Rome and Nairobi, February 12 (IPS) – almost one in 11 people in the world and one in five people in Africa is hungry on daily basis, a crisis driven primarily by chronic inequality, climate change, conflict and economic instability. At the present pace, hunger and extreme poverty indicators show a small sign of drastic reversing to 2030.
Speaking against the background of the annual IFAD Managing Council, King of Less III from Lesotho, African nutrition champion, Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD and Dayan doyan Domico, native and youth activist, Embeberá leader, people talked about finding solutions Among the increasingly complex and unsure global alliances, priorities and development financing.
“There are hundreds of millions of people in extreme poverty. It is important for us that we continue to cooperate on a common activity supported by governments, development financial institutions, multilateral development banks and public development banks. It is very important that we continue to invest in the creation of stable rural communities as the basis of global stability. At the same time, productive agriculture means less hunger, “Lario said, emphasizing that together they’ll examine the ways of catalyzing the investment.
As a global fund for the transformation of agriculture, rural economies and food systems, the work of IFAD focuses on those that lag in another way, supporting sensitive people in the countryside. Often referred to as “The Last Mile”, IFAD is considering rural areas for the primary mile, because here small farmers grow food that nourishes the planet.
On February 12 and 13, 2025, forty eighth session of the IFAD Managing Council, the major decision -making body of IFAD, will gather heads of states, ministers, representatives of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks, representatives of indigenic peoples and other from rural communities around the globe to generate investments for rural people.
“The fact that we are in the presence of heads of states, government ministers, heads of multilateral development banks and financial institutions, is a demonstration of a common faith in the mission of IFAD, and even more so, in an important mission of fighting with a lack of food, hunger, hunger, inequality and poverty, with which 80 percent are focused on rural areas. It is important that these investments generate an impact, “Lario emphasized.
With 4 out of 5 extreme poor people in the world living in rural areas in developing countries, the leaders emphasized that solving challenges related to agricultural and rural development requires re -action, strategic concentration, revolutionary pondering and financial instruments that match the escalation of global problems.
“To properly deal with the burning challenges, which Africa faces, especially in South Africa, we must focus on driving our own development through sustainable nutrition strategies. The last drought, which influenced the majority, if not all from our region, have tightened the lack of food security and we suspect that millions will have to present hunger this year 2025, “explained King Letsie III.
“However, in response to some of these challenges, the Declaration of the African Union in 2025 emphasizes the importance of nutrition in the development of agriculture, emphasizing the need for investment in Agri-Food systems that support healthy diets.”
In January, African leaders accepted 2025 Kampali declaration, Establishment of the African Union agri -distance system strategy for the following 10 years. The declaration may be very critical and timely, because over 40 million people were uncertain food in West and Central Africa in 2024. Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad were most affected like small, Sudan, Sudan and South Sudan experienced the catastrophic focus of food.
At the back of the destructive drought in South Africa and protracted malnutrition on the continent, King Letsie III was a novel view of the country’s approach to fighting food uncertainty. AND “The state of the national disaster related to a lack of food safety“It was announced in July 2025 and is predicted that over 400,000 people will experience acute hunger crisis until March 2025.
Bio He spoke from his experience related to running a rustic that comes out of a decade of civil war-from fragility for prosperity. Emphasizing the necessity to use self -determination, dialogue and cooperation, including with strong developmental financial institutions such as IFAD and the necessity to enterprise to the world in search of additional resources partners needed to open agriculture as our major economy.
“To develop our economy, we should be able to have a serious transformation in this sector. To be able to take care of the bulge of young people, which is a blessing, but it can also be a curse, we must be able to start a successful agricultural revolution or transformation, as we started. To deal with food uncertainty, which was emphasized as a result of geopolitical tensions and many shocks that we had to stand, we must definitely a successful transformation in agriculture, “he said.
As a native Colombian, House called investments to finish hunger and poverty, searching for fair solutions which can be driven by the indigenous communitieswhich help communities adapt to climate change, respect traditional indigenous knowledge and secure biological diversity and natural resources.
“In almost all cases, parameters, standards and protocols were imposed on us. We have even asked for courts and their case-law for the design and implementation of justified differential methods that allow inter-cultural and international dialogue-Horizon and respect-the public of public food and nutrition policy are still privileged by traditional knowledge. . We have our own knowledge system, which is also important, which allowed us to live and survive in time – she emphasized.
The speakers emphasized that hunger and poverty are most rooted in the rural areas of developing countries, where almost half of the global population lives. However, small farmers produce a third of world food and seventy percent of food consumed in low and medium income countries.
Despite their strategic significance, rural areas suffer from chronic underestimation.
President IFAD spoke about the need to create conditions that attract investments in the private sector, because official help in the field of development or financing of the public sector is not enough, and such conditions include the construction of tertiary rural roads and smaller mothers to support irrigating activities, emphasizing the need for what Work to create these conditions.
“As a financial institution of development, it’s much more vital for us to act as catalysts and that we support governments, especially organizations of farmers and small farmers in creating conditions that can help them increase development. For example, in 2019–2021 investments financed by IFAD increased the income of 77 million village people and improved food safety with one other 57 million. It is essential that they show the impact of those investments, “he emphasized.
In general, global leaders discussions emerging from the Management Council will also contribute to global conversations in the direction of the fourth International conference on development financingThe Growth nutrition Summit, upcoming Fr.G7 AND G20 Meetings and implementation A global alliance against hunger and poverty
IPS report from the office
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