Concluding my visit to #Ireland, I had the opportunity to meet with several of @IFAD’s long-standing partners in Ireland and discuss how we can advance our shared work on food security, rural transformation and resilient food systems. In my meetings with @martinheydonfg, Minister for @agriculture_ie, Members of the Joint Committees on Agriculture and Foreign Affairs and Trade we discussed the importance of investing in rural markets, employment and resilience. I valued the opportunity to engage with Irish government partners. Their engagement matters. Food security is directly linked to climate, economic and conflict related shock. Investment in food security and rural transformation present an important opportunity for economic prosperity and stability. Ireland is an important and long-standing partner for IFAD. Its priorities are closely aligned with IFAD’s mandate and with the focus of #IFAD14. Out partnership shows what effective multilateral finance can do when it is focused, country-led and linked to clear results. IFAD’s work is practical. We invest in rural people so they can increase incomes, access markets, adapt to climate shocks and build stronger local economies. Between 2022 to 2024, IFAD-supported investments increased the incomes of 49 million rural people by an average of 34%. Market access and agricultural production also improved for tens of millions more. IFAD14 is about scaling what works. Connecting capital with results, strengthening rural economies and building resilience where food systems begin. @dfatirl @GovIE #FinancingTheFirstMile

It was a pleasure to meet President Connolly during my visit to Dublin this week. I enjoyed very much our conversation on #Ireland’s priorities on food security, nutrition, and rural transformation. I hope the President will be able to visit soon some of our investments in a remote rural area in one of the least developed countries. Ireland is an important partner for @IFAD. Its priorities on sustainable food systems, climate adaptation, biodiversity, and support for women, youth and vulnerable groups are closely aligned with IFAD’s mandate and the focus of #IFAD14. Ireland’s own famine experience and experience of An Gorta Mór gives Ireland a strong voice in global development. Hunger is not only a failure of production. It can also be the result of structural and political failure, with consequences that include forced emigration, dispossession and the loss of livelihoods. This vision also aligns closely with IFAD’s role as an international financial institution focusing on investing before crises deepen, strengthening rural economies and helping countries build more resilient food systems. Ireland has been part of IFAD since the beginning, as a founding member. Its support helps IFAD finance large-scale, country-led investments that improve rural livelihoods, expand market access and build resilience for small-scale producers. Concessional finance translated into practical investment, stronger rural markets and better resilience where food systems begin. @PresidentIRL @dfatirl @GovIE #FinancingTheFirstMile

Ahead of my visit to #Ireland, I spoke with @IrishTimes about a risk the world cannot afford to underestimate. The conflict in the Middle East is not confined to geopolitics or energy markets. It is already moving through the systems that determine whether farmers can plant, harvest, transport and sell food. For small-scale producers, higher fuel and fertiliser costs are not abstract market movements. They shape decisions made field by field, whether to plant less, delay production, reduce inputs, or absorb costs that are already too high. That is how today’s instability becomes tomorrow’s food crisis. Food security cannot be protected only after prices rise or supplies are disrupted. It must be built in advance, through stronger rural economies, better access to finance and inputs, functioning markets, and resilient local food systems. At @IFAD , this is where we focus. Investing at the first mile, where food systems begin and where the pressure of global crises is often felt first. Ireland has long understood the link between hunger, conflict and development. I look forward to continuing this discussion in Dublin. #FinancingTheFirstMile irishtimes.com/world/middle-…

Very glad to meet with Baroness @JennyChapman, UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa and to see her strong interest in deepening cooperation around practical solutions that build resilience before the next shock becomes another food crisis. The conflict in the Middle East shows again how quickly energy and fertiliser shocks can become food security shocks for rural communities. For smallholder farmers, this translates immediately into reduced fertilizer use, lower yields and falling incomes. This leads to a rippling effect through agri-food value chains, food prices and supply and functioning local economies. That is why investing at the first mile matters. Together we are aligned by recognizing the need to invest earlier, closer to where food systems begin. ’s investments support access to inputs through adaptive financing, promote locally adapted fertilizer solutions and integrated soil management, and promote longer-term resilience. This makes rural economies more productive, more resilient and better connected to markets. @IFAD stands ready to turn public investment into wider impact, mobilizing partnerships and helping countries build food systems that are less vulnerable to the next global shock. #IFAD14 is central to this approach. It is an investment in rural jobs, market access, climate resilience, nutrition and overall stronger local economies – closely aligned with the UK’s development priorities and our partner countries. @FCDOGovUK #FinancingTheFirstMile

