Hunger is not driven by a lack of food or an inability to grow it. Instead, it is primarily caused by conflict, climate change and economic fluctuations. For the 733 million people who were hungry in 2023, this truth must be hard to accept. The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report states that we have the means to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030 – but we are missing the money and the political will to do so.  The world needs increased and more cost-effective financing. But there are already financing solutions that could be rolled out on a larger scale for greater impact, posits IFAD.

As the sun rises over Pemba Island in Tanzania, Shajia and other seaweed farmers head towards the water to harvest their seaweed at low tide. When Shajia first started farming seaweed in 1995, she did it largely along the shore. In the decades since, conditions have changed. “Due to the high temperatures caused by climate change, the seaweed was not doing well on the shores,” she explains. “We were forced to go deeper into the ocean.” The IFAD-supported LDFS project is helping Shajia adapt to the new normal. As well as receiving equipment, she’s learned how to grow seaweed along ropes. This ensures a plentiful harvest that is easier to gather and is protected from the tides.

In Brazil’s semi-arid northeast, farming faces significant challenges due to climate change. Erratic rainfall and shifting harvest periods impact the region. Soil degradation prevents it from retaining water, nutrients, and microorganisms. To cope, farmers often overuse fertilizers, pesticides, and scarce water, perpetuating a damaging cycle. However, micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Rio Grande do Norte are making a difference. Tiago José Souza, a Cooperxique Cooperative member, practices agroecology to boost productivity while nurturing the soil. The cooperative’s organic certification programme ensures high standards without costly private certification. 

Small-scale farmers in Southern Madagascar find themselves on the front lines of climate change, facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and environmental degradation. Erratic rainfall and prolonged droughts have become common, severely affecting agricultural productivity and food security.

Food systems are collapsing due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem destruction, but by empowering rural communities to lead sustainable management practices, we can restore ecosystems and ensure food security.

Biodiversity conservation is the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, empowering communities and securing a resilient food future. 

Water scarcity exacerbates conflicts globally, but sustainable management initiatives, such as IFAD-supported projects in Mongolia and Colombia, demonstrate how equitable access to water can foster peace and prosperity.

Investing in women in agriculture is the surest path to prosperity and food security, empowering communities and fostering a sustainable future.

In a rapidly warming world, transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power not only fosters rural development but also mitigates the worst impacts of climate change.

Focusing on innovation for a food secure future, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) held its 47th Governing Council in Rome. IFAD's President emphasized the significance of innovation in reshaping the future of agriculture and showcased examples of AI-powered climate information systems and blockchain technology for digital wallets. The solutions aim to help small-scale farmers increase their production and livelihoods, while building resilience to shocks such as climate change, conflict and economic instability. These changes can have far-reaching impacts since small-scale farmers produce one-third of the world’s food, and up to 70 percent of food in some developing countries.

Rural people help the world flourish and by investing in them, a new day is possible. Here are inspiring stories of 2023.

For small-scale farmers, the climate nightmare is real, and they are severely underfunded. They urgently need support to adapt to a changing world. Here are three calls to action from IFAD. 

An International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) nutrition expert talks about the challenge of obesity; a Technical Specialist on Nutrition discusses how food inflation impacts diets. Lastly, we chat with IFAD’s Director for Food Systems Coordination Nadine Gbossa to discuss the nutritional challenges of Guyana’s indigenous communities. 

Despite contributing the least to greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is the most vulnerable continent to the impacts of climate change. In fact, 7 of the 10 countries that are most at risk are in Africa. Small-scale farmers in Africa are on the frontlines. They are battling climate change impacts every day, while feeding their communities and driving rural economies. They need the world to invest in them so that they can continue driving their own sustainable development, even in the face of climate change.

For its part, IFAD is mobilizing climate finance from a variety of sources, including the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility and its flagship ASAP programme. IFAD promotes climate-smart agricultural practices, such as the community-led nature-based solutions and climate-tolerant crop varieties.

One in nine people globally experienced hunger in 2022. Rural people and vulnerable groups, including women, suffer greater food insecurity—and even those who can access food may not be able to access nutritious food, IFAD's data confirms. We must strengthen climate resilience across food systems and invest in small-scale farmers so they can continue to feed themselves, nearby urban centres and beyond if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. IFAD supports small-scale producers and partners with farmers’ organizations to promote collective action and economies of scale.