Germany to offer €20m to help smallholder farmers fight climate change

The German Government has revealed its intent at COP 23 to help smallholder farmers in developing countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and improve their food security.

As part of this initiative, the government has pledged to provide €20m in climate finance to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

IFAD associate-vice-president Périn Saint Ange said: “With this financial pledge from the Federal Republic of Germany, IFAD will be able to channel additional resources to those who need it most.

“These funds will not only help in our efforts to adapt smallholder agriculture to climate change, but they will have additional benefits related to other important cross-cutting issues like gender equality, youth unemployment and nutrition security.

After the success of Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), IFAD is now currently focused on the integration of climate change adaptation across its operations.

IFAD’s new initiative would support small farmers in the developing countries across the globe, by providing them with the inputs and technologies to address the increasing risks to their lives and livelihoods posed by climate change.

Germany Parliamentary State Secretary to Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Thomas Silberhorn said: “We are very pleased to give this financing to IFAD to allow them to build on the fantastic work they’ve done in their Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme.”

Germany is one of the founding members of IFAD and shares a strong commitment to ensuring the resilience and prosperity of rural communities, where three-quarters of the world’s poorest people live.