Around the world, small-scale farmers are pushing our food systems to evolve. They’re the key to producing enough safe, nutritious food to feed the world sustainably.
In , we explore how works hand in hand with rural communities to build a more nourishing future. Learn how innovative agroecology projects are driving economic growth and hear directly from IFAD’s President, Alvaro Lario, about how school meals are inextricably linked to resilient local food systems.
The Potato Park, situated in a centre of origin of crops, safeguards Andean agrobiodiversity and knowledge. Communities in the park combine conservation with sustainable use, including through indigenous seed production. They exchange genetic resources, expertise and practices with other communities around the world. In 2015, Indigenous Andean communities from the Potato Park deposited 750 potato seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The deposit was the result of a Benefit-sharing Fund project supported by the for Food and Agriculture. This video reflects on the deposit to Svalbard and how the same Benefit-sharing Fund project has been essential for establishing a local seed bank, that today protects 1,367 native potato varieties and serves more than 5,000 farmers.
Lanzarote’s volcanic terrain seems barren, yet farmers grow crops like grapes, sweet potatoes, and strawberries using traditional methods. After eruptions from 1730–1736 buried farmland, locals adapted with ash-mulch and sand-mulch techniques that conserve moisture and enrich soil. In La Geria, grapevines thrive in volcanic hollows protected by stone walls. These practices, covering 12,000+ hectares, earned Lanzarote in 2025 by the for sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.
Juliana walks through her thriving garden, now nourished by a solar-powered irrigation system that combats drought. Once struggling after her husband’s death, she faced challenges like failed rains and poor harvests in Baixa da Missão, Angola. To improve her situation, she joined the Chitaka Farmer Field School (FFS), part of the European Union-funded programme. This community learning initiative, in partnership with the Agrarian Development Institute and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (), has trained over 7,425 smallholder farmers in the region, empowering them to grow food consistently despite climate uncertainties.
Achieving gender equality is essential to ending poverty, hunger, and tackling climate change. Rural women, while safeguarding the environment, are key in this effort. Yet, they still face deep inequalities while sustaining their families through unpaid work. This International Day of Rural Women (15 October), under the theme “The Rise of Rural Women: Building Resilient Futures with Beijing+30”, calls for their rights and full participation - reflecting the spirit of , a global commitment to gender equality for all women, everywhere.
Peru is a leading producer of coffee and cocoa, ranking fifth and seventh globally, respectively. These crops are mainly grown by small farmers on the Andean slopes, supporting over 200,000 coffee and 100,000 cocoa families. Cocoa cultivation has been actively promoted as an alternative to illegal coca leaf production, leading to a significant expansion from 41,000 hectares in 2000 to 177,000 hectares today. However, both sectors face challenges like low competitiveness, poor sustainability, and limited access to training and financial services. Most family farms are small, and producers often rely on traditional practices, resulting in low yields and contributing to deforestation. High-quality producers are scarce, and market prices are volatile. Additionally, an aging population continues to bear the burden of agricultural labor in these communities.
Magdalena Laine, a 59-year-old farmer from the Kichwa Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador, prepares maize flour before dawn for the La Pachamama nos alimenta (Mother Earth feeds us) agroecological market, where around 300 Kichwa women sell their produce. While Magdalena works with maize, her daughter Verónica and the family prepare fresh vegetables, lemons, lupins, quinoa and eggs that they will sell at the fair. Despite farming challenges and climate change, Kichwa women have maintained food security through their biodiverse farms, known as chakras, as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization ().
Morning light shines on Praia das Conchas Roça in São Tomé as Camila Varela De Carvalho, a 32-year-old cocoa farmer, sends her eight children to school before heading to her farm. With a harvesting tool, she collects ripe cocoa pods, crucial for her family's income. Camila, who also works at the Organic Cocoa Production and Export Cooperative (CECAB), helps improve local livelihoods through sustainable cocoa practices. Supported by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization () and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), CECAB has become the largest cooperative in São Tomé, benefiting over 2,000 families and enabling Camila to cover living expenses and her children's education.
After her mother passed, Seuy Phok managed her fields alone while raising her child. For over four decades, she harvested rice using traditional methods in northwestern Cambodia. However, unpredictable rains in recent years have made farming challenging, leading to crop damage. Four years ago, heavy rainfall devastated her rice fields. Seuy then joined the "Promoting Climate-Resilient Livelihoods in Rice-based Communities" project by the , which provided her with high-quality seeds and sustainable farming training. As a result, her yields doubled, allowing her to sell both rice and seeds.
In Madagascar, over 80 per cent of the population lives on agriculture. But in some areas of the country, farmers face struggles getting sufficient water for crops while difficult road conditions make it hard to transport goods and access services.
Combined, both problems hamper socio-economic development.
The Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains Development Programme – which is implementing in collaboration with the government of Madagascar in two rural regions, with financing from the – is buidling new roads and solar-powered pumping stations to jumpstart agricultural development.
In a remote town in Lesotho’s Maseru District, farmer Mabitsoane Diholo has transformed her life through potato farming. Once merely for family consumption, potatoes have become her livelihood, contributing to her home and children's education. In 2022, Lesotho joined the One Country One Priority Product () initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), supporting 750 farmers like Mabitsoane. With improved seeds and access to markets like Maluti Fresh Produce Market, farmers are shifting from subsistence to commercial farming, enhancing their incomes and becoming entrepreneurs, thanks to better practices and coordinated efforts.
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 19 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and an estimated 74% living below the poverty line. The ongoing conflicts and intense droughts have severely impacted Yemen’s social and economic infrastructure, especially in rural areas. To respond to these challenges, together with its partners and the Government of Yemen, launched the .
In Jabal Saraj, Afghanistan, Hasina and 19 other women have found a livelihood by producing jams and pickles. With support from the 's , funded by Luxembourg, they gather to peel, dice, and package fresh produce. Previously housewives facing financial struggles, they now earn an income, allowing them to provide essentials for their families, such as food, clothes, and school fees. The project equipped them with training and resources for processing and marketing their products, empowering these women to improve their lives and stand on their own feet.
For generations, communities in Senegal’s Casamance region have harvested wild madd fruit, prized for its richness in vitamins and antioxidants. Traditionally collected by youth and often found in the "Sacred Woods," madd is deeply tied to local customs. Despite its cultural significance, producers have faced challenges ranging from limited control over pricing to unsustainable harvesting, over-exploitation, and forest fires. However, on June 25, 2024, madd became the first Senegalese product registered as a Geographical Indication (GI), ensuring protection of its name and quality. This initiative promotes sustainable practices and strengthens local economies by keeping production and income within the community.
Paulo Benedito, a lifelong fisherman from Quissanga, a small coastal town in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, faced devastating changes in 2021 when armed Islamist insurgents attacked his community, forcing him and his family to flee. They sought refuge at the Meculane Centre for Internally Displaced Persons, where Paulo had to transition from fishing to farming. Despite the challenges, he embraced agricultural training offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (). He soon excelled in his new role, expressing a newfound preference for farming over fishing, as it provided more stability and ensured food for his family.
