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Linking families, farms and schools in Guatemala
Many Guatemalans struggle with hunger and food insecurity, especially the nation’s children. In too many cases, lack of access to adequate food leaves children feeling weak and unable to concentrate in school, complicating both their physical and intellectual growth.
The power of options
Like other women on Santiago, the largest island of Cabo Verde, Maria Lizita Varela used to rely on sand extraction as a source of income. It was thankless, dangerous work.
Big dreams come true in Turkey’s smallest district
Meltem Gözel’s day begins at 07.00 each morning. Before the sun has risen, she’s already at work in her greenhouses, tending to her mushrooms.
Pioneering development in rural Uzbekistan
Starting over is never easy, whether you’re an individual person or an entire nation. Nevertheless, the economy of Uzbekistan has made incredible progress in recent years.
Countries worldwide are stepping up to support rural farmers living in poverty
How radio came to the rescue in Nepal
Last March, when Nepal went into lockdown to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarbaraj Bhandari realized he was in a bit of a fix. A goat farmer, he was in the process of upgrading and managing his goat-shed facilities with the help of extension services and technical support provided to farmers participating in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development-led and IFAD-supported Agriculture Sector Development Programme (ASDP).
Bringing home the bacon: Digitalization helps Chinese pig farmers scale up
Zhenba County, nestled in the mountains of China’s Shaanxi province, has long been known for its traditional bacon, expertly smoked and cured to produce an unmatched flavor.
Indigenous food systems are at the heart of resilience
Unless we urgently rethink agriculture, more diseases will jump species
To “green” the Sahel, we need big plans and small actions
The best way to make the desert bloom is to dig a hole. Not a well, but a shallow pit in the sandy soil about as wide as the length of your forearm. Then add some dung, plant your seeds, and wait for the rains.
Take our end-of-year quiz!
A year in review: Nurturing resilient rural communities in a time of change
Chef Bowerman wishes our readers Happy Holidays with this festive treat
To celebrate with all our readers and supporters and wish you Happy Holidays, we asked our Recipes for Change chefs to share some festive recipes to enjoy during the holiday season.
Five reasons IFAD is putting small-scale farmers at the forefront of food systems transformation
Our current food systems are not sustainable. Hunger has been on the rise for several years, with an estimated 811 million people worldwide going hungry in 2020 – and with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 132 million more people are expected to join this number soon.
The first woman camel farmer in North Africa: Imen’s story
Benguerdane is a small town in the desert plain of El Ouara, a region in the extreme south-east of Tunisia, just a few kilometres away from the Libyan border. The climate there is forbiddingly arid, and the main source of livelihood is raising livestock like sheep and goats.
How Bhutan is showing the way in building crop biodiversity
For countries like Bhutan – nestled in the high Himalayas, historically isolated and topographically challenging – ensuring food security is vital.
Three ways we’re using digital technologies to fight rural poverty in the NEN region
Digital technologies have become our constant companions over the last few decades. Devices like smartphones and laptops have become even more relevant after the COVID-19 outbreak, helping us stay in touch even in times of physical distance.
Rural youth, innovation and tradition: the challenge of a new order
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reinvention of the agricultural sector is indispensable today. In fact, it is already beginning to take place with young people at the heart of it.
Resilience in rural Syria: Welcoming back tourists with fresh-baked pastries
Resilience in rural Syria: The sound of songbirds
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
16 days of activism against gender-based violence: Building a brighter future for women and girls
Resilience in rural Syria: An entrepreneurial spirit conquers hardships
Determination and perseverance are what make an entrepreneur successful. That’s doubly true in a country like Syria, where ongoing conflict has disrupted people’s lives for the past decade.
No place like home: Moldovan youth bring business to the countryside
Moldova’s agriculture sector is increasingly developing and modernizing. This is due both to an increased presence in lucrative markets like the European Union and to the efforts deployed by IFAD and the Government of Moldova to help restructure the sector, largely through sustained investments and financial support to small-scale farmers, to accompany this modernization.
Linking small-scale producers to markets in Lebanon
Supporting rural women’s land rights
In many parts of the world, full participation in society – including the ability to earn an income – is still dependent on owning (or having the rights to) land.
Keeping the family happy and healthy: Hafeeza’s story
Four years ago, back-to-back misfortunes upended Hafeeza Begum’s life. She knew it fell to her to get her young family back on their feet.
Green jobs for youth: What works and what’s missing?
Idris and Sabrina Elba call for investments in rural agriculture to fight rising hunger
“Cashroots” movement builds community resilience in the Solomon Islands
Simon Chottu works hard and plays hard. An events manager by trade, he’s spent the last few years hosting hip-hop parties and organizing music events and competitions across the South Pacific.
Rural women: The key to building back better in a post-COVID world
In times of crisis, rural women are the key that holds families and rural communities together – and in times like these, they need our support more than ever.
Nourishing a sustainable cocoa trade in the Solomon Islands
On a dusty side street in Auki, a seaside market town on the island of Malaita, Arania Enterprises is bustling.
