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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.

Remittances are a lifeline for rural communities all over the world, here’s why we should continue to invest in digital transfers.

“Making the most of remittances and diaspora investments can, paradoxically, curb the need for more to migrate. These flows are great contributors to the wellbeing of millions. Almost US$1.8 billion in remittances are flowing daily to low and middle-income countries, leveraging development opportunities. Half of that amount, US$900 million, is boosting agriculture and rural development” said Álvaro Lario, the President of IFAD at the opening session of the Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (GFRID) in Nairobi today.

Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, will attend the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in Hyderabad from 15-17 June to advocate for increased support for small-scale farmers and poor rural communities.

An IFAD delegation to Fiji, Kiribati and Tonga, met royalty, key government officials, farmers’ organizations and other partners to discuss investments to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in Pacific Island countries.

As world leaders gather in Paris 22-23 June to begin laying the foundation for a new global financial architecture sensitive to the needs of developing countries, IFAD launches a campaign to scale up investments in small-scale farmers with the short film – A New Day.

Small-scale farmers in developing countries produce one third of the world’s food. But today they are only one flood, one drought or one failed harvest away from ruin. To stem the impact of climate change on food security and to reduce poverty, IFAD is calling for more investment in rural communities - now.

IFAD's new film, ‘A New Day’, tells the story of Tunisia’s rural people and is a testament to their resilience as they battle to adapt to our changing weather. We speak to two IFAD-supported project participants about their daily struggles, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.

IFAD’s latest film, ‘A New Day’, was shot in Tunisia amid soaring temperatures. Get a behind the scenes look of how we made the film, the people we met and the challenges of shooting in an area dramatically affected by climate change.  

Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD met key officials and partners, including Vice Minister of Finance Wang Dongwei and Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ma Youxiang, on a visit to China from 3-8 June to deepen the successful partnership between the People’s Republic of China and IFAD in securing decent lives and livelihoods for small-scale farmers.

Even in times of crisis, remittance flows have allowed people in developing countries to be resilient and even prosper. Last year, the money sent home exceeded US$600 billion annually, half of which went to poor rural areas.

IFAD and the European Union unveiled two new initiatives today in Kenya, that aim to boost rural development by making the use of digital remittance flows faster, safer and cheaper.

Despite its name, Cabo Verde is arid and water starved. IFAD AVP, Jo Puri, visited the archipelago to discuss its future with the country’s leadership and hear from the rural people IFAD supports about how we can improve their lives.

In an age of multiple intersecting crises, only a holistic approach to both humanitarian and development assistance can disrupt the cycle.

The world is full of misconceptions about rural people and the environment. Find out what’s true and what’s not, as we debunk three major myths.

Today IFAD issued its largest private placement (€115 million) to Amundi Asset Management, to increase financing for inclusive and sustainable rural transformation.

Milk is widely produced in South Asia, but not without its challenges. Here’s how IFAD helps small-scale farmers across the region optimize their production.

To transform rural lives we must build a strong understanding of the countries we operate in. Find out how IFAD is doing just that in South Sudan.

Today, Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD arrives in Canada to advocate on behalf of small-scale farmers and poor rural communities in developing countries, to be better able to boost local food production, adapt to climate change and build solid and reliable regional food supply chains.

This month we are focusing on water scarcity.

Biodiversity is especially important for small-scale farmers. Here’s how IFAD is further integrating it into projects all over the world.

On World Bee Day, meet the pollinators buzzing to protect our planet and the rural people taking care of them.

IFAD intends to allocate grant funds from the resources under the Supplementary Fund Grant from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), Republic of Korea for the implementation of the grant Smallholder Economic Empowerment through Digital Solutions (SEEDs).

Sri Lanka is among the world’s top five exporters of tea. But tea farmers here must balance making a profit and preserving the soil. Find out how IFAD is helping farmers diversify their income streams so they can be more resilient and secure a better life for themselves.

IFAD and the government of the state of Maranhão launched today a project that seeks to address the pressing issue of environmental degradation of the Amazon Forest in Maranhão and the high rates of poverty and food insecurity in the region - the “Amazon Sustainable Management Project (PAGES).”

