خلال مشاركتي في الدورة الحادية والثمانين للجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة في نيويورك، التقيت ألفارو لاريو، رئيس الصندوق الدولي للتنمية الزراعية التابع للأمم المتحدة.

On the sidelines of #UNGA, African leaders stepped up with commitments to @IFAD, putting rural transformation at the heart of their development agendas. The international community must meet its commitments and sustain this momentum.

Across conversations with governments, development banks, the UN and the private sector, the challenge was clear. Shocks are becoming more frequent, while the public resources available to respond are increasingly constrained.   Development finance therefore must work harder to build resilience before the next crisis arrives. Scarce public resources need to reduce risk, strengthen markets and mobilize additional investment around country priorities. The measure of success is not simply how much we finance, but what that financing makes possible.   For @IFAD, this starts at the first mile. Investing in roads, water, finance, technology, markets and rural businesses makes economies more productive, creates jobs and helps communities withstand shocks. Rural people are not simply recipients of development assistance. They are producers, entrepreneurs and drivers of economic growth.   This week reinforced that no institution can deliver that transformation alone. We need governments, development finance institutions and the private sector working together, each bringing different strengths.   That is the opportunity I see in #IFAD14. To use our financing, partnerships and presence in rural areas to mobilize more investment behind stronger markets, more jobs and greater resilience.   I return to Rome even more convinced that investing at the first mile is an investment in stronger economies, more resilient food systems and greater global stability.   #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA | #UNGA81

Building resilience today is crucial to helping countries withstand the shocks and crises of tomorrow. That is the message African countries are sending through their support for #IFAD14. 10 African countries have already pledged approximately US$9 million, with several significantly increasing their contributions, despite tight fiscal space, rising input costs, climate pressures and economic uncertainty at home. Their commitments demonstrate strong confidence in @IFAD and in what investment in rural economies can deliver. Greater food security, more jobs, stronger growth and greater stability. Alongside H.E. @TayeAtske, President of Ethiopia, H.E. @julius_maadabio, President of Sierra Leone, H.E. @SalahJama , Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, and @UN Deputy Secretary-General @AminaJMohammed, we are calling for this ambition to be matched internationally. Through IFAD’s 14th Replenishment, we can help countries invest today in the infrastructure, finance, technology and markets that make rural economies more productive, prosperous and resilient to future shocks. Small-scale farmers are at the centre of that transformation. Investing in them is not only an investment in Africa’s future. It is an investment in stronger food systems and greater global stability. Africa’s support for IFAD14 sends a clear signal of confidence in investing in the first mile. Now is the moment to build on that momentum. Read the full press release: ifad.org/en/w/ten-african-co… #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA81

IFAD and @the_IDB signed a new co-financing framework agreement to scale up joint investments in rural development, sustainable food systems and climate resilience across Latin America and the Caribbean. “By bringing together our complementary strengths, we can help countries deliver larger, more effective investments that create shared prosperity for rural people and strengthen food systems,” said @IFADPresident Alvaro Lario at the signing ceremony on the margins of #UNGA81. IFAD brings to the partnership specialized technical expertise and five decades of working on the ground with small-scale farmers and producers. Combined with IDB's financial scale, regional reach and convening power, the co-financing framework creates a scalable platform for larger and more integrated across the region. Learn more at ifad.org/en/w/news/idb-and-i… #FinancingTheFirstMile

Partnerships and development finance can deliver greater investment at scale. A major milestone was the signing of a new co-financing framework with @igoldfajn between @IFAD and the @the_IDB . IFAD and IDB have worked together since 1978, and this agreement give us a more systematic platform for joint investment across Latin America and the Caribbean. By bringing together IDB’s financial scale and regional reach with IFAD’s experience at the first mile, we can mobilize more investment for food systems, climate resilience and rural economies. I also met with another important partner, the CEO of Equity Group, Dr James Mwangi, following the launch of ARCAFIM, a US$200 million blended-finance mechanism that will bring climate adaptation finance closer to farmers and rural businesses across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. It is expected to reach around 260,000 small-scale producers and 500 rural enterprises. Our meeting allowed us to also look into new potential areas of cooperation going forward. Water was also central to the discussions I had. In my capacity as @UN_Water Chair, I met with Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, I discussed Tajikistan’s leadership on the global water agenda, the Dushanbe Water Framework and preparations for the 2028 UN Water Conference. Tajikistan has played a central role in the Water Action Decade and the Dushanbe Water Process, while the UN system is strengthening coordination through its System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation. On water, I also met H.E. Dr Fahad Balghunaim, Head of the Founding Team of the @GwOint, to discuss greater cooperation around data, knowledge and the systems countries need to manage water more effectively. I was also pleased to join a food security roundtable co-hosted with the Forum for the Future of Agriculture and the @CFR_org , where the discussion returned to the same fundamental point. Food security requires sustained investment in production, markets, infrastructure and the rural businesses that make food systems resilient. Across all of these discussions, the direction is clear. Development institutions, governments and the private sector need to combine their respective strengths and make scarce public resources go further. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA81 | #UNGA

