Rome/Washington, 14 October 2025 – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has pledged to reach at least 70 million small-scale farmers and transform their lives by 2030 through increased incomes, improved productive capacity, and enhanced market access. This commitment was made at the launch of the World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative during the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Washington. AgriConnect is designed to create agribusiness jobs, strengthen global food security, and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers worldwide.
Alvaro Lario, IFAD President, highlighted that IFAD’s investments have historically delivered a triple impact of higher incomes, greater yields, and better market access for rural communities. By targeting remote and fragile areas where poverty and hunger are most severe, IFAD aims to turn rural regions into engines of growth, employment, and food security in collaboration with the World Bank, multilateral development banks, governments, and private sector partners.
IFAD’s nearly 50 years of experience demonstrates the transformative effect of investing in rural communities. Recent assessments show that small-scale food producers supported by IFAD between 2022 and 2024 saw average income increases of 34 per cent, production growth of 35 per cent, and improved market access by 34 per cent. These results underscore the potential of targeted interventions to uplift the livelihoods of farmers in the most underserved regions.
The organization actively engages the private sector to develop value chains, strengthen rural financial institutions, and provide access to technology, know-how, and markets. By lending directly to small- and medium-sized enterprises and de-risking investments, IFAD helps rural communities scale impact, create economic opportunities, and generate jobs. Investments in green jobs, digital innovations, youth-led agri-enterprises, and vocational training aim to make agriculture more attractive to younger generations while fostering sustainable rural development.
Acting as an integrated investment platform, IFAD connects governments, development banks, and private investors to channel resources where they are needed most. Evidence shows that agricultural growth reduces poverty two to three times more effectively than other sectors, particularly among the poorest populations. Rural areas, home to 80 per cent of the world’s poorest, face challenges including climate shocks and limited access to inputs, yet hold enormous potential for economic development.
With global food demand projected to rise by nearly 60 per cent by 2030, investment in food systems could generate up to US$10 trillion in annual economic opportunities by 2050. Africa’s agribusiness sector alone could reach US$1 trillion by 2030. As 1.2 billion young people enter the job market in developing countries over the next decade, strategically investing in agri-food systems offers the potential to create millions of additional jobs across input supply, logistics, processing, and retail, further strengthening global food security and rural livelihoods.
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