Latest

Artificial Intelligence is not just a buzzword for IFAD – it is a powerful new technology that delivers better development results and increases impact.

Investing in women's digital empowerment can foster prosperity not just for them, but for entire communities. These three remarkable rural women revitalizing their villages in rural China are living proof of this.

“Equal opportunities and rights for rural women are essential for building more prosperous and inclusive societies capable of tackling global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity. Without gender equity, there will be no sustainable development,” declared IFAD.  

Genetic, species, ecosystem: learn about the three main types of biodiversity and explore the role each plays in making agriculture productive, nutritious and resilient.

Today, IFAD and the Land Conservation Organization (OCT) – a prestigious Brazilian non-governmental organization working in southern Bahia state – unveiled the new CompensaAÇÃO (CompensACTION) project: Promotion of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) for deforestation-free supply chains in Brazil.

Guoqi Wu, Associate Vice-President, Corporate Services, IFAD, will visit Zambia from 10 to 12 April 2024. He will meet with the President of Zambia, H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Hon. Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Hon. Makozo Chikote, Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Reuben Mtolo Phiri, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Beatrice Mutali and development partners.

On this episode, Indigenous leaders from Nepal, Mexico and Kenya weigh in on what it means to protect the planet while preserving their cultures, and fighting for the right to land, nutrition and education.

IFAD’s Country Director for Haiti, Paolo Silveri, shares his insights on the current crisis – and explains why IFAD is committed to continuing operations.

Financial exclusion is acute in rural Mozambique, and women are disproportionately impacted. Closing the funding gap to catalyse private-sector investment in rural communities can make all the difference.

To support Somalia's efforts to address the effects of decades of conflict, environmental degradation, and underfunded infrastructure and agricultural productivity, IFAD and the Government of Somalia have signed a new financial agreement to fund the Rural Livelihood Resilience Programme (RLRP).

In this episode, we speak to three young YouTubers and TikTokers in Latin America who are bringing their rural lives to the world via our screens – and encouraging young rural people to build a future at home.

In a significant move to address the triple COVID, conflict and climate crisis in the Sahel, IFAD has established a Multi-Donor Funding Facility (MDFF) which will channel funding to the existing Joint Sahel Programme in Response to the Challenges of COVID-19, Conflict and Climate Change (SD3C).

Peace and water are inextricably intertwined. That’s why sustainable rural development can help reduce conflict in communities – and why water is often the crucial element that can make the difference.

Amid growing climate challenges in Montenegro, IFAD signed an agreement with the Government of Montenegro to finance the Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience in the Montenegrin Mountain Areas project (GORA). The project aims to support small-scale farmers and rural communities to cope with the effects of a changing climate.

More than 150 representatives from all five continents have gathered in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Euskadi, Spain to discuss the future of family farming, which provides food for 70 per cent of the world’s people. Among the experts present was Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD and keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the VIII Global Conference. Family Farming: Sustainability of our Planet, organized by the World Rural Forum.

Family farms are key to building sustainable food systems – and to achieving zero hunger worldwide. Let's meet some of the families around the world whose farms are thriving with IFAD's support.  

IFAD and WFP have today launched an action plan to work together in fragile contexts — countries simultaneously affected by economic shocks, and extreme weather, in combination with little or no institutional and government capacity to help people cope. The UN agencies seek to leverage the strengths and expertise of each organization to enhance resilience in fragile environments and improve food security for those who need it most.

Leveraging remittances to foster financial and digital inclusion, and support the sustainable reintegration of migrant returnees for local economic development in rural areas.

IFAD’s multi-donor Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) is pleased to launch the Migrant Contributions for Development Call for Proposals 2024 for the Kyrgyz Republic.

To mark International Women's Day, we explore how gender inequality and gender-based violence can be overcome to build inclusive, sustainable food systems. From El Salvador to Malawi, hear about how rural women are driving climate adaptation and transforming agriculture – and the world – for the better.

Investing in women is the surest way to prosperity – and a world without hunger. That’s why IFAD invests in women. They’re the smartest investment in a sustainable future.

Today, IFAD launched the Africa Integrated Climate Risk Management Programme (AICRM): Strengthening Smallholder Farmers' Resilience to Climate Change Impacts, with a workshop in Banjul, The Gambia. Dr Jyotsna Puri, Associate Vice-President of the Strategy and Knowledge Department at IFAD joined over 60 participants, including government representatives from the programme's host countries, as well as financial and implementing partners.

Investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment is not only more urgent than ever but also an incredibly smart investment to generate economic growth, food security, income opportunities and better lives, particularly in rural areas where most of the world’s poorest live. That will be the message tomorrow on International Women’s Day from leaders at the Rome-based United Nations agriculture and food agencies event - Invest in Women: accelerate progress.