IFAD-supported projects help women come back to the countryside
Life in the countryside isn’t always easy – especially for rural women, whose contributions and successes have only recently begun to receive the attention they deserve.
Taking back springtime: IFAD-supported project revitalizes irrigation in remote China
Towards zero food waste in Indonesia’s fishing communities
Along Indonesia’s coastal communities, many small-scale fishers struggle to make a living. Indonesia is the world’s third largest producer of fish, but many of these communities have historically lacked access to the technology and resources they needed to preserve their catch until it reaches the markets, which are usually far from their rural coastal inlets.
Keeping food on the table and preventing food loss when business is not as usual
Rome-based agencies establish SSTC collaboration to benefit cassava production in the Congo
On the UN’s 75th anniversary, IFAD joins the call for greater global cooperation and solidarity
Seeds to riches: The story of a 29-year-old millionaire
Reaping the rewards: Infrastructure brings opportunities for rural Chinese livestock farmers
Holding on: IFAD-supported programme sustains assets – and rural livelihoods
The restrictions put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Pakistan were designed to keep the population safe and healthy, but have spelled severe losses for many rural businesses.
Nepali youth prepare for their dream jobs with IFAD-supported courses
Ranjana Chaudhary’s story sounds like the stories of many thousands, if not millions, of young people in Nepal.
Shining the development spotlight on youth
Indigenous youth in agriculture during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to re-examine everything: their priorities, their jobs, even their roles in society.
Smartphones keep track of IFAD projects’ achievements and challenges in Brazil during COVID-19
For all the chaos they bring, crises also have a way of giving birth to unexpected opportunities. One way they do this is by urging people to develop new tools to help them resist disaster.
Free-range chicken farming a success in remote Viet Nam
At first, when Nguyen Thi Bich decided to try her hand at highland chicken farming, she didn’t quite know what to expect.
Member State delegates welcome Special Envoys in support of IFAD’s Twelfth Replenishment
Annual Report 2019 reaffirms the importance of IFAD’s investments in challenging times
From project participant to project staff: Priscilla Torres’s story of growth
Social media helps young rural Kenyan entrepreneurs battle the COVID-19 shutdown
Until COVID-19 hit in March, the G-Star Youth Group’s banana processing factory was buzzing with activity.
The importance of data management for pastoral communities
Indigenous knowledge – and resilience – in a COVID-19 world
The red gold of Azilal: How thyme and saffron empower women in Morocco's High Atlas
Fatima Amaguar came home from university with an idea.
One small step: Empowering micro-, small and medium businesses across South Asia
It is something of a paradox that, while there is broad agreement that micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are an integral part of the economy in developing countries, they remain underserved.
Looking inward: I-Kiribati fight a double health crisis
From La Paz to Turco: Going back to the roots to start a new life
Keeping exports flowing: Saving development gains in Rwanda
On tap: How regular water supply helped farmers discover a green thumb in Bhutan
Despite the lush greenery that surrounds Ngarpongtang village in Thangrong, Bhutan, until recently, it was impossible to grow vegetables there. “I used to have to go to other villages to exchange pinewood for vegetables,” says Wangdi, a 54-year-old farmer. “We couldn’t get vegetables to grow here.”
Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on small-scale agriculture in The Gambia
Planting seeds in the new normal: Rural women in Pakistan amid COVID-19
In rural Pakistan, women are important partners in agricultural development. They perform a variety of crucial tasks, including weeding and tilling land, planting seeds, collecting farmyard manure and harvesting. They are also responsible for cleaning, drying and storing grains.
In Brazil, a “quiet revolution” for rural women makes the invisible visible
In north-eastern Brazil, as in so many other places, rural women's work is often invisible. But a revolution is taking place – and IFAD is a part of it.
Bees, biodiversity and COVID-19 - World Bee Day
Fast and flexible: IFAD’s first successful project restructuring protects smallholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted agricultural and food systems around the world, along with the livelihoods and food security of the poorest rural communities – precisely the groups of people whom IFAD concentrates its efforts on.
Stay at home! Savings, contingencies and electronic wallet use
No ordinary solution: Afro-Colombian ingenuity in the fight against COVID-19
The story of the Afro-Colombian community has always been one of resilience. Historically, this group has faced the country’s highest rates of poverty and food insecurity, and has lacked access to many basic services.
Before and during COVID-19, an e-voucher initiative makes a difference for Kenyan farmers
Chef Bela Gil’s pesto-millet balls: A lockdown-friendly recipe
We’ve been asking our Recipes for Change chefs to tell us how they are adapting to life during the coronavirus pandemic – and to share a delicious recipe that can be made with basic cupboard ingredients.
Empowering and protecting rural women in the time of coronavirus
The April morning sun beats down on Kontagora, a lively market town in central Nigeria. Generators hum as milling machines husk the brown bran from rice grains, revealing glistening white kernels. COVID-19 is on everybody’s mind. But the thriving Tudun Wada South Rice Processors women’s cooperative is open for business.
