According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 45% of the world’s population lives in the rural areas of developing countries. As a planet, we’re facing growing challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, climate change and inequality. There’s an emerging understanding that we’re in these battles together, regardless of our geography or country’s gross domestic product (GDP). In a global world, the struggles in one place eventually have an impact somewhere else, whether through migration, market prices or environmental consequences.
In many instances, supporting small agriculture is the most beneficial approach to address the issues above. For example, it has been calculated that investing in farming is 11 times more effective in reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa than putting money in other areas. For this reason, various international collaborations have evolved to help improve the conditions of rural areas by assisting their farmers. Here are five of the largest initiatives currently in operation.
1. World Bank Rural Alliance project
One in three Bolivians work in agriculture. However, being an economically challenged country that has suffered political instability in the past means that farmers often don’t have the resources and access to credit to make a comfortable living or produce a quality product. The World Bank’s Rural Alliance project works with small producer organizations in the country to help finance structural improvements and the purchase of new equipment, generally funding 70% of the investment.
The aim of the project is to help poor farmers access local markets and improve their standard of living. For example, the Punata Dairy Farming Association, consisting of 30 aging farmers in Cochabamba, was able to triple their daily profits by being able to produce fresher milk with higher fat content. In 2023, the program has included a special focus on supporting female producers.
2. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Founded in 1978, this United Nations (U.N.) agency has provided almost $25 billion in grants and loans to projects all over the world. Being one of the most expansive international rural collaborations, it is estimated to have benefited over half a billion people. IFAD’s mission is to be active in the most remote areas of developing countries, where other agencies don’t tend to go and provide assistance to their small farmers. They partner with local individuals and organizations to help them produce more agricultural goods and increase the opportunities to sell them. In total, they have supported almost 1,100 projects in 125 countries. IFAD’s latest program is designed to help small-scale farmers reduce their methane output while also increasing production.
3. Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Sustainable Rural Development project
As a partnership between the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, with financial support from the IsDB and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development, this project seeks to improve the standard of living of 710,000 rural people living in Uzbekistan. The focus of the program is to bolster the transportation infrastructure, renovate public facilities, such as schools and health clinics, and upgrade communication and power supply systems.
4. The Grass Ceiling program
Initiated in January 2023, the Gender Equality in Rural and Agricultural Innovation Systems program, also known as the Grass Ceiling, is a European-funded project to enhance the U.N. goal of gender parity. Assisted by the South East Technological University in Ireland, the Grass Ceiling will create nine “living labs” for rural female innovators in Ireland, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain and Sweden. These labs will explore the barriers faced and resources required for women to make contributions to agriculture, while also training participants on how to make an impact in their agricultural communities.
5. Rural Enterprise for Agricultural Development (READ) initiative
Funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), the READ initiative invested $20 million into producer organizations in South Sudan. By increasing the abilities and scope of local organizations, the hope is that small farmers in the region are enabled to get their products to market more efficiently. In addition to fostering development in rural communities, the project also seeks to empower women as farmers, hoping to provide them with more agency in their communities.
These are just a few of the international collaborations initiated to improve the lives of the 3.4 billion rural people living in developing countries. Providing these populations with the means to sustain themselves and improve their living conditions is increasingly essential to global stability. Most of these efforts start with supporting local agriculture, as these farms are key to sustaining the communities around them. In doing so, we’re improving all of our futures.
