People who live in rural areas are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Shocks related to the lack of resources like water, food and energy, extreme weather, high unemployment and migration to cities exacerbate fragility, increasing risks of polarization and conflict. How can we reverse these worrying trends?
Climate-smart agriculture with its focus on sustainable resource management and rural development are frequently mentioned among the solutions for creating prosperous societies. However, how exactly do we apply and combine these tools? These are the questions to be discussed at the seminar, jointly organized by IFAD , the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SIANI.
The seminar will include a speech by Gilbert Huongbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD who also was the Prime Minister of Togo during 2008-2012 and worked as Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Elected at the time of ongoing famines in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia and challenging food security conditions in other parts of Africa, he pledged to ensure more agricultural investments aimed at poverty eradication.
IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eliminating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. IFAD has a unique mandate, focusing exclusively on rural areas and targeting the poorest and most deprived segments of the rural population. Huongbo himself was born and raised in rural Togo, and among his chief priorities is ensuring young women and men in rural areas have the opportunity to secure decent livelihoods without feeling compelled to migrate.