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Six reasons to focus on small-scale producers at COP26
IFAD believes rural economies and food systems have the potential to become more resilient, sustainable, inclusive – and productive – all at the same time. But to get there, we need to focus our attention and support on the people who make these systems work.
Highlights from COP26 - Wednesday 3 November
It’s the first day at the IFAD Pavilion at COP26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and we’ve come together with thousands of activists, world leaders and representatives of businesses and civil society from around the world to talk about the greatest challenge we face: how to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Bringing the benefits of agricultural insurance to smallholders in Viet Nam: Building awareness and understanding
Between sowing their seeds and selling their harvest, smallholder farmers in developing countries face a multitude of potentially devastating risks. In Viet Nam, as in countries around the world, many of the most severe threats are climate-related, including storms, floods, excessive heat, frost and drought.
Protecting homes and livelihoods in Bangladesh’s Haor Basin
On one terrible day four years ago, Anjuli Rani Das’s life was swept away before her eyes. A flash flood engulfed her small duck farm, washing away everything she had worked for in the past years.
What do the IPCC report’s findings mean for rural dwellers? Your questions answered
The IPCC report released in summer 2021 leaves no more room for ambiguity: the climate is changing, and it’s because of human activity. Here, we answer some of your questions about the report, why it’s important, and what its findings mean for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Oysters and honey: The perfect combination for Senegal’s Delta of Saloum
The Delta of Saloum’s mangrove forest is rich in beauty and biodiversity, but it has suffered from years of deforestation, disrupting the area’s ecosystem and threatening the livelihoods of the area’s farmers and fishers. Recently, a collaborative project has begun to tackle both problems by funding a restoration of the mangrove and supporting local farmers’ associations.
What are nature-based solutions? Your questions answered
We believe nature-based solutions (NbS) are the key to helping the most vulnerable people adapt to the effects of climate change. But just what are NbS, and why do we think they’re so great?
Why invest in climate change adaptation? Your questions answered
It’s official: human-induced climate change is happening. Some of its effects are already being felt, and further impacts are inevitable. Alongside mitigating our greenhouse gas emissions, we need to help those already feeling the worst effects – particularly small-scale agricultural producers – adapt.
Finance as a driver of food systems transformation: A new role for Public Development Banks?
One major obstacle to realizing sustainable and inclusive food systems is a lack of sufficient and appropriate financing. Recent estimates suggest that transforming food systems to deliver healthy people, a healthy planet, and a healthy economy will require an extra US$300 – US$350 billion per year for the next decade.
Leading from the front - How rural women across South Asia are inspiring their communities
From the fields they sow to the harvest they reap and the cattle they raise – women are the backbone of farming in South Asia. Yet, their contributions often remain invisible, and they are denied access to resources and a voice in decisions.
Changing lives by transforming gender norms
Women are major contributors to the rural communities where IFAD works but they continue to face barriers that inhibit their – and their families’ – livelihoods. Compared with men, women have less access to resources and services – including land, finance, training, inputs and equipment. In addition to their agricultural work, they are overburdened with domestic chores and caring tasks.
The woman who walks with llamas
Thousands of Bolivian families, particularly in the Altiplano, the high-plateau region of the Andes where Chaquilla is located, depend on breeding camelids for their livelihoods.
Celebrating rural women's voices - Rural women speaking out for change through community radio in Nepal
On the International Day of Rural Women (IDRW), 15 October, we celebrate rural women and girls worldwide and recognize the crucial role they play in contributing to sustainable food systems and rural development.
Farmers’ organizations responding quickly in times of crisis
Ever since COVID-19 first struck, first responders all over the world have stepped up to keep the essential sectors of our society functioning. While many busied themselves with securing global health and safety, others leapt into action to keep the world’s food production chains moving.
The Gilani Umoja Youth Group reaps their rewards
The Gilani Umoja Youth Group was founded in 2017 as a way to create jobs for local youth and ensure a steady supply of cereals and other staple crops. Despite some struggles at first, their business is now a source of livelihoods for themselves and others in their community.
Meet the rural women helping Paraguay’s communities and food systems flourish
Ten years ago, in Paraguay’s Capiíbary district, a group of women came together to form an association of market-sellers. Today, with the support of an IFAD-financed project, they’re thriving – and their association is now integral to local food systems.
