The ambitious agenda to improve the production, incomes, food security and resilience of the most vulnerable was agreed upon at IFAD’s recent annual Governing Council Meeting in which government representatives adopted a report and resolution for the 13th replenishment of IFAD’s resources. So far, 68 Member States have committed an unprecedented US$1.34 billion in support of a three-year program of work (2025-2027). Pledges already exceed the total US$1.28 billion pledged for the 12th replenishment of IFAD (2022-2024). In the coming months, IFAD expects more pledges as it works to mobilize US$2 billion in new funding to implement a US$10 billion program of work.
Lario encouraged Member States who have not yet pledged to do so in the coming months. “The conversation will continue. The momentum is there. This US$1.34 billion is record breaking but not enough to achieve the target we have,” he further acknowledged.
Amongst the 68 Member States who have pledged thus far in the current replenishment cycle, 45 made their highest pledge ever and 14 of those pledges have increased their commitment by more than 50 percent since the last pledging cycle, showing their strong commitment to the Fund, and need to step up investments in rural development to fight hunger and poverty.
To support small-scale farmers and their efforts to build resilience in the face of growing challenges, the IFAD13 report and resolution adopted by Member States set three main priorities for the Fund: IFAD will increase its focus on fragile contexts, scale-up investments in biodiversity and climate resilience for small-scale farmers, and further leverage engagement with the private sector. Priorities have been determined based on a year-long consultation process with its Member States and stakeholders and careful analysis of this multiples global crisis.
About 3.1 billion people, nearly half of the global population, live in the rural areas of developing countries. These areas are home to over 80 per cent of the world’s extreme poor.
Violent conflict has spiked dramatically in several regions. By 2030, almost 60 percent of the world's poor will live in countries classified as fragile or affected by conflicts.
Climate change and biodiversity extinction are accelerating. As global temperatures continue to rise, leading to worse living conditions for millions of people worldwide, the poorest are the most vulnerable and will be the most severely impacted. Today close to 700 million people live in extreme poverty.
Official Development Assistance and developing countries’ financing will not suffice to close the finance gap for climate adaptation, to end hunger and make food systems more sustainable, resilient and equitable. Engagement and financing from private sector stakeholders ranging from global investors to local small and medium enterprises will be necessary. Estimates find that between US$33 and US$50 billion in additional finance per year until 2030 will be needed to fight hunger globally with in the current broken and obsolete food system.
Innovation driven by and for rural people
Governors also immersed themselves in rural communities through a virtual field trip to Ghana to discover how rural people manage ecosystems, cope with climate change and produce nutritious foods in a challenging environment.
Kevin Perkins, Executive Director of Farm Radio International and Hélène Papper, Director for Global Communications and Advocacy at IFAD presented IFAD’s Rural Voices initiative and described how radio can help put rural people at the center of innovations and capture the ideas of those who may otherwise not have been heard.
Governors also heard the testimony of food writer and chef Sophie Grigson who cooked with rural communities as part of IFAD’s Recipes for Change program.
Absent from the discussion was Climate Survival Solutions and its technology partner Sofistica. They have developed the means to recycle water and nutrients from wastewater in a climate-proof platform called the PolyBio System™. It uses a unique linear anaerobic digester in combination with aerobic digesters and aquatic grow beds to produce energy, nutrients, food, raw materials and pure water from wastewater from humans or animals. The PolyBio System™ water and nutrient recycling solution provides reliable water and food security. In 2024, the solution will be demonstrated in North America and SE Asia.