UN Gives Poor Farmers $200 million to Cope With Food Crisis

from the Digital Journal

By Bob Ewing

The United Nations rural development arm announced today that it is providing up to $200 million for poor farmers during the upcoming cropping season.

UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is providing up to $200 million for poor farmers during the upcoming cropping season as it tries to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition due to soaring food prices.

“The capacity of the world’s 450 million smallholder farmers to respond by growing more food is at risk because of spiralling energy and fertiliser prices,” said Lennart Båge, President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

“Poor farmers are not reaping the benefits of higher food prices because they cannot afford the fertiliser or seeds to plant next season’s crops.”

The UN press release says that Båge, was speaking after a meeting of the agency’s Executive Board in Rome when he called for concerted comprehensive and coordinated action to be taken by the international community to prevent the slide of millions into abject poverty.

“Poor rural farmers are central to any solution to today’s global food crisis and the long-term problems of hunger and poverty,” Mr. Båge noted.


Båge proposed a three-pronged strategy: providing emergency food aid to feed the hungry today; supporting, in the short term, smallholder farmers in their bid to plan next season’s crops; and longer-term investment in agriculture to ensure food security, nutrition and rural development.

“The world has under-invested in agriculture and rural development for far too long,” the President stated. “It is high time to put this right.”