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and IFAD have today penned two agreements to further strengthen their cooperation in low- and middle-income countries worldwide, with a particular focus on Africa.

Miska, palabra quechua que significa “siembra temprana”, es el nombre simbólico de la primera escuela móvil de cocina que ofrecerá una formación integral en gastronomía y habilidades digitales a cientos de jóvenes emprendedores en su recorrido por zonas rurales de Bolivia.

IFAD and the Royal Government of Bhutan have signed a loan and grant agreement amounting to US$30.94 million to improve food and nutrition security in Bhutan.

Le Burkina Faso a été sélectionné comme un des pays bénéficiaires pour la mise en œuvre du GP-SAEP en Afrique, en accord avec les bailleurs.

Le Madagascar a été sélectionné comme un des pays bénéficiaires pour la mise en œuvre du GP-SAEP en Afrique, en accord avec les bailleurs.

With sharp reductions in methane emissions key to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, IFAD is launching a new initiative to help developing countries lower methane emissions from agricultural and small-scale farming. Announced today at the AIM for Climate Summit, the new program will receive US$3 million in support from the Global Methane Hub and US$ 1 million in support from the US State Department.

Against a backdrop of multiple shocks, IFAD and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, today, signed the Participatory Agriculture and Climate Transformation Programme (PACT) grant agreement for US$ 106.54 million.

In India, two rural villages find comfort in solar-powered water systems.

América Latina y el Caribe es un pilar clave para el suministro de alimentos a nivel mundial, así como para la mejora de la seguridad alimentaria y reducción de la pobreza, advirtió Rossana Polastri, Directora Regional del FIDA para dicha región durante el Foro PyMEs Agroalimentario Italia – América Latina, celebrado esta semana en el marco de la Feria MACFRUT en Rimini, Italia.

Climate change poses a myriad of challenges for Argentina’s rural herders. But one woman has no intention of backing down and tells us how she plans to forge a new way forward.

Journalists can play an important role in telling the stories of Indigenous Peoples. Here are five ways in which the media can report on these important communities in a meaningful way.  

On his first official visit to Kenya, Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, met with William Ruto, President of Kenya, to strengthen IFAD and Kenya’s long-standing partnership to scale up investments in agriculture and help small-scale farmers adapt to climate change.

Shepherds in Türkiye rely on the Taurus Mountains for their livelihoods - but living and working in these highlands is no mean feat. Here’s how IFAD-funded caravans have provided them with more comfortable, hygienic and safe living conditions.

To avert future food crises and growing global hunger, IFAD's President Alvaro Lario arrives in Washington this week with an urgent call for increased investment in the small-scale farmers who produce one-third of the world’s food.

This month on Farms.Food.Future we immersed ourselves in the world of biodiversity, ahead of World Biodiversity Day on 22 May.

In a statement released today by Alvaro Lario, President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Tetsuro Nomura, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF), the two leaders announced the launch of the Enhanced Linkages between Private Sector and Small-scale Producers initiative (ELPS).

Ecosystems across the world are suffering huge losses. Here are three examples of how small-scale farmers are working to restore and conserve our habitats.

How do we make reporting on Indigenous Peoples’ issues safe and meaningful? IFAD will engage with the journalistic community in an event at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, as part of its work to raise the voice of the poorest and most disenfranchised rural people.

As the world braces for yet another year of uncertainty amid multiple crises, IFAD's President Alvaro Lario will make his second official visit to Japan to bring the voices of poor small-scale food producers in developing countries.

In southern Türkiye countless farming communities are suffering after losing their homes and livelihoods to the devastating earthquake that struck the country.

IFAD today issues its first-ever euro private placement for €65 million to four German pension funds with the Hamburger Pensionskasse (HPK) as key investor.

Find out what happens behind the scenes of an IFAD project as we answer our followers’ top questions.

Con la visión compartida de superar la pobreza rural y lograr un campo próspero, competitivo, sostenible e inclusivo, el Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) del Ecuador y el FIDA presentaron hoy en Guayaquil el nuevo Proyecto de Desarrollo Sostenible y Apropiado en Territorios Rurales (DESATAR).

