The food crisis in the Horn of Africa in 2011 illustrates the importance of finding sustainable solutions to feeding the world’s poor.
One relatively small United Nations agency is working hard to position itself as a leader in this field. The International Fund for Agricultural Development was established in 1977 in response to a series of food crises. It aims to improve access of poor rural women and men in the developing world to land and water, agricultural technologies and production services, as well as transparent and competitive markets.
Roughly half of IFAD’s resources are allocated in Africa, but the agency supports approximately 860 programs and projects in more than 100 countries. Its staff — 548 in total as of February 2013 — work in the field and at headquarters in Rome.