Publications: FAD 2012 Annual Report Stresses Growth, Transparency and Response to Food Security Challenges (Jul 2013)

FAD 2012 Annual Report Stresses Growth, Transparency and Response to Food Security Challenges

July 2013: In its 2012 Annual Report, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) documents the growth of the Fund from $7.9 to $11.9 billion since 2009, and highlights the new Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) as one of a number of new directions and initiatives.

The report describes IFAD's work through 255 projects within 97 countries and highlights areas of thematic engagement including: natural resources and biodiversity; climate change adaptation; improved technologies and production; and rural enterprise development. ASAP is a particular focus of the report, with the programme aiming to improve the ability of almost eight million smallholder farmers to cope with climate change. ASAP was launched in 2012 to fund projects that deliver climate mitigation and adaptation benefits while improving food security, biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.

As part of IFAD's sustainable growth goals, its programmes specifically target youth unemployment and the power of partnerships. The report describes climate change as one of the principal risks to continued economic and social progress.

In West and Central Africa, persistent droughts in the Sahara and Sahel regions are identified as the largest challenges to smallholder farmers. Other IFAD investments related to climate change include early warning systems, the Indigenous Peoples Facility, peatland management in Southeast Asia, and climate index-based insurance. [Publication: IFAD 2012 Annual Report]

For more information: 
http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/ifad-2012-annual-report-stresses-growth-transparency-and-response-to-food-security-challenges/208251/