My day at #UNGA81, focused on how we turn pressure on food systems into investment in stronger, more resilient rural economies. I began with Norway’s Minister of International Development, @AsmundAukrust. Norway has been an important partner to @IFAD, and our discussion came at a time when higher food, energy and fertilizer costs, conflict and climate shocks continue to put rural communities under pressure. We agreed on the importance of investing before shocks become crises. Well-targeted public finance can reduce risk, strengthen markets and bring in the private capital needed to create jobs, raise incomes and protect development gains. That same question of resilience was central to the @wef Food Stewardship Board. Technology is opening new possibilities for rural communities, from AI-enabled agricultural advice to better climate and market information. But technology only delivers lasting results when it is connected to finance, infrastructure, skills and the people who will use it. At the @nopovertyhunger, with Spain, Brazil, @the_IDB, Germany, Ethiopia, and Haiti, and four years remaining to achieve the #SDGs the focus shifted from solutions to scale. Countries know many of the interventions that work. The challenge is aligning finance and partners behind national priorities and turning those priorities into investable programmes that can reach millions more people. I also joined discussions around IFAD14 and met @Microsoft President @BradSmi. The private sector, technology companies, governments and development finance institutions all have a role in making rural markets more connected, productive and investable. Across these conversations, the direction is clear. Public resources are constrained, but the need for investment is growing. We need to use those resources more strategically to reduce risk, mobilize additional capital and bring innovation closer to the first mile. That is the ambition we are carrying into #IFAD14. Stronger markets, more rural jobs and greater resilience, backed by partnerships capable of delivering investment at scale. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA

I just came off the stage at @GlblCtzn NOW, with @andrewzimmern and H.E. @SalahJama, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, making the case for why investing in rural people matters for stronger economies, food security and a more resilient future. Approximately 3 billion people live in rural areas. They are farmers, entrepreneurs, employers and innovators. They are driving growth and producing much of the food we all depend on. As we discussed on stage, resilience starts with healthy soils and access to water, but also with access to finance, markets and infrastructure. Food systems are not only about production. Storage, distribution and marketing are where much of the value and many of the jobs are created. We also talked about the blue economy, which for @IFAD is a rural economy. As an example, in Zanzibar, seaweed farming supports around 15,000 farmers, 80% of them women. Until recently, almost all of it left the island raw. Together with the Government of Tanzania and Zanzibar, we are supporting women's groups to process seaweed and improve quality, so they earn more from what they grow. And as warmer waters damage seaweed near the shore, we are supporting farmers to farm in deeper water with better seed and techniques. That is what #IFAD14 is about. Investing more in rural economies, reaching communities that are too often overlooked and building stronger food systems for everyone. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #GlobalCitizenNOW | #UNGA81

"Investing in water infrastructure, climate-resilient agriculture, rural finance and market access can prevent shocks from turning into emergencies. Because the shocks will continue, but the goal is not to turn them into emergencies." At #UNGA81, @IFADPresident Alvaro Lario joined partners at the High-Level event "United Against Hunger: Realigning Global Action for Food Crises in Times of Disruption", organized by @BMZ_Bund and @fightfoodcrises. IFAD investments build resilience by strengthening rural livelihoods, improving local food production, expanding access to finance and improving market integration before the next shock occurs. Through #IFAD14, we will continue to work closely with our partners to connect immediate response efforts with longer-term investments, enabling rural communities to better withstand crises and recover more sustainably. Learn more about IFAD14 at ifad14.ifad.org #FinancingTheFirstMile

