UN agricultural fund calls for adaptation financing for small-scale farmers

Ahead of the COP29 climate change summit, the United Nation’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has urged world leaders to agree on an ambitious global  finance goal for adaptation.

The New Global Quantified Goal (NCQG) will be one of the main areas under discussion in Azerbaijan, and it said assisting small-scale farmers to adapt to climate change should be part of this.

“This is essentially a negotiation on how much money richer countries should contribute to support developing countries deal with climate change,” said IFAD President, Alvaro Lario.

“IFAD is calling on global leaders to agree to this climate finance plan and to include a specific goal for adaptation, prioritising the needs of small-scale farmers.”

Lario said small farms around the world are the backbone of our global food systems, but they are “the ones that are bearing the brunt of climate change”.

“They're the most vulnerable and the least preferred. Investing in them is a prerequisite if we want to keep food security.”

Countries in Africa have contributed little to the causes of climate change, but are among the hardest hit.

African leaders have long been calling for increased mitigation and adaptation financing to help fund change on the continent.

Agriculture in Africa in largely rain-fed and is being severely impacted by the extreme weather events associated with climate change.

Zimbabwe has been experiencing its worst drought in over 40 years, but thanks to an IFAD funded irrigation project farmers are still able to grow some crops.

“This year people could not harvest anything so there are big changes, and the rains no longer come at the time we expect. The seasons have changed,” said Tinomuounga Hove, chairperson of the Biri Irrigation Scheme.

“Having an irrigation scheme helps us a lot, because firstly we can grow crops throughout the year. Secondly, despite the fact that there were no rains this year, we were still able to grow crops.”

In other parts of the world, IFAD is financing projects that support climate adaptation to help smallholder farmers produce more food.

Climate negotiators and activists from around the globe will gather in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, from 11-22 November.