IFAD was founded in 1977 after the first World Food Conference (WFC) in 1974. The WFC was held in response to several food crises in the early 1970s, in which leaders recognised that food insecurity and famine were caused both by failures in food production, and broader structural problems relating to rural poverty. The conference also recognised that at this time, most of the developing world lived in rural areas. Latest data from IFAD continues to show a large proportion of the global population – around 45 per cent – live in rural areas of developing countries. IFAD’s core priority since its founding has been reducing poverty and food insecurity in rural areas through agriculture and rural development.
IFAD focuses on supporting the most disadvantaged and marginalised farmers by providing resources to those with the highest levels of need. This is through work at three levels:
At the global level, IFAD allocates resources to the countries in lower-middle income groups, disadvantaged regions and countries in fragile situations.
At the country level, IFAD channels resources to the disadvantaged regions and most vulnerable socio-economic groups through the process of country strategy (COSOP).
At the project level, IFAD targets the poorest and most excluded within the project area.