A full first day in New York at #UNGA81, with one message running through every conversation. Investing in rural economies is essential to food security, economic resilience and global stability. After the UNGA opening, I joined Ministers and senior leaders convened by @nealerichmond to discuss how we strengthen food security and rural economies at a time of converging climate shocks, conflict, disrupted trade and tighter development budgets. These pressures are felt first at the first mile, where small-scale farmers and rural businesses produce food, create jobs and sustain local economies. Ireland has been a longstanding strategic partner of @IFAD, including through the @dfatirl and @Irish_Aid. That partnership is particularly important as we look towards #IFAD14, #COP31 and the 2027 SDG Summit. At the @BMZ_Bund event on global food crises, I spoke about the need to look beyond emergency response alone. Humanitarian assistance is essential, but if we want fewer people to need it tomorrow, we must invest in resilience today. That means stronger livelihoods, local food production, access to finance and markets, and closer collaboration with @FAO, @WFP and and the wider @fightfoodcrises, to connect immediate response with longer-term investment. To end the day, IFAD hosted a dinner with partners and Member States, the focus was on how development finance must evolve in a more constrained environment, using public resources to reduce risk and unlock more capital. That is the ambition behind IFAD14. To leverage IFAD’s financing, partnerships and presence at the first mile to partner with countries in building stronger rural economies. #FinancingTheFirstMile

Madagascar and @IFAD have worked together for nearly five decades, and that continuity matters. It was good to meet H.E. Colonel Michaël Randrianirina, President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar and Head of the transitional Government and reaffirm IFAD’s long-term commitment to Madagascar’s rural communities. Since 1979, IFAD mobilized more than US$1 billion in total investment for rural communities in Madagascar and reaching over 635,000 households. We discussed shared priorities such as strengthening the rice value chain, reaching farmers directly in high-potential regions like Vakinankaratra, and improving livestock traceability. We agreed on the importance of the private sector in our efforts to accelerate rural transformation and to mobilize even greater investment into rural economies. As we look towards #IFAD14, there is an opportunity to build on this partnership. Across IFAD, every US$1 contributed by Member States translates into around US$6 of investment on the ground. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA81

I just arrived in New York for #UNGA81. At a moment where the world is facing growing pressure from conflict, climate shocks, and economic uncertainty. This week, I will be making the case that investing in rural economies is an investment in food security, economic opportunity and global stability. At @IFAD, we see what happens when investment reaches the first mile. It means stronger markets, more jobs, more resilient communities and greater opportunity. #IFAD14 gives us an opportunity to scale that impact by bringing governments, development partners and the private sector together behind ambitious investment in rural transformation. I look forward to meeting leaders and partners throughout the week and building the ambition needed to turn that opportunity into action. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #UNGA | @UN

As we look towards UNGA81, the question of how we turn ambition into investment and impact is more important than ever. In the recent episode of the United Nations‘s Awake at Night podcast, hosted by @MelissaFleming, I discuss how investment in infrastructure, water, finance, technology and markets can strengthen rural economies and build resilience. We also talk about mobilising private capital alongside public and concessional finance, climate resilience, women’s economic empowerment and young people in agriculture. It was also a chance to reflect on my own journey and the scale of the work being carried out across @UN every day. As leaders gather in New York, we need to keep the first mile at the centre of the conversation and ensure finance reaches the rural communities where it can make a lasting difference. Watch the full interview “Planting hope in remote communities”: piped.video/watch?v=cww_7PYr… #UNGA81 | #FinancingTheFirstMile | @IFAD

The 10th Informal Joint Meeting of the Governing Bodies of the Rome-based Agencies focused on how @IFAD, @FAO and @WFP can work together more effectively to deliver better results for countries, particularly in fragile settings. Earlier this week, IFAD’s 148th Executive Board also looked at how to strengthen rural people’s resilience in fragile contexts. That discussion reinforced why collaboration matters. Experiences from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Sudan show what can be achieved when we as Rome-based Agencies bring our different strengths together around country priorities, particularly where communities face repeated and overlapping shocks. On the ground, that collaboration is already translating into tangible investment. For example, One Sahel brings together IFAD’s investment platform, FAO’s technical expertise and WFP’s resilience and humanitarian capacities to support vulnerable rural communities across six countries. School meals offer another practical example. By connecting nutritious meals for children with local food systems, small-scale producers and rural livelihoods, this kind of country-led collaboration can support better nutrition while strengthening resilience and local economic opportunity. In total, IFAD is currently engaged in 52 ongoing collaborations with FAO and WFP, across a wide range of thematic areas including climate resilience, nutrition, rural women's economic empowerment, rural finance and food systems transformation, representing programme envelopes of US$ 485 million. But also at corporate level, we seek efficiencies by sharing premises, joint procurement arrangements and services. Members were clear that collaboration needs to remain practical, country-led and focused on results. Looking ahead, collaboration should build on what is already working, strengthen implementation at country level and show more clearly the impact, efficiencies and value this cooperation delivers. Ultimately, the value of our cooperation will be measured in what we deliver on the ground, through stronger food security and livelihoods, greater resilience and more effective support to countries and rural communities facing increasingly complex challenges. Thank you to my colleagues from FAO and WFP, the country teams and all Members States for their valuable contributions today. I am looking forward to hosting the next Informal Joint Meeting in February 2027 at IFAD, showcasing further progress and what this collaboration is delivering in practice. @FAODG | @WFPChief | @GMukeshimana| @BethBechdol |@mfjhollingworth | Carla Barroso Carneiro | Mina Rizk #FinancingTheFirstMile

