IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development – Core Contribution

Based in Rome, IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations and an international financial institution: its overarching goal is to enable poor rural people to improve their food security and nutrition, raise their incomes and strengthen their resilience.

IFAD is mandated to reduce poverty and food insecurity in rural areas of developing countries. In that sense, a strong positive correlation exists between its mandate and Switzerland’s 1976 Law for development cooperation and the priority theme “Agriculture and Food Security” of the Federal Council’s Dispatch on International Cooperation 2013-2016.

Since 2005, corporate-wide outcome areas have dramatically improved: innovation and scaling up (+34%), rural poverty impact (+29%), sustainability (+29 %) and efficiency (+25%). During IFAD-8 (2010-2012) and subject to data quality, performance trends are steady for most indicators (close to the set targets for effectiveness, efficiency, rural poverty impact, and sustainability). In 2012, projects completed and reviewed show a higher-than-targeted level of performance.

Regarding the focus on adjusting IFAD’s operating model, SDC’s partnership with the Independent Office of Evaluation was instrumental in enhancing IFAD’s self-evaluation system. Support to IFAD’s global advocacy efforts was provided inter alia in Berne (Rural Poverty Report), Rome (Farmers’ Forum 2012) and Rio (UN CSD Rio+20).

During 2013-2015, IFAD will report on outcome indicators showing areas that need attention for monitoring, such as innovation and learning (mod.), replication and scaling-up (mod.), environment and natural resource management (new), government performance (new). Impact indicators will be introduced, with proxies such as measurement of household asset ownership, level of child malnutrition and length of hungry season. The Fund also wants to provide a probable estimate of the number of persons it has brought out of poverty until 2015.

SDC will continue to pay particular attention to improvements in IFAD’s development effectiveness in the Fund’s governing bodies, or through dedicated support. Particular attention will be given to the decentralisation of IFAD’s operating model.

SDC will also continue to monitor the mobilization of resources for smallholder agriculture within and outside IFAD (Committee on World Food Security, etc.).

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85% of members’ contributions to IFAD-9 (target: 1.5 billion USD) are sourced in OECD/List A countries. The USA (90 million USD), Italy (83 million USD), Japan and The Netherlands (75 million USD) are the largest donors.

In 2011-2012, SDC/Switzerland did not take part in IFAD Executive Board (arrangement with Luxemburg).The Consultation on IFAD-9 (2011) and Governing Council sessions were used to make SDC/Switzerland’s priorities known. As of 2013, SDC/Switzerland will be co-convener of OECD/List A countries.

Phase 10 01.01.2013 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)