The global health crisis (Covid19) has put the economies of several countries around the world in difficulty. Rural populations are the most affected with a relapse into extreme poverty.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), whose mission is to invest in rural people, is not giving up. Faced with the situation, the UN institution encourages States to respond to the most pressing needs of populations linked to the issue of the high cost of living.
“More than half of IFAD’s interventions take place in Africa. The institution offered States the possibility of modifying current projects to meet the most pressing needs linked to the issue of the high cost of living, “said Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, president of IFAD, invited Friday on Togolese television (TVT).
“Concretely this means that Togo can decide that one of its projects which was initially intended to finance young people in cocoa, be modified by taking part of these resources to buy fertilizers if the problem that arises is a problem. fertilizer. It’s a readjustment”, says Houngbo.
He stressed that IFAD does not impose its will on states but on the contrary, gives them the possibility, in the face of the crisis, of readjusting projects according to the real needs expressed on the ground.
Invest in the countryside.
The President of IFAD, staying in Lomé, recalled in his speech the vocation of his institution, that of investing in rural areas through concessional loans to States.
“Our vocation is to grant concessional loans, targeting almost 100% rural populations. We target the poorest communities much more,” he said.
He adds that IFAD is a financial institution but at the same time a UN agency that has the particularity of being straddling the United Nations organization and financial institutions.
The former Prime Minister of Togo, Gilbert Houngbo clarified that IFAD is a financial institution just like the World Bank or the African Development Bank (AfDB) which supports States to develop.
“The primary targets are the most remote areas to help them increase their productivity, access markets, create jobs, and increase the income of producers,” said Houngbo.
Active in Togo
Togo has always benefited from special attention from IFAD (PNPER, ProMifa, etc.).
President Houngbo reports that in addition to two major projects supported by his institution in Togo, another project, of a regional nature, will shortly be deployed in favor of Togo and Benin.
“For us what is very important is that the funding goes to rural areas. Once we are in rural areas, we can also finance non-agricultural activities, as long as that contributes to job creation and generates income for these peasants,” he said.
While recalling that 75% of the world poor live in rural areas, he underlines that “if we manage to improve the living conditions of our populations in the rural world, we will have taken a giant step forward in achieving the SDGs”.
To date, 20 million people around the world increase their income by at least 20% each year thanks to funding from the Fund. The challenge for IFAD is to consolidate this trajectory so that it is irreversible.
Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for 45% of IFAD’s activities, which makes agriculture a priority. Agricultural production, therefore, needs to be improved, respectful of the environment.