Today, as we held the 148th session of @IFAD’s Executive Board, we had a strategic discussion on IFAD’s investments in rural people’s resilience in fragile contexts. The need is particularly urgent in fragile settings, where poverty, food insecurity, climate shocks and conflict often reinforce one another. #Fragility affects a large share of IFAD's portfolio. Evidence shows it is present across 170 projects in 85 countries. Investing in rural people in these contexts is not only about supporting livelihoods. It is about building resilience, reducing risks and creating economic opportunities that help prevent crises from deepening. IFAD has strengthened its approach to fragility by embedding resilience, prevention and risk-informed programming across our operations. We are helping communities withstand shocks, remain connected to markets and recover faster when crises occur, while ensuring that development gains are protected even in the most challenging environments. Drawing on lessons from operations across 85 countries facing different dimensions of fragility, IFAD is increasingly embedding resilience and crisis preparedness into its investments.   At a time when development and humanitarian resources are under increasing pressure, investing in rural areas is one of the most effective ways to build stability from the ground up. When rural communities have access to finance, markets and jobs, they are better able to withstand shocks, adapt to climate change and contribute to economic growth and social cohesion.   Member State contributions remain the foundation of IFAD. But we are making those resources go further. We are successfully mobilizing resources from the capital market and work more systematically with the private sector, investing alongside governments in agribusinesses, funds and financial institutions, and combining finance with technical assistance, policy dialogue and risk-sharing.   Today’s Executive Board meeting took place against a backdrop of increasing fragility, constrained fiscal space and growing expectations of the multilateral system. I therefore thank all Board representatives for the openness, quality and strategic focus of today’s discussions. The direction is clear. We want stronger rural markets, more jobs, more resilient value chains and more investment reaching the communities where it can make the greatest difference, including in the complex and fragile setting.   #FinancingTheFirstMile

Remittances are far more than money sent home. They are an investment in families, communities and local economies. @IFAD's new report finds that remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached US$729 billion in 2025, nearly double their level a decade ago. Almost one in three dollars, around US$233 billion, reached rural areas. For millions of rural families, remittances help meet immediate needs while also creating a pathway to savings, insurance, credit and greater resilience to economic and climate shocks. With access to affordable and trusted financial services, their impact can go much further and help expand opportunities so that migration becomes a choice rather than a necessity. Remittance-receiving families are also investing an estimated US$22 billion each year in rural agrifood systems, supporting local businesses, jobs and food production. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #Remittances

For @IFADPresident Alvaro Lario, farming is personal. From his family’s fruit farm in Spain to leading @IFAD work with small-scale farmers worldwide, he reflects on why creating economic opportunity is key to lasting change. Listen on Awake At Night: un.org/en/awake-at-night/s13…

Alvaro Lario works to help farmers thrive all over the world. Growing up in Spain in a family of farmers, his family sold fruits in local rural villages. Now as @IFAD President, he is unlocking opportunities for small scale farmers and rural entrepreneurs around the world.

France is a longstanding strategic partner to @IFAD, with a shared commitment to stronger food systems, rural resilience and sustainable development. Across our bilateral discussions, we explored how #France and IFAD can deepen their partnership on the road to IFAD14 amid compounding global challenges, including geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, climate change, and the impacts of El Niño. Addressing food system fragility is one of the critical pillars to global stability. We discussed how public resources can work harder by mobilising private capital, expanding innovative and blended finance, and investing in resilience before crises deepen. We also looked at how stronger cooperation across the UN system, including among the Rome-based Agencies, can improve coherence and value for money. France and IFAD already work together across bilateral and multilateral fora, as well as at the country level, through co-financing, research, innovation and policy engagement. As we look to #IFAD14, the priority is to continue turning our shared commitment into greater impact on the ground and mobilise the financing needed to reach rural communities at scale. I am grateful for the productive bilateral discussions with @CaroitEleonore, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad at @francediplo_EN; Thomas Revial , Head of Multilateral Affairs and Development at @DGTresor @Economie_Gouv and France’s Governor to IFAD; @Frederic_Jung , Deputy Director, Directorate for the United Nations and International Organizations; and Camille Morfouace , Global Affairs Adviser at @Elysee. #FinancingTheFirstMile