The International Fund for Agricultural Development has begun efforts to mobilise global leadership around food security and rural development, as hunger and instability continue to affect vulnerable communities worldwide.
The President of IFAD, Alvaro Lario, made this known during a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace, where both leaders discussed shared priorities around human dignity, inclusion and support for rural populations.
Lario said there is a strong alignment between the Holy Father’s social vision and IFAD’s mandate to transform rural economies, particularly in regions affected by conflict, climate shocks and food insecurity. He noted that IFAD’s investments are built on the belief that people in rural areas deserve opportunities to live productive lives, earn decent incomes and enjoy peace.
“IFAD and the Holy See share the conviction that everyone, especially those in rural communities, must have the chance to live in dignity through productive work and sustainable livelihoods,” Lario said.
Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral experience in Peru featured prominently in the discussions. IFAD currently supports rural development initiatives in the country, including the Avanzar Rural project, which has raised rural incomes by an average of 40 per cent through community-driven development.
Lario stressed that rural development, especially for young people, plays a critical role in reducing instability and forced migration. He explained that IFAD’s programmes show that access to resources, markets and resilience tools enables rural households to grow incomes, build small enterprises and create economic opportunities within their communities.
Evidence from IFAD-supported projects highlights this link. In Ethiopia, a one per cent increase in land productivity under IFAD investments has been associated with a three per cent reduction in local conflicts. In Mali, districts without IFAD support recorded an eight per cent rise in local conflicts compared with areas that benefited from financial assistance and rural advisory services.
Lario welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s moral leadership in promoting global solidarity and a more inclusive world, noting that investments in rural people contribute directly to long-term stability and shared prosperity.
“We are inspired by the Holy Father’s call to promote the craft of peace. Investing in rural people delivers lasting stability and opportunity,” he said.
The meeting comes as IFAD prepares to launch a new three-year replenishment campaign aimed at mobilising core resources for rural investments between 2028 and 2030.
Globally, about 673 million people, representing 8.2 per cent of the world’s population, experienced hunger in 2024. Nearly 80 per cent of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas of developing countries.
IFAD, a United Nations specialised agency based in Rome, has invested more than $25 billion in grants and low-interest loans since 1978 to reduce rural poverty, improve food security and strengthen resilience across developing economies.
