Potosí y Tarija, y en las regiones del Altiplano, Chaco y Valles.

Meet the rural women who are tending to livestock while earning a living and empowering themselves.

Despite their gruelling work, rural people all over the world aren’t getting a fair return. Find out how IFAD is empowering small-scale farmers to earn and produce more, while improving their working conditions.

Since its founding in 1977, IFAD has worked to enable rural people all over the world to overcome immense challenges and thrive. We take a look at some of our biggest successes over the years.

The President of IFAD arrives today in Ireland to advocate for greater investments in the small-scale farmers and food producers in developing countries who generate a third of the world’s food but are often most impacted by hunger and poverty.

Más de 50 000 familias rurales en situación de vulnerabilidad, han logrado mejorar sus medios de vida gracias a un proyecto ejecutado por MIDAGRI y que contó con el apoyo técnico y financiero del FIDA.

IFAD and the European Space Agency have stepped up their partnership to help vulnerable small-scale food producers increase their ability to grow food and adapt to climate change by using state-of-the-art spatial technology and data.

IFAD and the Government of Mozambique signed two grant agreements with a combined value of US$4.2 million.

IFAD applies the latest tools and technologies to support small-scale farmers. Here are six examples of innovations proven to work for rural communities all over the world.

Farmers in Mozambique face unimaginable challenges. We must continue to support them if we want to see rural communities lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. Norway's Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, shares her reflections on her recent visit to Mozambique.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are facing unimaginable challenges, including worsening food security and climate change. Join us and IFAD’s Climate change and environmental specialist Oliver Page to learn more about how to help the islands’ small-scale farmers and fishers strengthen their climate resilience.

As current global crises converge, business as usual will not suffice. Leveraging innovation and new partnerships has become increasingly important as world leaders search for new ways to tackle hunger, poverty and the growing impacts of climate change.

During the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, held in Paris 22-23 June, France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, called on global leaders to substantially increase their contributions to IFAD.

The President of IFAD, Alvaro Lario, today called on world leaders attending the New Global Financing Pact Summit to find solutions that would significantly drive more funding to rural populations and the poor small-scale farmers who are key to global food security.

Our food systems need to change. Around the world, small-scale farmers, fishers and rural producers are already leading the transformation – here’s how.

Since 2011, over 700,000 Syrian refugees have crossed the border into Jordan. Here, both refugees and host communities in rural areas frequently struggle with poverty as water scarcity, feed shortage and rangeland degradation make farming a challenge. Meet three refugees that IFAD is helping to face these challenges.

Hayet has a university degree but, like one third of young rural women in Tunisia, she could not find a job and had no means of earning an income.

As world leaders prepare for the New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris this week, some of the world’s poorest countries are stepping up their support to IFAD - an indication of the serious impact that climate catastrophes, inflation and persistent hunger have and the long-term benefits of agricultural development in building resilient rural economies.

Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, made a strong pitch for increased investment in small-scale farmers and rural communities at the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in Hyderabad, India, from 15-17 June.

Remittances continue to matter more than ever, particularly in rural areas where they count the most and provide further opportunities towards rural transformation. Here are 13 reasons why.

Today, 16 June, marks the International Day of Family Remittances, led by IFAD. We spoke with Pedro de Vasconcelos, Manager of the Financing Facility for Remittances at IFAD.

Meet the woman who fought for her right to land ownership and contributed to halting drought and desertification.