After 40 years working with rural people, here are some of the things we have learned to make our work under IFAD13 a success.

Today, IFAD and the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock (MINEAGRIE) signed a US$3 million grant to help mitigate the ongoing impacts of the Ukraine crisis.

Donal Brown and Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Alberto Cogliati will make a three-day visit to the country, from 28 to 31 March.

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, signed two agreements today for a total of €70.7 million.

IFAD and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have signed a loan agreement for 5 million euros to finance the "Joint Sahel Programme in response to the Challenges of COVID-19, Conflicts and Climate Change (SD3C G5 Sahel + Senegal).

Our catchword of the month is innovation.

Meet the women using digital tools to build successful businesses and stronger communities.

Ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, IFAD calls for accelerated investments to help small-scale farmers in developing countries access and manage increasingly scarce water resources in the face of a changing climate and more extreme weather events.

The IPCC’s latest Synthesis Report is a reminder that the power is in our hands to prevent the very worst outcomes of climate change—if we take decisive and ambitious action now.

Climate change and a growing population are exacerbating water scarcity. As the water cycle is disrupted, farmers are coming up with inventive ways to harvest, store and use water. IFAD is helping them with simple but effective and climate-smart water infrastructure.

Con el objetivo de revalorizar la ruralidad desde el protagonismo juvenil, el FIDA presentó hoy en La Paz la segunda edición de la iniciativa “YouTubers y Tiktokers Rurales”, un ciclo de talleres de capacitación y un concurso de talentos para promover la creación de empleo juvenil y la mejora de los niveles de nutrición de casi 5 000 jóvenes de entre 16 y 35 años de zonas rurales y periurbanas de Bolivia, Colombia y Honduras.

Young people in rural areas of West Africa are leaving unemployment behind and setting up successful agri-businesses.

In his first official visit to Madrid, the Spanish president of IFAD, Álvaro Lario, highlighted Spain's potential to "become a world leader in the fight against hunger and poverty at this crucial time," when high food prices are “putting millions of people on the ropes” and threatening global stability.

For over a month, Cyclone Freddy has been battering south-east Africa. This may be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded—and vulnerable rural communities are in the eye of the storm. We explain what this means for IFAD’s project participants in the region.

IFAD has become a voting member of the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) principles.

Young people the world over know that conserving our biodiversity is key to eradicating hunger and achieving a healthy and sustainable food system. Here’s how they’re fixing our broken planet.

Addressing a press briefing from Rome, Ambassador McCain said, “My appeal to the international community today is, do not give up on Niger. One thing is sure – when we come together as one world, we can save lives.”

IFAD is advocating for more investments in small-scale farming communities in the Pacific.

Inclusive access to digital technologies and education is crucial to reducing gender inequalities and empowering rural women and girls – that was the message from three United Nations’ food and agriculture agencies as they marked International Women’s Day 2023.

As the world welcomes the historic UN agreement to legally protect high seas, we must also ensure that small-scale fishers continue to be protected.

Many rural women are excluded from digital services. What is causing the digital divide and what can we do to end it?

In Pakistan and Bangladesh women are harnessing technology to connect to the world and build a business, one click at a time.

Meet IFAD’s new Disability Inclusion Champion as she works towards amplifying the voice and potential of persons with disabilities.

As India takes over the G20 presidency, an IFAD delegation to India met key officials.

During his first visit to Germany since taking office five months ago, IFAD President Alvaro Lario, commended Germany’s leadership throughout the recent global food, energy and climate crises.

As we begin our 13th replenishment, our Report on IFAD’s Development Effectiveness ensures we continue to efficiently invest in rural people, protect the planet and leave no one behind.

In today’s multi-crisis context, one disaster quickly follows another. With crisis fatigue setting in, the time is now to invest in solutions with lasting impact, including food systems and small-scale farmers.

In the run-up to International Women’s Day, we explore the impact of the digital gender gap.

Amina Sana had very little income and not enough to eat. But her life has been transformed after receiving livestock and training from the IFAD-supported FORMAPROD project

Le FIDA et le gouvernement malien ont procédé, hier, à la signature d’un accord de prêt d’un montant de 38 665 000 Euro qui financera la création de richesses et la réduction de la pauvreté pour les jeunes ruraux du Mali.

