Climate and environment
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Climate and environment
Climate
Smallholder farmers and poor rural people bear the brunt of climate change and the degradation of natural resources. Extreme weather events, such as droughts, storms and floods, are putting pressure on the ecosystems that farmers depend on, as are gradual processes such as rising sea levels and melting glaciers.
Crop failures and livestock deaths are causing economic losses and undermining the food security of rural people with ever-greater frequency, especially in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
At the same time, the rapidly growing global population demands higher levels of food production. To meet the world’s growing needs, agricultural production must double by 2050, food waste must be reduced and value chains have to become sustainable and efficient.
The ecosystems on which smallholder farmers rely are increasingly undermined. Access to suitable agricultural land is declining, and forest, soil and water resources are increasingly restricted and degraded.
Many farmers produce on marginal, rainfed land, where water is increasingly scarce. Pollution and overexploitation are causing a serious decline in fish populations, threatening essential sources of income and nutrition.
Improving farming practices and safeguarding the environment
Poor farmers and fishers are guardians of natural resources. With targeted assistance, agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors can play a key role in tackling environmental degradation and climate change.
Improving land management and adjusting farming practices can help alleviate pressure on the environment and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Farming systems that embrace sustainable intensification practices can increase crop tolerance, diversify production and hinder environmental degradation.
Sustainable agricultural intensification
IFAD promotes agricultural growth that is environmentally sustainable and integrated into ecosystems. We help farmers and fishers become more resilient to the impact of climate change.
IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme is the largest global climate adaptation programme for smallholder farmers. We channel climate and environmental finance to smallholder farmers, helping them to reduce poverty, enhance biodiversity, increase yields and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
IFAD is also an executing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). These are among the main financial mechanisms for addressing the intertwined issues of poverty alleviation, sustainable ecosystem management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Through these programmes, IFAD works with our partners to scale up successful approaches to sustainable agricultural production and green value chains. These approaches build climate resilience by managing competing land-use systems while reducing poverty, enhancing biodiversity, increasing yields and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
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Jahan-Zeb Chowdhury
Lead Technical Specialist - Environment & Climate Cluster Coordinator


Hisham Zehni
Senior Technical Specialist - SECAP, Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division

Nutrition View more link
Stories and news
Stories and news
Fighting water scarcity with innovation – Episode 44
Rural people rely on biodiversity. Here's how IFAD protects it
Rural people make a beeline for prosperity
Projeto do FIDA ajuda a preservar a Floresta Amazônica brasileira e melhorar a vida das suas comunidades
Climate View more link
Related publications
Related publications
“Fruiting Africa” for health and wealth
Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) brochure
Adaptation Framework Tool
Related documents
Related documents


Tipo: Policies and Strategies, Strategy

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Contact us
For questions please contact Brian J. Thomson,
Knowledge Management and Communication Manager,
+39 0654592282 and mobile: +39 366 6121101, b.thomson@ifad.org