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Responding to the challenges of a year like no other: IFAD’s 2020 Annual Report
IFAD’s Annual Report provides a concise, compelling and interactive discussion of how we addressed the challenges of the last year.
New horizons for the Ingobor Youth Group
Meet Ingobor, a group of 20 former bus drivers and conductors who pooled their resources and established a successful dairy business.
Three ways to harvest water in Brazil’s sertão
For centuries, people living in Brazil’s semi-arid region have struggled with a lack of water. But over the last decades, thanks to support from IFAD and other development actors, these communities are squeezing a few more drops of water from Mother Nature.
The potential and unknowns of gender transformative approaches
With less than a decade left to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the sobering current global trajectory is one in which it will take roughly 170 years to achieve gender equality. The current global pandemic has both made gender inequalities more visible and worsened them, including in food systems.
Seeing the invisible, doing the impossible: A young Nigerian entrepreneur’s journey to success
Dorothy Chia Vandefan is nothing if not insightful. She describes herself as a serious-minded agricultural entrepreneur who can create opportunities where there seem to be none – and she’s right.
In Moldova, new frontiers for the honeybee business
Thanks to an IFAD-supported grant, Ecaterina’s honey business is taking off – and now she and her fellow entrepreneurs have a bigger market reach than ever before.
Recipes for Change: A conversation with Chef Shane Chartrand
For over a decade, Chef Shane Chartrand has been on a personal and culinary journey: figuring out what it means to be of Cree descent and of Métis upbringing, and how to integrate that into being a professional chef living and working in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Treaty 6 territory.
Grass funds: Tradition meets ingenuity in Brazil’s sertão
Too many people assume Brazil’s fundo de pasto communities are relics of the past. Today, they’re at work uniting centuries-old traditions with contemporary food systems.
11 reasons why remittances are important
Every year, on 16 June, the International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) is observed to raise further awareness on the abnegation and sacrifice of migrant workers, who support their families and communities of origin through the money they send back home, particularly in these times of crisis.
Climate-smart agriculture supports food systems in rural Georgia
Through the use of climate-smart agriculture techniques, an IFAD-supported project is helping rural Georgian farmers holistically restore their local and regional ecosystems.
The community bakery empowering Egypt’s rural women
In a country where artisanal bread is the rule rather than the exception, the Qena community bakery stands out among the rest – and it’s run entirely by rural women.
Food from fallows: capitalizing on idle land for better food security in South Asia
Every year after the rice harvest in South Asia, a vast area of over 15 million hectares lies idle (fallow) until the next rice planting season several months later. Scientists in countries like Bangladesh, India and Nepal think the fallow land could, and should, be used for additional crops that increase farmer incomes and food security.
How innovation is helping tea growers in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has been a global supplier of tea since the plant was first imported to the island about a hundred and fifty years ago. Since then, tea estates have often been passed down from generation to generation, weathering good times and bad.
From Kenya: the Ogiek honey Slow Food Presidium
The entire Ogiek belief system and livelihood relies on the forest and its resources, with honey being the most important product and a staple food for Ogiek families.
Restoring ecosystem services in the Peruvian Andes
In the Andes of Peru, rural farmers are helping to restore the region’s degraded lands and improve water security.
How to change a life: Household mentoring makes a difference in northern Uganda
They say that leaders aren’t born, but made. That’s certainly true for Molly Ajok.
In Nicaragua, coffee and cocoa make life sweeter
NICADAPTA works closely with producer cooperatives to help them sustainably access coffee and cocoa markets. The results are making life not only sweeter, but also better.
The Maasai of Kenya and the Red Maasai sheep slow food presidium
The rights of indigenous peoples to control their land according to their own needs and decisions is fundamental to protect their livelihoods and defend the biodiversity of native animal breeds and plant varieties.
Struggle, strength and wisdom: Snapshots of Bangladesh’s women farmers
The story of agriculture in Bangladesh is also a story of the resilience of Bangladeshi women. If women have the chance to participate in decision-making, the whole community benefits.
What we are reading on food systems
As we approach the UN Food Systems Summit here are some suggested reads on transforming our food systems for people, and planet.
In Kyrgyzstan, new technology preserves age-old pastures
Urmatbek Omurbekov remembers a time when grazing his livestock was a purely offline affair. Every spring, herders like him would bring their animals to the foothills of the majestic Tian Shah Mountains to let them fatten up for the next winter.
The promises the olive grove holds: Fadieh’s story
Growing olive trees in Jordan, one of the driest countries in the world, isn’t easy. Every day, Fadieh and her family spend hours tilling the soil and tending to the trees, but the most demanding task is keeping the trees hydrated.
Digital information service helps small-scale farmers respond to COVID-19
The Kenya National Farmers’ Federation is implementing a mobile information platform to serve its members and other Kenyan farmers.
Helping remittances reach rural areas in Moldova
For some time now, it has been difficult to find well-paid work in Moldova. Most of the good jobs available are concentrated in the cities, resulting in significant migration out of the country’s rural areas.
Restoring Morocco’s mountain ecosystems with reforestation
In many areas of rural Morocco, climate change has led to widespread erosion and desertification, causing steep declines in soil quality. This makes farmland less productive, endangering the livelihoods of the area’s small-scale farmers.
Why water is crucial for sustainable food systems
Enhancing irrigation efficiency is not a priority in policy agendas, being overshadowed by the global issue of access to drinking water and sanitation.
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.