The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has officially opened a new office in Salvador, the capital of the State of Bahia, marking a significant step in its longstanding partnership with Brazil and its northeastern states. This expansion reflects IFAD’s commitment to rural development after three decades of collaboration, investment, and joint initiatives in the region. Brazil ranks fifth among IFAD’s global investments, with the country receiving 40 percent of the Fund’s financing in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong, locally based team to oversee operations. Salvador joins Brasília as the second IFAD office in Brazil, enhancing the Fund’s strategic presence and operational capacity in the country.
IFAD’s portfolio in Brazil totals approximately US$1.1 billion, supporting rural development initiatives that benefit nearly one million families. In Bahia alone, IFAD co-finances around US$250 million through programs such as the Atlantic Forest Sustainable Development Project (Parceiros da Mata) in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Sertão Vivo Project with the National Development Bank to strengthen rural climate resilience, and CompensACTION, promoting environmental services for deforestation-free supply chains with support from the German government. The state is also part of the federal Food Security and Nutrition and Resilience to Climate Change project in the semi-arid Northeast, implemented with Brazil’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming.
Recent initiatives in Bahia include the Agroecological Roots Project, funded by the European Union and Belgium through the Global Programme for Small-Scale Agroecology Producers and Sustainable Food Systems Transformation, aimed at promoting genetic improvement and seed diversity adapted to local conditions. IFAD’s collaboration has strengthened South-South Cooperation, facilitating knowledge exchanges between countries such as Angola and Mozambique on topics including land access, market development, public policy, gender equity, youth engagement, and water security.
IFAD leverages its financing to mobilize additional investments, providing only 15 percent of project costs while attracting contributions from international and national partners, including the Green Climate Fund, IDB, AECID, the German government, and BNDES. This approach amplifies the scale and impact of IFAD-supported operations, addressing the high poverty rates in the Nordeste region by promoting economic development, climate resilience, and inclusive opportunities for rural communities. The Salvador office underscores IFAD’s strategic commitment to catalyzing resources and driving sustainable development in one of Brazil’s most vulnerable regions.
