Switzerland against hunger and poverty in rural areas of the world
New common working agenda for Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis and Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis met with Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in Bern.
The two parties reaffirmed their common goal of further reducing poverty and hunger in rural regions of the world.
During their meeting, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and his authoritative interlocutor discussed the strengthening of relations between Switzerland and the IFAD.
Low- and middle-income countries in the hearts of the Swiss
Both are committed to making agriculture in low- and middle-income countries more sustainable.
The Head of the FDFA and the President of FISA also discussed the role of the Fund and its efforts to make agriculture more inclusive, more productive and more resilient in order to reduce hunger and malnutrition globally.
As a specialized bank, the IFAD promotes farmer entrepreneurship and pursues a modern form of development investment.
Federal Councillor Cassis reiterated the common goal of increasing support for public-private partnerships in this area.
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FISA is a specialized agency of the United Nations, founded in 1977 in order to respond to the food crises of the 1970s.
The Fund is, to date, the smallest international financial institution, but the only one with a mandate that focuses exclusively on the rural population (small farmers, fishermen, people who do not own land, indigenous people).
Its goal is to improve not only their food security, but also their nutrition to make them more resilient to risks. FISA intends to double its presence and aid in this sector by 2030.
Towards the UN World Summit on Food Systems 2021
In summer 2021, the Federal Council will decide on Switzerland’s contribution to the Fund for the period 2022-2024 (IFAD12).
As one of its founding members, Switzerland supports its innovative approaches and financial mechanisms aimed at improving access to credit for economically weaker countries.
In addition, Switzerland encourages the participation of IFAD in the UN World Summit on Food Systems 2021 and in the promotion of agro-ecological approaches in agriculture.
A transition to sustainable food systems requires concrete results and new paradigms.
The Fund is one of 16 priority multilateral organizations in Switzerland’s international cooperation, and the support it receives is part of Switzerland’s development policy priorities and international cooperation strategy (IC 2021-2024).
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