IFAD’s 2012 Annual Report

ROME, 28 June 2013 – Last year millions of poor rural people built better lives for themselves and their families with support from IFAD and our partners. You can read some of their inspiring stories in the just-released 2012 IFAD Annual Report <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/e/index.htm> .

Available in Arabic <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/a/index.htm> , English <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/e/index.htm> , French <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/f/index.htm>  or Spanish <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/s/index.htm> , the report provides a region-by-region review of our work and achievements in 2012. As part of our commitment to transparency and reporting on results, the Annual Report gives the facts and figures <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/e/1.pdf>  behind our work.

In 2012, IFAD’s ongoing portfolio of working programmes and projects continued to grow. The number of projects worldwide rose from 240 in 2011 to 255 last year. Including IFAD funds and external and domestic cofinancing, total investments in ongoing initiatives rose by over 50 per cent between 2009 and 2012, from US$7.9 billion to US$11.9 billion.

Beyond the numbers, the report spotlights the stories that show the human face of rural development.

Funds direct to farmers – a pioneering approach
In Guinea, we are pioneering a radical new approach to give development funds directly to farmers through a new programme focused on value chains <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/e/4.pdf> . This innovation is possible because of Guinea’s strong and dynamic National Confederation of Farmers’ Organizations. Connecting farmers to value chains fosters economic growth, increases agricultural exports and decreases imports.

Tackling the challenges of climate change
Enabling smallholder farmers and other poor rural producers to become more resilient in the face of changing weather patterns is now a key part of our work. In 2012, we launched our new Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) <http://www.ifad.org/climate/asap/index.htm>  with support from major donors. The programme aims to reach about 8 million smallholder farmers with new tools and knowledge. The first project with ASAP funding <http://www.ifad.org/pub/ar/2012/e/5.pdf>  was approved for Mozambique, focusing on value chains in the Maputo and Limpopo corridors.

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