In a renewed Memorandum of Cooperation, IFAD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) agreed yesterday to reinforce their collaborative efforts to enhance rural development, food and nutrition security, with a special focus on Africa.

Visit the five inspiring winners of this year’s Gender Awards and find out how they’re addressing the harmful practices, social norms and economic disparities that keep women from achieving their potential.

Today, in partnership with the European Union, IFAD launched the Platform for Remittances, Investment and Migrants’ Entrepreneurship (PRIME) Central Asia Initiative in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, to maximize the socio-economic impact of remittances, the hard-earned money sent home by migrant workers.

Today marks a significant step towards a brighter future for Mozambique's artisanal fisheries sector. A new project that aims to transform the livelihoods of 90,000 artisanal fishers in five coastal provinces in the country has been endorsed with the signing of a US$63 million financing agreement between IFAD and the Government of Mozambique.

A global food crisis and the effects of climate change are taking a toll on those most vulnerable: millions of people – many of them small-scale farmers and their families – who are unable to afford a healthy diet. At this critical juncture, Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, is visiting the Solomon Islands and Australia from 29 February to 8 March 2024 to collaborate on next-steps and to deepen IFAD’s strategic partnership with governments across the region.

The Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) is an independent network of 22 member states with a shared vision to promote an effective multilateral system that delivers solutions to evolving global goals and local challenges.

In this episode, we explore why we must pursue zero hunger and zero waste as joint goals. In particular, we look at how these efforts are crucial for children, who depend on nutritious diets for healthy development.

All too often, value chain development harms the planet by emitting carbon and degrading environments. That’s why to build truly prosperous rural areas, we must make value chains not just strong, but sustainable.

We asked four farmers’ organization leaders from around the world about current challenges, new developments and their hopes for the future at the eighth global meeting of the Famers’ Forum.

IFAD Recipes for Change chef Sophie Grigson travelled to Malawi to meet local small-scale farmers who are fighting back against climate change by diversifying their crops.

The 178 Member States of IFAD today adopted an ambitious agenda to improve the production, incomes, food security and resilience of more than 100 million rural people over three years.

For small-scale farmers in some of the most remote corners of the world, innovation isn't just a buzzword. It's a lifeline with the potential to reshape the future of agriculture by generating and scaling up new ideas, new approaches and opportunities to sustainably overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis.

Learn how to make a delicious and sustainable Malawian meal with these recipes collected from rural communities by Chef Sophie Grigson.

Seaweed packs a punch. It produces more than half of the world’s oxygen and removes millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. It's also incredibly nutritious and easily cultivated, with seaweed farming making up nearly a third of all marine aquaculture.

Heads of state, ministers, development and innovation experts and representatives of small-scale farmers from all over the world will gather in Rome to participate in the IFAD’s annual Governing Council.

El FIDA anunció hoy que, durante más de 25 años, su apoyo en el financiamiento de proyectos de inversión pública ha permitido generar un impacto positivo para miles de comunidades y hogares rurales por un monto total de 345 millones de dólares, de los cuales 155 millones han sido aportados por el Fondo.

Pulses are at the heart of thriving rural communities, and an essential ingredient for a sustainable future. Learn about some of these superfoods – and how to cook them with our Recipes for Change!

IFAD’s Crisis Response Initiative is helping pastoralists in Herat build resilience against crises by training pastoralists in animal husbandry practices, providing veterinary units with equipment and supplying high quality feed during winter months.

Heads of state, ministers, development and innovation experts and representatives of small-scale farmers from all over the world will gather in Rome to participate in IFAD’s annual Governing Council.

A well-oiled agricultural value chain allow small-scale farmers to make the most of their produce. That’s why IFAD works with rural communities around the world to strengthen local value chains and overcome the challenges that arise along the way.

This call for proposals is to select a recipient or consortium of recipients to receive IFAD grant financing to implement the Programme in Rural M&E (PRiME) Phase III for a total amount of up to US$1.5 million.

Wetlands are closely linked with our wellbeing – they protect against erosion, improve water quality, and host a vast range of species. Let’s visit some of these precious ecosystems and meet the rural people protecting them.

IFAD issued its first SEK club deal today, a strong indication of investors’ continued interest in IFAD. The lead investor Skandia, and Folksam, bought a seven-year one billion SEK sustainable bond to support IFAD in its mission to stimulate sustainable growth and inclusive development in rural areas of developing countries. Skandia led with a 900 million SEK investment, and Folksam complemented with 100 million SEK.

