The UK government has pledged £66.7 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The UN agency is dedicated to supporting those living in extreme poverty in rural areas.
The UK government said nearly half of the world’s population lives in the rural areas of developing countries and rely on small farms for their livelihoods.
“These small farms are critical to feeding the world, producing up to 70% of food eaten in low-and middle-income countries,” the government said.
“Since 2021, the number of people facing a serious lack of food has increased by 34%. In Africa, about 20% of the population faces hunger.
“Progress against the UN Global Goal on ending hunger and malnutrition is in reverse and current projections indicate that 670 million will still be facing hunger in 2030.”
The government said the work of the IFAD for agricultural development is more urgent now than ever.
While global food systems are struggling in the face of conflict and economic turmoil and climate change, rural people and small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks, instability and forced migration, it said.
A ‘serious food security crisis’
Minister for development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said Christmas is a good moment to reflect that the world is in the throes of a “serious food security crisis”.
“Feeding the world may sound like a cliché at this time of year, but hunger and malnutrition are a scourge, putting lives and livelihoods under grave threat,” he said.
“The tragic irony is that we live in a world of plenty. It is scandalous that anyone should go to bed hungry for reasons that we have the power to fix.
“That is why the UK is investing £66.7m in IFAD’s work for the next three years. Simple steps like better land management and smarter farming practices can help produce more crops and reduce waste.”
Mitchell said renewable technology will help farmers rise to the climate challenge in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects the natural environment.
“We must act before the food crisis reached unconscionable proportions. In less than 30 years’ time there will be two billion more mouths to feed in the world than there are today.
“We urgently need to increase food production and make food systems sustainable.”
IFAD
The UK is a founding member of IFAD, whose programmes improve food security and nutrition, empower women and girls and help protect the planet.
IFAD-supported projects help farmers to increase yields through enhanced soil and pest management, fertilizer use and access to better quality seeds.
They also help rural women grow more food, connect to markets, increase their incomes, and become more literate and financially skilled.
President of IFAD, Alvaro Lario said: “We are grateful to the United Kingdom for their generous contribution to IFAD’s 13th Replenishment, which confirms their unwavering commitment to eradicating rural poverty and hunger.
“This contribution will further strengthen our long-standing partnership, a relationship that has played a vital role in transforming the livelihoods of millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable rural people.
“The UK’s pioneering investments in small-scale agriculture climate adaptation have been instrumental in empowering smallholder farmers and building resilient food systems in the face of climate change.”
