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The planet is awash with climate disasters. Meet the rural people battling to endure them
One year on from the biggest global commitment to financing climate adaptation at COP26, we are yet to see the actions needed to follow through on this promise.
Seeing the bigger picture: 6 ways IFAD uses GIS to optimize climate investment
Discover how IFAD uses Geographic Information Systems to better understand where and how climate change is affecting smallholder farming, and what is needed to mitigate its effects.
A tale of two towns in Tajikistan
In Tajikistan two neighbouring towns face different fates as one suffers the aftermath of drought and displacement and the other is saved by irrigation.
Five ways IFAD is helping to reduce rural poverty in an age of climate change
Even when a world without poverty seems out of reach, here’s how IFAD continues to work in developing countries, amplifying the voices of rural people and integrating them into value chains, so they can earn and save, while feeding the world and conserving the natural environment.
What’s on the menu in 2050?
What’s on the menu in 2050? For World Food Day, we contemplate what our plates might look like in the future and explore how the world’s small-scale farmers are revolutionizing what we eat.
Rural Women Rise
Meet some of the inspiring women IFAD supports as they, in turn, bolster the people around them.
You are what you eat: Indigenous youths breathe new life into ancient traditions
Young members of indigenous communities are working to reverse centuries of dispossession and preserve their way of life, including their food heritage.
Water brings life to rural people
Irrigation brings water to the world's poorest rural people in the right quantities and when they need it, helping farmers adapt to climate pattern shifts.
Mapping the way to a better future
An inside look at how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can help map projects and lift rural people out of poverty.
Solving a data dilemma in the Solomon Islands
When the Solomon Islands began seeing its first cases of COVID-19 in early 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock activated emergency food relief efforts. But after years of neglecting data collection, how do you find and feed people without addresses, street names or house numbers?
IFAD’s hopes for UNGA77
World leaders and the heads of UN agencies come together in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. As global crises compound and converge, now is the time for global action and common ground. IFAD’s President-elect, Alvaro Lario, will use this opportunity to advocate for rural people and push to transform food systems.
A new sustainable way to fish for better incomes and diets in Nigeria and Ghana
Cage aquaculture is a greener, cheaper method of fish farming. Thanks to South-South and Triangular Cooperation, ProSCAWA is helping small-scale fishers get started with cage aquaculture and meet growing demand for fish.
It’s time to transform African agriculture. These numbers show why
African agriculture is at a crucial juncture. It has enormous potential to not only feed Africa, but also the world. Yet, global conditions are holding small-scale African farmers back. Five numbers show how transforming African agriculture can make a big difference.
East Africa is experiencing its worst drought in decades. It’s time to invest in climate adaptation
East Africa is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades, with millions facing food insecurity as crops fail, livestock die and water sources dry up. Read how IFAD is building resilience to climate change and what else needs to be done.
Women-led sea patrols in the Philippines are protecting livelihoods and the ocean
Coastal communities in the Philippines depend on the sea for sustenance, but these once thriving oceans are emptying due to climate change and harmful fishing practices. Local women are fighting back, protecting fisheries while using them sustainably.
Making money with honey in Türkiye
The highlands of southern Türkiye are honey heaven. Meet two beekeepers who are building a flourishing honey business while protecting bees and, in turn, biodiversity.
Meet 3 young people in Bangladesh upskilling their communities
With limited access to schools, markets and jobs, many young people leave Bangladesh’s Haor wetland region in search of more stable opportunities. Meet three young people IFAD is helping to upskill so they can generate an income while staying in the region.
The future is rural: Meet the young people determined to build a better future at home
Rural youth around the world face a dilemma: their roots are in their rural homes, but it’s often hard to build a future there. Meet some of the young people IFAD is helping to devise solutions to the challenges they see around them and build more resilient futures.
5 indigenous words about the environment that don’t exist in English
Indigenous peoples can teach us a lot about mitigating the impacts of climate change. Over generations, these communities have protected the biodiversity of their homes. They also use language in a powerful way to describe how they interact with the natural environment. Discover five unique words and concepts.
How IFAD worked with governments in Asia to build rural resilience during COVID-19
The pandemic pushed up to 80 million people in Asia into extreme poverty. Governments across the region had to respond quickly as incomes fell and food security was threatened. IFAD worked with them to ensure vulnerable rural people got the support they needed.
After the tsunami, home gardens provide fresh food and renewed hope in Tonga
When a massive tsunami devastated low-lying coastal areas in Tonga, local people had to rebuild their lives from scratch. For many, home gardens provided much needed fresh produce, as well as renewed hope for the future.
Key figures (and some letters) from IFAD’s 2021 Annual Report
The world entered 2021 on a precipice. We all knew the path we had been on was unsustainable and inequitable, and that nothing less than transformative change would be needed for recovery. As we face the challenges 2022 brings, we’re looking back to the lessons we learned in 2021 to guide our next steps forward.
See how permaculture transformed farmland in Nepal from barren to lush
When Megnath Ale Magar returned to his village in Nepal after a decade working abroad, he found a degraded land. In just three years, he transformed his barren farmland into a lush ecosystem using a permaculture approach.
How the war in Ukraine is affecting the most vulnerable countries in the world
Five Country Directors from IFAD’s highest priority countries in its Crisis Response Initiative tell us how the war in Ukraine is impacting rural people on the ground.
From subsistence to self-sufficiency: how women in Sudan are using savings and credit groups to build a better future
Climate change, commercial agribusiness, and societal norms threaten small-scale farmers’ way of life in a small village in Sudan. A women’s savings and credit group is changing this.
How over one million small-scale farmers in Pakistan got the information they needed to withstand the COVID crisis
COVID-19 presented new challenges for poor rural farmers in Pakistan. An IFAD-supported project shared personalized advice to farmers via their mobile phones to help overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
Discovering the fruits of the forests in Viet Nam—and preserving them for future generations
Vietnamese rural people need to farm to eat and make a living. But if they don’t do this sustainably, it can damage the land and degrade the forests. IFAD’s new project helps them manage their forests sustainably, while earning a decent living.
Meet 10 rural small businesses making a big difference
Micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the cornerstones of a vibrant rural economy. Discover ten rural businesses from every continent that are thriving with IFAD's support.
Take a 360° tour of a small, thriving pig farm in the green hills of Lao PDR
In the tiny village of Manh, nestled in the green uplands of Lao, agricultural production groups are coming together to develop their businesses and learn new techniques. For Boun Tham, groups like these made all the difference for his pig farm.
My Kenya Diary: Sabrina Dhowre Elba
Actor, activist, model, and IFAD Goodwill Ambassador Sabrina Dhowre Elba went to Kenya to see how rural small-scale farmers are transforming their communities. In her photo diary, she shares what she saw and learned on her visit.