Raising hope and opportunity in rural Tajikistan: Obidova’s story
Obidova is busy these days. Whether she’s setting up a new shelter for her birds or going to the markets to sell, her days are filled with taking care of her family and her poultry business. But just a year ago, things looked very different.
IFAD’s Rural Development Report 2021
Our food systems are failing us. From the climate, to the environment, to nutrition, to human health and well-being, they are not delivering the outcomes we all need. IFAD’s Rural Development Report 2021 describes the systemic issues that have led to the situation we are in, identifies priorities for transforming our food systems, and provides recommended actions to achieve meaningful change.
The Lare Milk Dealers find their niche
Milk processing is normally a profitable venture in Kenya’s Nakuru County, but the Lare Milk Dealers Youth Group struggled to enter the market at first. Thanks to trainings hosted by an IFAD-supported project and some innovative additions to their business model, they’re now thriving.
Black jelly brings a more resilient future for rural Viet Nam
Light and refreshing, with a mild, earthy flavour, Vietnamese black jelly is the perfect end-of-summer treat. It’s already popular throughout Viet Nam and its neighbouring countries – and thanks to the work of local growers and an IFAD-supported project, it’s now destined for wider audiences.
Restoration takes root: Nasreen’s story
Nasreen’s family was struggling to make ends meet. Now, thanks to an IFAD-supported project, she runs her own ecological farm that produces high-quality, chemical-free vegetables – all while it restores the local ecosystem.
What we’re reading for World Water Week
Here’s a list of our favourite books and other resources about the state of water in our world and the way it intersects with our politics, economics and societies.
Community-driven change brings water security in Tonga
Eua Island is home to many of the Kingdom of Tonga’s natural resources. Recently, climate change and natural disasters have caused significant water supply challenges, but an IFAD-supported project – made possible by the islanders’ incredible community spirit – is working to change that.
The Greenthumb Youth Group casts their nets
The Greenthumb Youth Group hadn’t had much luck with traditional farming. But thanks to a grant to set up an aquaponics venture – combining crop farming and fish farming – their success is making waves all along the value chain.
In Rwanda, public-private partnerships benefit small-scale cassava farmers
Cassava is one of Rwanda’s most important staple crops, but market access remains a challenge. The Ingabo Syndicate, an organization of cooperatives, has been helping its cassava producers find markets for over two decades – most recently, through public-private partnerships.
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.
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.
CARD: Assessing data for climate-friendly action in rural contexts
Forging tools to catalyse food production in Senegal
World Bee Day - High-altitude honey
The capital difference: Expanding horticulture in Rwanda
Recommended books on Indigenous Peoples
Community gardens in the Gambia: one solution, many benefits
A tool to make rural investments more resilient
Transforming innovative ideas into sustainable agriculture in West and Central Africa
Ideas are the lifeblood of innovation. To accelerate rural transformation while tackling rural poverty, food insecurity, nutrition, job creation and climate change, innovative ideas are needed.
How increased access to water shortens the path towards sustainable development in the Sahel
Every day Dienaba Sow travels 3.5 kilometres from her home in Hodio village towards Toung, in Senegal's Louga region, to collect water for her family's daily needs.
A new development paradigm - BAPA+40
A conference taking place this week in Buenos Aires, Argentina reminds us that developing countries today look as much to each other for help along their path to development as they do to the developed world.
Highlights from IFAD's Governing Council
Pope Francis set the tone for the 42nd session of IFAD’s annual Governing Council meeting (14 - 15 February) by saying that hunger can be made a part of the world’s past, but only if all institutions and people work together, and only if these efforts are owned locally and driven by those who are suffering most, as architects of their own development.
EAT-Lancet Commission Brief for Farmers
Change starts at home – Addressing gender imbalances and climate issues through household methodologies
IFAD is piloting the use of household methodologies (HHMs) for gender equality and climate change adaptation as a way to accelerate progress towards the economic empowerment of rural women in Rwanda.
Ten books to read this winter
IFAD welcomes the European Union’s commitment to a new impact fund targeting small agribusinesses across emerging markets
Building bridges between smallholders and financial markets
From Africa to Brazil and back: empowering youth through South-South learning exchange
Major international discussions draw to a close in Poland
Acting now: enforcing global action to limit further warming of the planet
Angela Merkel sends message of support that includes IFAD at Global Citizens’ Mandela 100 Festival
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel calls on the international community to increase food production and help create jobs in rural areas to help defeat poverty and hunger.