Smallholder farmers are more than climate victims – says IFAD report

IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze

Smallholder farmers in developing countries are more than victims of climate change; they are a vital part of the solution to global warming, according to a report from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Smallholder Advantage, a report on IFAD’s response to climate change, shows how investments in access to weather information, technology transfer and disaster preparedness are helping smallholder women and men to feed themselves and their families on a warming planet - whilst restoring degraded ecosystems and reducing agriculture's carbon footprint.

“We see smallholder farmers as an important part of the solution to the climate change challenge,” said IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze. “With around 500 million smallholder farms responsible for around four-fifths of food supplies in developing countries, we recognize that rural women and men operate vital businesses on the climate frontline.”

“Small farmers often experience more extreme and unpredictable weather, yet they are among the least represented in national and global policymaking on climate change,” Nwanze added. “What IFAD emphasizes in the climate change debate is that smallholders are among the most effective clients for public funds for dealing with issues around climate change.”

Improving incomes and building resilience of rural population in Morocco to adapt to climate change

IFAD invests in developing value chains in rural mountain areas Rome, 10 November 2014 – The government of the Kingdom of Morocco and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed a US$25.5 million loan and grant agreement to finance the first phase of the Rural Development Programme in the Mountain Zones. This project aims to reduce poverty by 30 per cent by 2030 and improve living conditions for rural people in the mountain areas of Morocco. With a total cost of $50.0 million, the project is co-financed with a $13.5 million contribution from the Government of Morocco, a $6.51 million contribution from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a contribution of $2.0 million from the beneficiaries themselves and a $2.0 million grant financed by IFAD's Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP). The financing agreement was signed today in Rome by Hassan Abouyoub, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for the Royal Kingdom of Morocco to IFAD, and Michel Mordasini, Vice-President of IFAD.