Canada announces additional funding to help small-scale farmers in developing countries adapt to climate change

News release

December 17, 2021 - Ottawa, Canada - Global Affairs Canada

Small-scale farmers are on the front lines of climate adaptation, yet they receive less than 2% of climate financing worldwide.

With the increasing frequency and severity of floods, droughts, wildfires and other damaging events, as well as the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, small-scale farmers in developing countries are particularly at risk, which increases food insecurity and rural poverty.

Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, announced that Canada will increase its pledge to the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to $112.5 million over 3 years (2022 to 2024). This commitment represents a 50% increase over Canada’s previous pledge.

Canada’s contribution will help small-scale farmers, at least half of whom are women, adapt to climate change, especially in the context of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite facing persistent gender inequality, women small-scale producers play a central role as powerful agents for change in building climate-resilient food systems.

Minister Sajjan made this announcement while participating in a virtual Nutrition for Growth Summit side event, hosted by IFAD, titled Financing for Nutrition: Leveraging the Pivotal Role of Public Development Banks.

Quotes

“By supporting small-scale farmers, especially women, we are helping them recover from climate shocks while making sure they are ready to deal with future ones. Action on food security, gender equality and climate change has never been more important. Canada’s increased funding to IFAD will help support this needed action.”

- Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

Quick facts

  • In 2020, nearly 1 in 3 people were food insecure—an increase of almost 320 million people in just 1 year.

  • IFAD is Canada’s main multilateral partner for supporting small-scale farmers, particularly women, and for improving the climate resilience of disadvantaged people living in rural areas.

  • Canada’s contribution announced today is in addition to 2 climate finance loans announced in 2020 and 2021 totalling $340 million in support of IFAD’s climate-smart agriculture development in rural areas.

  • With these loans, Canada and IFAD have together delivered results for marginalized people living in rural areas by empowering women, increasing economic opportunities, addressing climate change and improving nutrition. Nearly 50% of new IFAD program and project designs and 100% of new country strategic opportunity programs are now nutrition-sensitive.

Associated links

Contacts

Todd Lane
Office of the Minister of International Development
Todd.Lane@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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