Ten African Nations Raise IFAD Pledges to Put Farmers at the Heart of Rural Growth

Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe announced their pledges during the High-level Meetings of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Small-scale farmers are facing mounting pressure from energy costs, climate extremes and conflict, with the strain reaching far beyond individual farms into food supplies, rural jobs and household incomes. Ten African countries have responded by increasing their contributions to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), pledging nearly US$9 million and urging international partners to match their commitment. Their message places farmers and rural businesses at the centre of a larger economic question: how to build food systems that can withstand disruption and give people a dependable way to earn a living.

Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Zimbabwe announced their pledges during the High-level Meetings of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The money will support IFAD's fourteenth replenishment, known as IFAD14, covering 2028–2030. Several countries have more than tripled their commitments, with the biggest increases approaching ten times their previous three-year contributions, signalling a stronger willingness to finance rural development and encourage greater support from other donors.

Rural investment carries hopes for a growing generation

Africa's largest generation of young people is entering the labour market, giving investment in rural economies an importance that extends beyond producing enough food. Stronger farms, agricultural businesses and market connections can create opportunities for young people, help communities cope with climate change and influence the continent's economic direction for decades. The pledges reflect a view shared by the participating countries that food security, economic opportunity and stability depend on giving rural communities the resources to grow.

Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie linked his country's commitment to the future of smallholders, describing food security, prosperity and opportunities for young people as inseparable from their success. He called for Africa to take primary responsibility for financing its rural development and turning agriculture into an engine of growth. Kenyan President William Ruto described Kenya's 50 per cent pledge increase as an investment in rural communities, particularly young farmers, and asked donors and development partners to increase their own contributions to IFAD14.

How contributions become investment on the ground

Nearly 60 per cent of IFAD's portfolio is invested in Africa, according to its president, Alvaro Lario, who described IFAD14 as a critical platform for strengthening the continent's agrifood systems. The Fund concentrates on the "first mile" of food systems, where small-scale producers and rural enterprises need investment to build their businesses, improve resilience and reach economic opportunities. Lario said this focus puts IFAD in a strong position to attract and direct funding towards communities with significant potential to create jobs and support inclusive growth.

IFAD combines contributions from its Member States with loan repayments, supplementary funding, borrowing and cofinancing from national governments, partner institutions, private businesses and small-scale producers. This financing model turns each dollar of core contributions into approximately six dollars of investment on the ground. The Fund holds an AA+ credit rating and is the only United Nations fund authorised to issue sustainable bonds on capital markets, having issued more than US$1 billion in sustainable bonds since 2022. These financing sources support investment in farmers, rural enterprises and food systems better equipped to cope with climate pressures.

Leaders call for support that reaches food producers

IFAD's latest development effectiveness report offers a measure of what its investments have delivered: projects assessed under its most recent replenishment cycle increased rural incomes by an average of 34 per cent, raised agricultural productive capacity by 35 per cent and improved market access by 34 per cent. Those findings give substance to the leaders' call for more funding, connecting rural investment with people's ability to produce food, sell what they grow and earn more from their work.

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio described agriculture as the foundation of food security, livelihoods and the future, urging partners to invest in the people who produce food. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud connected IFAD14 with his country's recovery, stressing the need for livelihoods that can withstand climate extremes, greater production and sales of food consumed domestically, and a stronger economic role for rural communities. His emphasis on farmers, pastoralists and rural businesses captures the practical stakes of the pledges: sustained investment in the people whose work underpins food security and rural prosperity.

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