Growing food is a challenge in the harsh desert landscape of northwestern China. But thanks to new greenhouses built by a local cooperative, this village is bursting with fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.

Marine biodiversity is a precious resource – but it has long been under threat. Today's coral reefs, for example, cover half the area they did in 1950, and nearly 10 per cent of marine life is at risk of extinction.

A new financing agreement aimed at improving the livelihoods of wool and mohair farmers was signed recently by IFAD and the Kingdom of Lesotho by correspondence. The new project aims to increase the economic and climate resilience of 225,000 rural people.

Rural communities need energy to develop, but in a rapidly heating world, a green transition is crucial. Renewable sources, like solar power and biogas, are allowing them to prosper without relying on polluting fossil and wood fuels.

Water stress is growing around the world. To effectively tackle it, a new approach assesses not only whether water infrastructure is available and working, but also whether it is meeting the needs of the people who rely on it.

IFAD is increasing its efforts to facilitate private sector engagement in rural development. By providing a US$2.5 million loan to Hamkorbank, a leading commercial bank in Uzbekistan, 1,500 low-income dairy and horticulture producers will be able to access micro-loans to increase their incomes and improve their livelihoods.

As the climate crisis intensifies and multiple conflicts increase global instability, visionary and committed political leadership is more crucial than ever to address the root causes of hunger, extreme poverty, and inequitable food systems, warned Gérardine Mukeshimana, Vice-President of IFAD, at the Berlin Agriculture’s Ministers Conference of the 16th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture.

IFAD President Alvaro Lario will be visiting Algeria next week in his first official visit to the country since he was elected head of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in 2022.

IFAD and the Interamerican Development Bank have joined forces to increase small-scale farmers’ income, and improve food and nutrition security, in the Piauí-Canindé basins, reaching 210,000 poor rural people in Piauí, one of the poorest regions in Brazil.

Why has the UN declared this year the International Year of Camelids? IFAD’s Country Director for Bolivia, Daniel Anavitarte, explains why you should care about these extraordinary mammals – and why they’re key to sustainable rural development in South America and beyond.

La Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y el FIDA proponen una nueva aproximación al concepto de ruralidad en México y América Latina con el objetivo de focalizar la acción pública para reducir las desigualdades y avanzar en la consecución de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.

As global leaders gather at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss financing today’s global challenges, IFAD is accelerating its efforts to catalyse increased private sector investments in rural and agricultural development.

There’s an international day for nearly every global issue you can think of. Learn how they come into being, the key observances for rural people – and why they matter.

Climate change is making extreme weather events more intense and frequent. With IFAD’s support, small-scale farmers are getting the advanced warning they need to limit damage to their livelihoods – and recover faster.

New partnership between IFAD and international money transfer operator, Moneytrans. The project is part of the Platform for Remittances, Investments and Migrants’ Entrepreneurship in Africa, an initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances.

To address the lack of an effective and efficient payment infrastructure for low-value remittances in Southern Africa, IFAD and the European Union have joined forces through the PRIME Africa initiative.

Young people are crucial contributors to prosperous rural communities. Meet two entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka who are working hard to make a difference.

Climate leaders' plans to tackle some of the planet’s greatest challenges. IFAD Vice-President gives insight into the challenges faced by rural people, followed by fellow IFAD colleagues explaining how we can improve the lives of small-scale farmers. More about the ongoing battle to combat desertification and what’s in store for 2024.

For countless people in IFAD-supported projects, 2023 was a year in which their lives changed. Here are some of the stories we told over the past 12 months.  

All over the world university graduates are trading in cities for rural areas. IFAD is helping to create employment opportunities so that young people can earn a living and stay connected to the land.

At a time when climate change and conflict are fuelling greater food insecurity in many developing countries, IFAD received record-breaking pledges in support of its largest replenishment ever, putting the organization on track to positively impact the lives of millions of rural people across the globe.

Statement by Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development; Vera Esperança dos Santos Daves De Sousa, Minister of Finance of Angola; Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France.

Con el apoyo técnico y financiero del FIDA, la Ruta de Resultados e Intercambio de Experiencias en la Cadena Productiva de Camélidos ha iniciado hoy, con el objetivo de mostrar los avances del sector de camélidos en los departamentos bolivianos de La Paz, Oruro y Potosí, en el marco del Programa ProCamélidos y rumbo al 2024, Año Internacional de los Camélidos - declarado por la ONU.

Rural people in Kiribati are leading the way in sustainable farming, making nutritious foods available and creating a foundation for better health in the years to come.

When climate and natural disasters strike, it’s rural people who are worst affected. Investing in their resilience ensures that they not only endure times of crisis, but emerge stronger. Associate Vice-President of Programmes Donal Brown explains how rural communities can change the world for the better.