IFAD and the Kingdom of Cambodia signed a US $194 million financing agreement to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in rural Cambodia through the Agriculture Services Programme for an Inclusive Rural Economy and Agricultural Trade (ASPIRE-AT) project this week. ASPIRE-AT will create an enabling environment to address the barriers faced by small-scale farmers in increasing their productivity and incomes, particularly through priority export and domestic value chains.

IFAD, represented by its President Alvaro Lario, and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), together with the DRC’s Permanent Representative to IFAD, Ambassador Paul Emile Tshinga Ahuka, today signed a loan agreement to reduce poverty and ensure food sovereignty in rural areas.

In Peru, IFAD-funded project helps small-scale farmers connect to new markets and access technical assistance online.

IFAD and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam last week signed a loan agreement to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in the Mekong Delta. The Climate-smart Agricultural Value Chain Development (CSAT) project will generate sustainable income opportunities and improved rural livelihoods for 60,000 families engaged in small-scale farming.

IFAD and the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic today signed an agreement for a nutrition-sensitive agriculture project to address food insecurity and malnutrition among the rural poor. The project will especially focus on vulnerable groups such as women, young people and people with disabilities.

Ukraine was endorsed today as the 178th member state to join IFAD. Ukraine’s membership was endorsed by IFAD’s Governing Council – its highest decision-making authority. IFAD began discussing membership with Ukraine in 2016, and the Governing Council’s endorsement was among the last of the essential steps in the process.

Gracias a su excelente gestión ganadera, adaptada al cambio climático, y la protección efectiva sus medios de vida y los ecosistemas, los Pueblos Indígenas de tres departamentos de Bolivia se hicieron merecedores del Premio de los Pueblos Indígenas, siendo así reconocidos como el proyecto con mejores resultados entre aquellos financiados por el FIDA.

It is time for global leaders to accelerate action for food security by stepping up investments in rural communities and the small-scale farmers who produce one-third of the world’s food, said the President of IFAD, Alvaro Lario, in an urgent plea at IFAD’s 46th Governing Council meeting in Rome today.

As Somalia continues to experience a historic drought, pushing millions of Somalians into acute food insecurity, Alvaro Lario, President IFAD announced today during IFAD’s 46th session of the Governing Council that it will substantially strengthen its support to Somalia and resume its direct investments after loan arrears resulted in a three-decade long suspension.

As the climate crisis takes hold and water scarcity sparks conflict, rural people in Sudan are finding ways toward peace and equitable resource management.

Through the Indigenous Peoples Awards, IFAD celebrates inspirational development projects that partnered with and made a real difference to indigenous communities in 2022

40 indigenous leaders, who were in Rome to attend the 6th Global Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum hosted by IFAD, met with with His Holiness, Pope Francis, today, and raised their concerns about the toll that extractive and exploitive industries fuelling the global economy were having on growing inequality, preventing access to basic human rights and hindering environmental sustainability.

IFAD’s updated Policy on Engagement with Indigenous Peoples enshrines the value of their traditions and supports the crucial role they play in the world. We spoke with three experts to get an insight into the policy.

Heads of state, ministers, development, youth and indigenous leaders, climate activists will discuss and agree upon ways to accelerate action to tackle growing hunger and an unprecedented food crisis at the annual IFAD's Governing Council.

An IFAD delegation to the Kingdom of Cambodia led by Jyotsna Puri, Associate Vice-President of the Strategy and Knowledge Department, and Reehana Raza, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, met key officials, including Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, to discuss investments that will promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in rural Cambodia, particularly through priority export and domestic value chains.

As the world faces the largest food crisis in modern history, global leaders including Heads of state, government ministers, and representatives of youth and indigenous peoples, will gather in Rome to participate in the annual Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

IFAD has developed two new public-private partnerships to enhance access to cheaper, faster and safer remittances, the hard-earned money sent home by migrant workers. New partnerships aim to increase access to digital and financial services and products across rural areas of Senegal.

Pastoral communities in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan work hand in hand with IFAD to make land use more equitable, productive and sustainable.