Recipes for Change: Chef Lance Seeto’s homemade chicken, ginger and greens soup
#IFADatwork: our mission in the time of COVID-19
IFAD-funded water system helps Kenyan students stay safe
Recipes for Change: Chef Pierre Thiam shares a lockdown-friendly vegan chilli recipe
IFAD’s Recipes for Change chefs are carrying on with life under lockdown by sharing some excellent recipes that you can make with ingredients you’ve already got in your home cupboard. Senegalese Chef Pierre Thiam joins us from his home in New York State with a delicious recipe for vegan chilli.
Solidarity and flexibility: IFAD-supported artisans produce masks and hairnets to fight coronavirus in Brazil
Recipes For Change: Chef Bowerman’s take on cooking from home under lockdown
As the world adjusts to life with COVID-19, we’re asking our Recipes for Change chefs to share some world-class recipes that you can make with ingredients you’ve already got in your home cupboard. Michelin-starred Chef Cristina Bowerman shares two simple and nutritious recipes involving chickpeas.
A future for students with water, vegetables and roses
In Kenya’s Nyeri county, sustainable water system technologies have substantially improved the lives of students, staff and surrounding communities and have opened up a brighter future for many.
Recipes for Change: Dhindo – corn flour purée with nettle leaf curry and pickled tomatoes – Nepal
Scaling-out gender transformation for climate change
Development approaches must address structural barriers and power imbalances for women and other marginalized groups to adapt to climate change.
Djibouti’s “mother counsellors” are agents of change
Building for biodiversity: How one fence saved Kenyan farmers, crops – and wildlife
We often think of elephants as gentle giants. Beloved by nature enthusiasts the world over, they are an iconic presence in the forests and grasslands of Africa and Asia. They are also a keystone species, indispensable for maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they live.
Rwandan silkworm farmers weave links to global markets
Could avocados save Nairobi's water?
Esther Wandia is an avocado convert. Two years ago, the single mother of four decided to set up a tree nursery on her farm in Makomboki, in a hilly area north of Nairobi known for its tea production.
Cacao: How just one crop has boosted an entire country’s exports
Beating back climate impacts in Bhutan
Stronger together: The power of farmers’ organizations
Building women’s resilience and livelihoods
Five ways bamboo can fight climate change
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.
New tool improves the visibility of farmers and rural producers’ organizations
Grassroots and international farmers’ and rural producers’ organizations play an invaluable role as representatives of the farming community.
How savings groups are empowering women in Guatemala
Wild honey of the Wichi people: a treasure to be discovered
In the community of Larguero, in the Chaco Salteño, a group of indigenous beekeepers are raising the profile of a unique wild honey
20 podcasts we will be listening to in 2020
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.
Community gardens pave the way for climate-resilient agriculture in Gambia
How agroecology can respond to a changing climate and benefit farmers
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.
Help farmers and the planet? Yes, we can
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.
Cooking to reduce climate change
An IFAD co-sponsored event at COP25 in Madrid brought together experts and celebrity chefs to examine how climate change is effecting food systems.
Helping agriculture climb the climate agenda in Madrid
Specialised production secures better income for rural households in China
Family farming, biodiversity and climate change - opportunities of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming
On a mission to save the Amazon
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.
IFAD’s Climate Action Report 2019
Putting an end to violence against women in rural communities
On the international day for the elimination of violence against women, IFAD reaffirms its commitment to eliminate and prevent gender-based violence.
Mobilizing inclusive remittances for rural development
Sanitation pays for itself and is the business opportunity of the decade
Spinning yarns – Investing in wool and mohair in Lesotho
IFAD partnership in Bhutan reaping benefits for farmers
Recipes for Change: Moringa leaves with coconout - Sri Lanka
Assets for life: Small, but innovative, investments in water infrastructures, transform livelihoods in Mozambique
Women and youth lead change in Lima's highlands and high rainforest
Small credits foster rural entrepreneurship in Guinea
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.
Protecting villages from flash floods and improving livelihoods in the Haor basin wetlands
Making local crops work for nutrition-sensitive agriculture
A new framework will guide practitioners to use a broad portfolio of crop species to bring nutrition back to the table.
Restoring mangroves is saving rural communities in Gambia
Recipes for Change: Te Mai Ae Tanna Kiribati
I’m a potato grower! Strengthening innovation to empower potato growers in the Andes
Innovations in law to tackle food insecurity
The latest SOFI report confirms that the number of hungry people in the world continues to increase, highlighting the challenge of reaching the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Zero Hunger by 2030.
Recipes for Change: Ema datshi and millet momos
Young smallholder farmers overcoming climate challenges in Viet Nam
From farm to market: improving the food value chain through women empowerment in Guinea
Opportunities, challenges and limitations of climate-smart agriculture - The case of Egypt
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aims to facilitate the evolution of agricultural systems in the face of a rapidly changing climate. IFAD's approach to promoting CSA for smallholders focuses on three core objectives.