Mute'e, a Yemeni farmer, dreams of better living conditions for his family, while Yemen’s rural population faces ongoing conflict, climate challenges, and limited resources.

Our planet sustains all life by providing clean air, water, and food. Rural communities, including farmers, fishers, and herders, recognize that their well-being is connected to the health of the earth. Diverse ecosystems support food production and economic prosperity. To support these communities, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) collaborates with governments to finance sustainable projects, investing $4 billion in sustainable land management and $1.4 billion in climate finance since 2000. From 2018 to 2023, 70% of IFAD projects focused on conserving biodiversity, and 60% promoted agroecological practices. These initiatives empower rural people to care for the environment while benefiting from its resources.

On International Women's Day, Anta and her friends in Senegal benefit from the Agrijeunes project, developing agribusinesses with IFAD's support, empowering rural youth.

Ethiopia, home to Africa's largest bamboo resources, is using bamboo for sustainable farming, climate action, and environmental restoration, supported by IFAD.

Xie Fanghua noticed the difficulties farmers faced in getting their fruit to market in his mountain community in China and devised a solution with custom designed monorail tracks. With a loan from IFAD, he made the technology available to others.

With IFAD's support, rural farmers in North Africa and the Middle East are improving their marketing skills, boosting incomes, and gaining recognition for their high-quality products.

Bodo and Sanda are reinventing entrepreneurship in Madagascar, creating jobs and empowering youth through IFAD's Agribusiness Hubs.

Humans have been producing textiles through weaving for thousands of years.  Yarns or threads are carefully interlaced to create both simple and intricate fabrics. Many rural communities depend on weaving for everyday items such as clothing and household goods, and it also serves as a vital source of income for many people. Let's explore the art of weaving in Vietnam, Tajikistan, Fiji, and Guatemala.

IFAD is partnering with the Mobile Journalism Awards to offer a US$ 1,000 prize for the best film highlighting a compelling story about rural people and issues, with the winner also receiving the opportunity to present their film at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia in April 2025. Enter here! 

IFAD-supported projects enhance prosperity, food security, and resilience by connecting rural communities to essential finance, markets, technology, and knowledge.

Reducing food loss is vital for enhancing food security and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, as a large portion of agricultural costs is tied to uneaten food.

If you live in a rural area, even a simple trip to the hairdresser can be difficult. In Suden, a village located in the mountainous areas of Tunisia’s Kairouan region, locals must take a shared taxi and drive 35km just to get a haircut. That was until IFAD stepped in, together with the Tunisian government and the Adaptation fund, to support Dhaker, a 21-year-old who had just graduated but was stuck in precarious jobs. He has now opened his own barber shop and not only can he make a living in his hometown, but he is also providing a precious service to the villagers.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the UN dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.

Indigenous Peoples are essential to protecting and restoring the world's ecosystems and natural environment, that's why they need to be at the heart of planning and implementation of projects that affect them.

Young rural people are bringing agriculture into the digital age. Meet three young people in Asia who’ve cracked the code: how to irrigate crops while saving both time and water.

Farmer Tawfik's olive trees thrive thanks to a 100% natural compost created from Aleppo pine cones, supported by IFAD and the Tunisian government.