Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and IFAD meet to discuss evaluation of IFAD’s country programme

Dar es Salaam, 20 January 2015 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will co-organize a national workshop in Dar es Salaam, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, on 29 January 2015. The event will represent a conclusive step in the country programme evaluation that IOE has recently conducted to assess IFAD’s operations and strategy in Tanzania.

The workshop will focus on the main findings and recommendations that emerged from the country programme evaluation, including key strategic issues such as combining the support to sector-wide approaches and individual projects in Tanzania; emerging Public-Private- Partnership opportunities and strategies for IFAD to support agriculture and livestock value chain development; and developing more effective partnerships for up-scaling initiatives and for policy dialogue.

IFAD Member States renew commitment to the billions of rural people in developing countries

Rome, 19 December 2014 –The 173 Member States of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Fund’s mission by announcing a US$1.44 billion target of contributions directed at investing in rural people in developing countries.

The target of IFAD’s 10^th Replenishment will enable it to strengthen operations over a three-year period from 2016 to 2018. During this timeframe, IFAD’s plan is to expand its reach to up to 130 million rural people, which represents as much as a 31 per cent increase of those benefitting from its investments.

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.”

GAMBIA: IFAD President to discuss investments in smallholder agriculture, women and youth

Kanayo F. Nwanze IFAD's President

The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo F. Nwanze, will arrive in the Republic of The Gambia on 20 August for a two-day official visit to meet with His ExcellencySheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President of the Republic of The Gambia, and high-levelgovernment officials. The focus of discussions will be on strengthening partnershipsand furthering work to transform rural areas into economically vibrant places.

“Investments in smallholder agriculture that prioritize rural people, and in particular women and youth, will be on the top of my agenda during my discussions with country leaders in Banjul,”said Nwanze prior to his departure. “Smallholder family agriculture  can be a high-yielding, efficient and lucrative businessas well as a dignified profession that produces food, creates jobs, sustains families and puts countries on the road to stable, inclusive development.”