IFAD-IFPRI project promotes smallholder market access, climate change mitigation

In March 2009, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) teamed up to advance innovative policies designed to help the poor benefit from climate change mitigation and improved market access. Results from the field are already pouring in.

The overall goal of the IFAD–IFPRI Strategic Partnership Program is to provide rural poor people, particularly women, with better access to new market opportunities and the capacity to take advantage of them. Access to markets for high-value agricultural products and opportunities related to climate change mitigation, such as carbon sequestration, are especially important. This goal presents two distinct challenges, but each could potentially improve incomes and decrease the vulnerabilities of the poor in many countries.

Four countries have been selected to share in this venture: Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, and Vietnam.

Project Objectives:

1. Strengthen the capacity of partners in participating countries to analyze and address policy issues.
2. Identify, test, and evaluate innovative policy, institutional, and program options to improve access to new markets, including those for high-value commodities and climate change mitigation services.
3. Disseminate the knowledge gained, incorporating the findings into national policies and investment programs.

For more information about the IFAD-IFPRI Partnership Program, visit the project blog. Click About to read more about the program. Be sure to subscribe and sign up for email alerts