Yeah, in Madagascar. They've got some money for food security and climate change, which is all right. Have a look, dear reader(s) -
Rome, 13 December 2017 - A new financial agreement, signed today between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Madagascar, will sustainably improve incomes and food and nutrition security for 320,000 Malagasy rural households in eight regions located in the southern part of the country.
The total cost of the programme is US$250 million, including a $26.5 million loan and $26.5 million grant from IFAD. The programme will be co-financed by the Government of Madagascar ($33.7 million), the African Development Bank ($50 million), the OPEC Fund for International Development ($20 million), the Green Climate Fund ($15 million) and by the beneficiaries themselves ($14.3 million). A financing gap of $64 million could be covered by subsequent IFAD resource allocation processes or by other financial partners to be determined during the implementation of DEFIS. The programme will be implemented over a period of 10 years in order to provide stable and predictable financing to producers.
In Madagascar, despite rich biodiversity and diverse agricultural products, 76 per cent of the population fall below the minimum dietary energy requirements of 2,133 kcals per day. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition among children under five years of age is among the highest in the world while the prevalence of poverty in rural areas is above 80 per cent. Limited investment in agriculture and in rural areas are among the chief causes of poverty and food and nutrition insecurity in Madagascar.
To improve the productivity of smallholder family farms and better link them to markets, the new programme will concentrate its investments in eight priority value chains: rice, maize, cassava, groundnut, coffee, onion, small ruminants and honey, with three priority crops selected in each region. In addition, DEFIS will invest in the promotion of sorghum in order to build the resilience of production systems for family farms in semi-arid zones in the extreme southern regions, which are highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. DEFIS is expected, among other things, to rehabilitate 20,000 hectares of existing irrigation develop 8,000 hectares of new irrigated schemes and install micro-improvements on 7,000 hectares. In addition, it will support the construction of 300 water points, 50 underground water catchment reservoirs for small ruminants.
I've left some bits out, but you get the basic idea, I'm sure. Here's something about IFAD -
IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided about US$18.9 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 470 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome - the UN's food and agriculture hub.
And ... ENDS. Okay. 'Are you all right today, boss?' Well, I'm a bit fed up, Voice. I just want it to be Christmas, you know? I want a break from blogging. 'Only one week to go!' Yeah, I suppose.
...
Anything else? Er ... I'll be doing a conceptual later, No. 571, the last post of the week.
So ... I'll see you a bit later, reader(s).
Rome, 13 December 2017 - A new financial agreement, signed today between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Madagascar, will sustainably improve incomes and food and nutrition security for 320,000 Malagasy rural households in eight regions located in the southern part of the country.
The total cost of the programme is US$250 million, including a $26.5 million loan and $26.5 million grant from IFAD. The programme will be co-financed by the Government of Madagascar ($33.7 million), the African Development Bank ($50 million), the OPEC Fund for International Development ($20 million), the Green Climate Fund ($15 million) and by the beneficiaries themselves ($14.3 million). A financing gap of $64 million could be covered by subsequent IFAD resource allocation processes or by other financial partners to be determined during the implementation of DEFIS. The programme will be implemented over a period of 10 years in order to provide stable and predictable financing to producers.
In Madagascar, despite rich biodiversity and diverse agricultural products, 76 per cent of the population fall below the minimum dietary energy requirements of 2,133 kcals per day. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition among children under five years of age is among the highest in the world while the prevalence of poverty in rural areas is above 80 per cent. Limited investment in agriculture and in rural areas are among the chief causes of poverty and food and nutrition insecurity in Madagascar.
To improve the productivity of smallholder family farms and better link them to markets, the new programme will concentrate its investments in eight priority value chains: rice, maize, cassava, groundnut, coffee, onion, small ruminants and honey, with three priority crops selected in each region. In addition, DEFIS will invest in the promotion of sorghum in order to build the resilience of production systems for family farms in semi-arid zones in the extreme southern regions, which are highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. DEFIS is expected, among other things, to rehabilitate 20,000 hectares of existing irrigation develop 8,000 hectares of new irrigated schemes and install micro-improvements on 7,000 hectares. In addition, it will support the construction of 300 water points, 50 underground water catchment reservoirs for small ruminants.
I've left some bits out, but you get the basic idea, I'm sure. Here's something about IFAD -
IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided about US$18.9 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 470 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome - the UN's food and agriculture hub.
And ... ENDS. Okay. 'Are you all right today, boss?' Well, I'm a bit fed up, Voice. I just want it to be Christmas, you know? I want a break from blogging. 'Only one week to go!' Yeah, I suppose.
...
Anything else? Er ... I'll be doing a conceptual later, No. 571, the last post of the week.
So ... I'll see you a bit later, reader(s).
