Posted on 07 June 2023
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have announced the opening of an office in Suva.
IFAD is a global financial institution and UN agency who work to decrease poverty and improve food security for those living rurally in developed countries. According to IFAD’s 2015 numbers, around 43 per cent of Fiji’s population lives in rural areas, and over one third live in poverty. To date, 3.52 million of financing has been provided for the nation.
Donal Brown, IFAD Associate Vice President, Programme Management Department, says that “Like other small island developing states, Pacific Island countries are exposed to external shocks, including natural disasters and extreme climate effects. In a region where so much food is imported, the recent pandemic shows how important it is to look at the national food security issue.”
Biman Prasad, acting PM of Fiji, thanked the organisation for its support to the nation, and for decades of financing to assist rural communities in the Pacific region.