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IFAD, together with the China Centre for Agricultural Policy of Peking University, launched IFAD’s Rural Development Report 2021, in a virtual event today.

In north-eastern Montenegro, an IFAD-funded project is helping women start their own businesses and gain greater representation in their communities. Recently, many of these women gathered to share their successes and teach and learn from each other.

IFAD, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in Jordan, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed a EUR 4.13 million financial agreement this week to strengthen the sustainability and climate resilience of ongoing interventions under the Rural Economic Growth and Employment Programme (REGEP) in Jordan.

For another year, millions of small-scale farmers have been bearing the brunt of climate change and COVID-19. We were there to support them every step of the way.

2021 brought immense challenges to all corners of the world. Nevertheless, IFAD has been busy doing what we always do: supporting projects that improve the lives of rural small-scale farmers.

As more people spiral into hunger and poverty due to pandemic restrictions, climate change and conflicts, the Norwegian Agency of Development Cooperation (NORAD) has committed NOK 45 million (US$5 million) to increase the incomes and build the resilience of small aquaculture farmers in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, IFAD announced today.

In our end-of-year episode, we’re focusing on all things innovative in the world of agriculture. We hear from agro-preneurs in Australia, Africa and Asia who are using cutting-edge technologies and exploring new solutions to common problems.

At a time when rural people in low-income countries face steep increases in food prices and the devastating impacts of climate change are contributing to a rise in hunger and poverty, Canada has announced today its commitment to support the resilience of small-scale farmers and the prosperity of rural communities by increasing its funding to IFAD.

Youth who grew up in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey have traditionally moved to the big cities to pursue their careers. But recently, thanks to an IFAD-supported project, the region’s farmers have begun growing strawberries. Highland strawberries are proving quite popular, driving the growth of a new regional value chain – and bringing the region’s youth back to the countryside to take part.

El proyecto Apoyo a las organizaciones de pequeños agricultores en América Latina servirá para fortalecer la estructura y la capacidad productiva y de acesso a mercados de este tipo de organizaciones en la región, gracias a una alianza entre la Unión Europea y el FIDA.

This year’s COVID-19 lockdowns cut off Djibouti’s fishing community from their markets. But with no way to store fish in the searing heat, many fishers were forced to throw their catch away. Now, thanks to some solar-powered fridges, they’re back on their feet and trading with new customers.

In the wake of COP26, which featured a strong call for increased financing to help the world’s poorest countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, Denmark today announced a contribution to IFAD of DKK 190 million (about US$29 million) to help small-scale farmers cope with unpredictable weather.

It might seem counter-intuitive to suggest that agriculture should become more nutrition-sensitive – but many small-scale producers worldwide are at risk of food and nutrition insecurity. We’re committing to more ambitious goals for integrating nutrition into our investments and project activities.

With soaring food prices pushing millions of people into food insecurity, IFAD is calling on governments and the private sector to urgently step up their investments in small-scale agriculture, especially for locally produced, nutrition-rich food. The call was made ahead of today’s opening of the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit.

Young people are the future of the world’s food systems, and they should therefore have a say in how the food systems of tomorrow should be configured. In China, youth have long been leading efforts to promote organic farming and sustainable consumption – and now, they’re beginning to act for change.

Over half the world’s arable land is already degraded, and this number is growing at a rate of 23 hectares per minute. But with the support of an IFAD-funded project – along with an unlikely ally – farmers in Bolivia’s Pando region are restoring the land in record time.

Our vision of inclusive, sustainable, green, and resilient rural economies can’t be accomplished without the inclusion of persons with disabilities. We are committed to finding ways for persons with disabilities to participate fully in society and realize their potential as contributors to vibrant rural economies.

Food is one the defining issue of our time yet, as we have seen at the recent COP26 climate conference, the people who produce our food are too often missing from global forums that impact their lives, said Satu Santala, who joins IFAD today as its Associate Vice-President of External Relations and Governance.

Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean is at its highest point since 2000, after a 30 percent increase in the number of people suffering hunger from 2019 to 2020, says a new UN report.

FAO, IFAD, PAHO/WHO, UNICEF and WFP will present a report focusing on the latest statistics and trends of food security and nutrition in the region.