IFAD calls for an ambitious goal to help small-scale farmers adapt to the climate crisis

Rome, 8 November 2024 – As climate change slowly erodes humanity’s ability to feed a growing population, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will urge global leaders at COP29 to agree to an ambitious global finance goal for adaptation as part of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).

IFAD’s plea will highlight the urgent need of hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers to adapt to the new climatic reality. They produce nearly half of the world’s food and are crucial to ensure both global food security and stability.

Yet, they receive less than one per cent of all climate finance. IFAD indicatively estimates the finance gap for small-scale farmers’ adaptation at about US$75 billion per year in developing countries. The UN Fund is pioneering innovative financial solutions to channel more climate funding to the world’s most vulnerable populations.

IFAD leaders and climate experts will be present at COP29 and are available for interviews.

Alvaro Lario, IFAD President

Donal Brown, IFAD Associate Vice-President, Department for Country Operations

Dina Saleh, IFAD Regional Director for the Near East, North Africa and Europe

Juan Carlos Mendoza, Director of IFAD’s Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division

Consult the full list of IFAD events. Highlights:

12 November 2024

EVENT: Deploying innovative financing instruments for resilient food systems. Launch of the Climate Action Report

14:00-15:00 | NDC Partnership Pavilion

IFAD’s President will join speakers from the Climate Bonds Initiative, Citigroup, and the German and Egypt governments to discuss the opportunities and challenges of using innovative financial instruments to enhance food security and resilience in a changing climate.

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EVENT: US-China-Azerbaijan Methane and Non-CO₂ Summit

17:00-18:30 | Maine Stage (Plenary 2)

IFAD’s President will announce the launch of IFAD’s methane reduction guidebook for Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0 at a session focused on cross-sector efforts to reduce methane emissions and transition toward a low-carbon economy.

13 November 2024

EVENT: Addressing the Climate Crisis in the Caribbean Region

14:30-15:50 | Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion

This event will discuss resilience solutions, public-private partnerships and regional actions to transform Caribbean agriculture in response to climate challenges. IFAD’s President will deliver keynote remarks, highlighting IFAD initiatives for smallholders.

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EVENT: Bridging the Financing gap to address Climate Change and Glaciers preservation

15:00-16:30 | Glacier’s Pavilion

IFAD’s President will address this event focused on climate finance to address Tajikistan’s NDC targets, preserve glaciers and strengthen water security.

14 November 2024

EVENT: Leveraging Collaborative Public-Private Approaches to Finance Ambitious NDCs

09:30-10:30 | NDC Partnership Pavilion

This event will explore how collaboration across public and private financing helps implement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy. IFAD’s President will give a keynote intervention.

19 November 2024

EVENT: High-Level Panel on Financing Agricultural Transformation with the World Bank

15:00-16:30 | Azerbaijan Pavilion

This event will Launch of IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) lessons learned publication.

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EVENT: The NDC 3.0 Navigator: A Deeper Dive on Methane Reduction in Food Systems

16:45-18:15 | Official UNFCCC Side Event Room 7

This side event will introduce the NDC 3.0 Navigator, a guide to help countries enhance their climate action plans by prioritizing methane reduction. The joint publication by the Climate&Clean Air Coalition, FAO, GIZ, Global Methane Hub, IFAD, NDC Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, USAID, the World Bank and the World Biogas Association “Walking the Walk: Reducing Methane Emissions from Agrifood Systems” will also be launched.

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About IFAD

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$24 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.