2021: IFAD will have assisted over 120 million smallholder farmers worldwide.’

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.

The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has increased support to 128 million small-scale farmers and vulnerable people in 2021 in response to rising challenges such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and global economic shocks, according to the organization’s annual report released today.

IFAD detailed how its efforts successfully targeted those who needed it the most in its Annual Report 2021: data released in 2021 revealed that 49 percent of direct beneficiaries were women, while 22 percent were youth.

“We know that economic empowerment of women is the key to greater empowerment for all,” IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo said, “while more than 600 million youth in rural areas around the world need our help.”

“Ultimately, these investments will contribute to increased food security, poverty reduction, and economic resilience in their broader communities – that is, the people who produce one-third of the world’s food but are often left behind,” he said.

The annual report summarizes the activities of the United Nations specialized agency and international financial institution, which raises funds, technical assistance, and other resources to combat poverty and hunger among the world’s 3.4 billion rural residents.

With global hunger on the rise and climate change affecting agricultural output, the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s role in ensuring global food security is more important than ever. The 177 member countries of IFAD recognized this by committing a record US$1.55 billion to the agency’s core resources for the period 2022-2024, with the goal of doubling its impact by 2030.