At #RomeNutritionWeek26, @IFADPresident Álvaro Lario underscored nutrition’s central role in rural transformation. Nutrition starts long before the plate, with farmers who have access to quality inputs, markets that connect them to buyers, functioning value chains that move food reliably from field to kitchen, infrastructure that reduces losses and policies that make all of this possible. Aligned with national development priorities, #IFAD14 integrates nutrition across investments, and strengthens monitoring to track real progress on the ground. Because systems thinking without finance remains theoretical, and finance without functioning food systems delivers limited impact. Closing the nutrition gap doesn't stop at knowledge. It requires investment, coordination and collective action across the entire food system. #IFADImpact #FinancingTheFirstMile

“Small-scale producers are not just beneficiaries. They are investable partners, central to the functioning of global food systems” At #RomeNutritionWeek, I joined @sanchezcastejon, @FAODG and @WFPChief for a timely discussion on the impact of the Middle East conflict on food security and nutrition. Food security is macro-critical. When energy, fertilizer, transport and trade are disrupted, the effects move quickly through economies, markets and households. But the pressure is often felt first at the first mile. For @IFAD, this is where resilience must be built. By investing in rural producers, local value chains and stronger rural economies, we can help food systems withstand shocks before they become deeper crises. The Rome-based Agencies bring complementary strengths to this effort. @WFP brings emergency response capacity. @FAO provides data, standards and policy guidance. IFAD invests for the long term and acts as a co-investment platform, connecting capital to rural transformation. Working together, and with committed partners, we can help reduce vulnerability, strengthen food systems and support greater stability. #FinancingTheFirstMile #RNW26

At a critical moment for global food security and nutrition, my discussions today at the Rome Nutrition Week with @sanchezcastejon, Prime Minister of #Spain, @FAODG, and @WFPChief, focused on the urgent need to strengthen food systems under growing pressure.   The Middle East crisis is exposing deeper vulnerabilities in global food systems. Across fragile and conflict-affected contexts, @IFAD sees these pressures reaching the farm gate through higher input costs, disrupted production and more volatile markets.   Our response must be both immediate and strategic. Protecting livelihoods today while investing in stronger, more resilient food systems for tomorrow. For IFAD, this means investing where food systems begin. In rural economies, small-scale producers, sustainable land and water use, and reduced dependence on volatile external inputs.   Spain has been a long-standing and strategic partner of IFAD, supporting food systems, resilience and inclusive rural development.   Together with committed partners such as Spain, and through the complementary mandates of the Rome based agencies, we can build more resilient food systems, stronger rural economies and a more secure world.   #FinancingTheFirstMile #RNW26 #RomeNutritionWeek @desdelamoncloa @SpainMFA

Japan’s leadership has been central to advancing the Enhanced Linkages between the Private Sector and Small-scale Producers (ELPS) initiative, a flagship partnership with @IFAD that is helping connect rural producers to agribusinesses, markets and sustainable value chains. During my meeting with @norikazu_0130, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of #Japan, we discussed the continued expansion of ELPS and its role in strengthening resilience, productivity and long-term food security at the first mile. For example, through the coffee manufacturer UCC Japan and trading giant Marubeni, ELPS is strengthening producer organizations in Tanzania and scaling sustainable coffee practices by doubling productivity while strengthening overall supply consistency. Another ELPS pilot intervention is about to be implemented in Rwanda in collaboration with OSTI Group to support 500 farmers in adopting organic practices and better macadamia management. Our partnership with Japan's MAFF has also helped lay the foundation for #AgriLink, a new multi-donor framework designed to scale collaboration between small-scale producers and agribusiness partners across countries and value chains. As discussions on #IFAD14 advance, initiatives such as ELPS and Agri-Link show why investing at the first mile matters. They bring together public finance private sector engagement and market-based solutions to mobilize investment where it can strengthen livelihoods, build resilient supply chains and create shared prosperity. #FinancingTheFirstMile