Press conference - IFAD’s Member State consultation and pledging session.

Integrated farming provides ecosystem benefits and builds climate resilience. Find out how this system is strengthening Cambodia’s small-scale farmers and their communities.

Last Friday at the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai, UAE, the Netherlands announced an historic pledge of US$150 million to IFAD.

In the face of escalating climate change impacts on vulnerable rural populations globally, Alvaro Lario, the President of IFAD, emphasized today that promoting gender equality in rural communities is essential to climate change adaptation, with women acting as powerful catalysts of change.

For rural people, the climate nightmare is a reality. They urgently need support to adapt to a changing world. To do this, IFAD is issuing three calls to action – find out what they are.

Following the recent release of data confirming a sharp global decline in climate finance dedicated to adaptation efforts, IFAD and partners have today unveiled a new financing mechanism to boost support to small-scale food producers in rural communities in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to adapt to a changing climate.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, announced today at the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai that the US will contribute US$50 million to the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS)’s new multi-donor trust fund, hosted by IFAD.

In a world of climate catastrophes, rising food prices and global instability, find out how persons with disabilities are taking their rightful place in the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Follow IFAD's journey at COP28, as we showcase efforts towards sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and food security, and raise the voices of rural people all over the world.  

IFAD will urge global leaders at COP28 to urgently focus far more attention and funding to the hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers who feed much of the world and are key to global food security and stability.

IFAD and the Government of Indonesia signed a new initiative aimed at transforming dryland farming to make it more climate-resilient and profitable, bolstering the livelihoods of over 200,000 farmers over the next five years.

COP is an annual meeting where decision makers discuss how best to tackle climate change. But how did the summit come to be and what difference does it make for rural people? Find out here.

A regional knowledge and experience sharing workshop that addresses nutrition, rural development and food system transformation began today in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Improving food and nutrition security in West and Central Africa is crucial. It is estimated that 29.8% of the population of West Africa and 13.9% of the population of Central Africa are undernourished.

COP28 is just around the corner – our 50th episode focuses on small-scale farmers and their resilience in the face of climate change.

Ahead of COP28, IFAD urges global leaders to shift gears and drastically and urgently scale-up climate finance for small-scale farmers and small agribusinesses.

The path towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals has never seemed more precarious. Find out how IFAD is using private investment to secure prosperity and sustainable development for the world’s poorest communities.

Private investors are a powerful force to help us fund a world where no one is left behind, said Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD at the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

El FIDA se incorporó como nuevo miembro adherente de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Instituciones Financieras para el Desarrollo.

In Nigeria, aquaculture brings new opportunities to rural youth and helps to reduce the country’s unemployment rate.

Gérardine Mukeshimana, the recently appointed Vice-President of IFAD, will make her first official visit to Egypt during which she will discuss with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly the need for concerted action to advance sustainable rural development through Egypt's Nexus for Water, Food, and Energy (NWFE) Programme.

Climate change is having a huge impact on Indigenous Peoples all over the world. We sat down with three indigenous youth to talk about how erratic weather patterns are affecting their communities and how they are drawing on tradition and technology to cope with it.

IFAD will share results of its first sustainable bonds at the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 21 November, and illustrate how investments are improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers, who are trying to cope with climate change, inflation and broken supply chains.

The Regional Overview 2023 indicates that, despite halting the upward trend in the last period, hunger levels in the region remain above the 2019 figures prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, 8.6% of children under five years of age are overweight.

The Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia is a dynamic region faced with many challenges. We caught up with Regional Director Dina Saleh to find out how rural people are coping with the realities of conflict and climate change and to understand why the right investments now can make all the difference later.

As the climate crisis intensifies and the world seeks sustainable solutions, IFAD, together with its partners the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the Packard Foundation, have today announced the recipients of the Indigenous Peoples' Assistance Facility grants.

Generations of farmers in Egypt have used valley beds to grow figs and olives, but today’s erratic weather patterns have caused land degradation, soil erosion and a drop in yields. Find out how water management technology is bringing these flavoursome fruits back to life.

In the midst of a tumultuous 2023 marked by heightened instability due in part to new and ongoing conflicts and the intensifying impacts of climate change worldwide, Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD, emphasized the critical need for “strong global leadership and commitment” to support the most vulnerable in rural areas of developing countries during his first official visit as president to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

IFAD will present to an audience of investors how the proceeds of its first sustainable bonds have been invested and how the investments are improving the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers.

Rural people are safeguarding our planet with their generational knowledge, a unique affinity to the land and perseverance. They also grow much of the food that feeds us. But who are they beyond their role as farmers, fishers and herders?