Greater transparency in food systems finance is essential to improving the effectiveness and targeting of investments. The 3FS platform – developed through a collaboration with the @WorldBankGroup, @IICAnews and @FoodSystems – is now accessible via the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. The platform consolidates methodologies, country-level data and key resources to support shared understanding of financing flows and gaps across food systems. Access the 3FS platform at bit.ly/4wE3Ty5 #FinancingTheFirstMile

Japan has long been a strategic partner of @IFAD in advancing human security. During my visit to Japan, I met with senior Japanese leaders, including @moteging, Minister for Foreign Affairs @MofaJapan_en, Yoko Kamikawa, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to the UN 2026 Water Conference and Members of Parliament. Our discussions focused on how Japan and IFAD can deepen cooperation around rural transformation, food security, climate resilience through investing in the first mile. These are not separate priorities. They are central to stronger economies, more stable supply chains, and long-term shared prosperity. The Japan-IFAD partnership is already moving in this direction, including through the Enhanced Linkages between the Private Sector and Small-scale Producers (ELPS) launched during Japan's #G7 Presidency in 2023. Strengthening public-private partnerships with Japanese companies can help connect small-scale producers to markets, expand innovations, and build more resilient and inclusive food systems. This model also extends to our partnership with the @jica_direct_en. In my meeting with President Akihiko Tanaka , we discussed practical ways to deepen collaboration at the country level, including through the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion Approach and expanding the co-finance portfolio. The approach has already supported more than 77,000 farmers across IFAD-financed projects in Africa, demonstrating how targeted investments, market access and capacity-building remain essential to creating sustainable rural livelihoods and economic opportunities. As discussions on #IFAD14 advance, Japan’s continued leadership and partnership will remain essential to #FinancingTheFirstMile. Together, we can build more resilient rural economies, stable supply chains, and long-term shared prosperity.

I have been reflecting on how economies, supply chains and food systems are being reshaped by today’s disruptions and shocks. What stood out to me during the UN Chief Executives Board meeting in #Japan was how clearly this moment calls for a more focused and effective multilateral response. Together with Secretary-General @antonioguterres and leaders from across the @UN system, we strengthen our collective impact and ensure multilateral institutions are equipped to respond in an increasingly complex world. This is ultimately what the #UN80 reform agenda is about. Disruption can also create opportunities but only if finance is deployed more strategically, partnerships become more purposeful, and innovation helps strengthen local and regional economies rather than deepen existing gaps. No institution can address these challenges alone. The value of the UN system lies in bringing together different strengths and perspectives to support countries in building more inclusive, productive and resilient agrifood systems. For @IFAD, this conversation is closely tied to the “first mile.” Rural economies are often the first who feel the impact of global shocks, but they are also where targeted investments can have some of the greatest impact — for food security, jobs, resilience and long-term stability. #FinancingTheFirstMile

Africa’s rural transformation will not be delivered by finance alone. It will depend on whether public finance, private capital, science and markets can be connected more effectively to the people and places where growth begins. The first mile. At the #AfricaForward Summit, my discussions with development finance, private sector and research partners reinforced the importance of building stronger partnerships that can turn investment into lasting rural transformation. In my meeting with Christophe Lecourtier , CEO of @AFD_en , we discussed a new strategic phase in the @IFAD-AFD partnership, building on our complementary strengths. We have successfully combined IFAD’s reach to small-scale producers and rural communities with AFD’s ability to mobilize financing at scale. The signing of the statement on cooperation for the Climate-Smart Smallholder Dairy Transformation Project in Tanzania provides a concrete example of this partnership in action, with the potential to support climate resilience, nutrition and incomes for smallholder dairy producers. IFAD and AFD now want to add to our cooperation by mobilising both French and local private sector together at the first mile. This also connects directly to my discussion with Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of @Danone , where we explored how private sector partnerships can strengthen inclusive dairy value chains and nutrition-sensitive rural transformation. IFAD can help create the first-mile conditions for investment through farmer aggregation, rural infrastructure and capacity building, while partners like Danone can bring expertise in sourcing, processing and market integration. With Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of @KeEquityBank, we discussed how inclusive rural finance can be scaled across Eastern Africa through stronger financial ecosystems, blended finance and partnerships with African commercial banks. The IFAD-Equity partnership, including ARCAFIM, has the potential to become an important platform for expanding agricultural lending while embedding climate adaptation and maintaining strong donor confidence. At the Summit, I strengthened IFAD’s collaboration with French research agencies @Cirad , @INRAE_France and @ird_fr. By formalising this partnership, we can better connect scientific evidence to programme design, investment decisions and practical solutions for smallholder farmers facing climate, productivity and food systems challenges. These discussions and signings all point in the same direction. Financing the first mile requires more than capital alone. It requires the right partners, the right evidence and the right market connections to turn investment into lasting rural transformation. #FinancingTheFirstMile

In Rome, Ambassadors @Elissa_Golberg & @DavidLametti met with @IFAD leadership @IFADPresident for a substantive exchange on #CanadaIFAD cooperation, including #financingfordevelopment, private sector engagement, and innovative financing. #CanadaRBAs 🇨🇦🇺🇳

On day two of the #AfricaForward Summit in Nairobi, I continued my bilateral discussions with African leaders on strengthening partnerships with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and scaling investment in rural economies through #IFAD14. Across all bilaterals, discussions reinforced the growing recognition that investing in the first mile is increasingly central to economic resilience, food security, job creation and long-term growth across Africa. My meeting with President @JDMahama of #Ghana, where we discussed the importance of investing in African food corridors to create local value addition and youth employment as part of Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda. We also discussed how to scale up solar irrigation as a sustainable solution for resilient rural economic development. Ghana hosts one of IFAD’s largest portfolios in West and Central Africa, with more than US$1.07 billion in total financing mobilized. The President expressed his support for IFAD14 and reinforced our shared commitment to scaling impact across the first mile. With President @FA_Touadera of the #CentralAfricanRepublic, discussions centred on resilience, rural stabilization and the importance of sustained investment in fragile contexts. We discussed IFAD’s expanding engagement in the country, including the recently approved Climate Resilient Agribusiness Promotion Programme, a major new investment supporting climate-resilient agribusiness, value-chain development and rural livelihoods. In environments affected by fragility and instability, investments in agriculture and rural economies are also investments in resilience, opportunity and long-term stability. I also met with President of #Rwanda, @PaulKagame to discuss innovation, investment and the role of technology-driven rural transformation in accelerating economic growth and resilience. Rwanda continues to emerge as a regional model for blended finance, innovation and systems modernization, with IFAD-supported initiatives spanning SmartFarm technologies, women’s financial inclusion, irrigation management, nutrition and digital public infrastructure. These efforts reflect how investment in the first mile is increasingly being linked to technology, productivity and modern economic transformation, alongside Rwanda’s strong support for IFAD14. #FinancingTheFirstMile #IFADImpact @RwandaGov @UrugwiroVillage @GhanaPresidency

At the #AfricaForward Summit in Nairobi, I held productive bilateral discussions with African leaders on strengthening partnerships with @IFAD and advancing investment in rural economies through #IFAD14. In the bilateral with His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, we discussed the country’s priorities around nutrition, resilience and private-sector-led rural transformation. IFAD’s partnership with Lesotho continues to expand through investments in horticulture, financial inclusion and rural entrepreneurship, while mobilizing strong co-financing support from partners including @WorldBankGroup, @TheOPECFund and the @theGEF. My meeting with President @duma_boko of #Botswana focused on the catalytic effect of collaborating with national development banks and the private sector, including commercial banks and local SMEs, aligned with national priorities. With our investment in Bank Gaborone for example we are complementing our sovereign investments by crowding in private capital to enhancing finance for rural entrepreneurs and farmers toward sustainable food systems. We further discussed the impact of recent floods and the importance of climate smart farming and resilient infrastructure. With President @julius_maadabio of #SierraLeone, discussions centred on food security, resilience and strengthening integrated, climate-resilient food systems. Through major programmes supporting livestock, agricultural value chains and rural finance, IFAD’s partnership in Sierra Leone now spans 10 projects with total financing of US$473 million, demonstrating the scale of long-term investment and co-financing being mobilized around rural transformation. I also met with Prime Minister @mwigulunchemba1 of #Tanzania to discuss strengthening cooperation with IFAD and advancing investment in youth employment, climate-smart agriculture and rural economic opportunity. Tanzania is now one of IFAD’s largest portfolios in Africa, with more than US$3.3 billion in total financing mobilized since 1978, including new efforts to structure blended investment around the BBT-Coffee Programme and Tanzania’s wider rural transformation agenda. Across all discussions, there was strong recognition that investing in the first mile is critical not only for food security, but for economic resilience, stability and long-term growth across the continent. #FinancingTheFirstMile #IFADImpact

This afternoon on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, President Kagame met with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Álvaro Lario. They discussed ongoing cooperation between Rwanda and IFAD, particularly in advancing rural development, agricultural transformation, and resilience for smallholder farmers. The discussions also explored opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in support of inclusive growth, market access, and private sector participation in agriculture.

As the Africa Forward Summit concludes in Nairobi, one message stands out clearly. Africa’s economic transformation will increasingly depend on how successfully the continent invests in the first mile, rural economies and its growing young population. Over the past days, I engaged with Heads of State, financial institutions, investors and private sector leaders on the scale of the opportunity ahead and the partnerships required to unlock it. Today, my bilateral discussions with President @PaulKagame of Rwanda, President @JDMahama of Ghana and President @FA_Touadera of the Central African Republic focused on investment, economic resilience, job creation and support for #IFAD14. I also spoke at the Africa Forward Summit Agriculture Pillar roundtable, “Building Productive, Sustainable and Resilient Agri-Food Systems in Africa: Strengthening Partnerships”, alongside Heads of State, ministers, @AGRA_Africa CEO @aruhweza and other leaders. Discussions focused on mobilizing investment, strengthening food systems and expanding partnerships that can drive growth, resilience and economic opportunity across rural economies. In my meeting with Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of @KeEquityBank Limited, we discussed how stronger financial ecosystems, blended finance and strategic partnerships can expand access to capital, crowd in greater private sector investment and accelerate financing at the first mile. Reaching the scale required for transformation will depend on mobilizing both public and private capital. At @IFAD, we increasingly see recognition that rural economies and food systems are foundational to growth, stability and long-term economic resilience, particularly at a time of fiscal pressure, debt vulnerabilities and growing employment challenges across many economies. The conversations in Kenya reinforced the importance of investment-led approaches that can mobilize capital at scale, strengthen local markets and support country-led transformation. #FinancingTheFirstMile #AfricaForward @RwandaGov @GhanaPresidency

From #Rwanda to #France, stronger agricultural value chains are creating jobs, expanding market access and generating new income opportunities for rural communities. Through IFAD-financed investments and collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and private sector partners, producers were able to strengthen productivity and secure long-term agreements with international buyers such as Agro Sourcing. The result: stronger value chains, greater resilience to global shocks and a 26% increase in incomes. This is the impact of #FinancingTheFirstMile of food systems – combining public finance, private sector engagement and local organizations to create long-term economic opportunities for rural communities. At the #AfricaForward Summit, IFAD continues to advance partnerships that mobilize investment for resilient, market-oriented rural transformation across Africa and beyond. #IFADImpact #IFAD14 | @francediplo | @francediplo_EN | @Economie_Gouv | @RwandaAgri | @CaroitEleonore

I arrived at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, I met with Heads of State, private sector leaders and partners from across Africa and globally to discuss how investment in rural economies can drive jobs, growth and economic transformation. I held bilateral discussions with His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, President Duma Boko of Botswana, President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, Prime Minister Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba of Tanzania and heads of French development and research agencies. Across these conversations, there was strong recognition that food systems and rural economies are macro-critical to Africa’s future growth, stability and resilience, particularly as countries seek to create opportunities for a rapidly growing youth population. Africa has enormous potential not only to produce food, but also to process, transform and add greater value across the continent. Unlocking that opportunity requires greater investment, stronger partnerships and financing that reaches the first mile, where the impact on incomes, employment and resilience is greatest. As an #IFI, @IFAD is working as a co-investment platform with governments, development banks and private sector partners to help mobilize capital, crowd in investment and support country-led transformation across Africa’s rural economies as we build momentum towards #IFAD14. #FinancingTheFirstMile #AfricaForward