International Fund for Agricultural Development Core Contribution 2025 – 2027 (IFAD 13)

IFAD is the only multilateral organisation with a universal mandate focused on smallholder agriculture. As a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) and elements of an International Financial Institution, IFAD has a dual mandate: to invest in development opportunities for poor rural people through loans and grants to partner countries, and to engage in policy processes at the global, regional and national levels. The membership with 17 country members, of which 50% contribute to the Fund, gives IFAD strong backing and ownership.

Together with FAO and WFP, IFAD is one of the three Rome-based UN agencies dealing with agriculture and food security and contributing to sustainable food systems.

As the results from IFAD12 will just be published in September 2025 we refer to the results of IFAD11 (2019-2021). The investment impact on rural people shows that 77.4 million benefited from positive economic mobility (target was 44 million); 62 million achieved better or higher production (target: 47); 64.4 million gained market access (target: 46); and 38 million increased their resilience (target: 24). 

The benefits of the Fund's decentralization are expected to lead to improved portfolio performance at the country level, as well as strengthened partnerships, coordination with other stakeholders and policy engagement. 

SDC, in cooperation with SECO, carries out the policy work with IFAD, with the SDC providing the IFAD governor and SECO providing the alternate governor. Switzerland's role within IFAD is unique through the feedbacks provided by Swiss representations to IFAD country programmes and presented to the Executive Board.

Amongst others the following achievements were reached with a special Swiss attention:

1. The Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) was concluded in 2023, which supported rural poor people facing the impacts of COVID-19. IFAD allocated 100 % of its available $89.0 million across 64 projects.
2. The Private Sector Financing Platform is expected to catalyse up to $540 million in private sector programme of work through the use of blended finance and innovative financial structures.
3. "Enhancing Agrobiodiversity through Agroecology" is being prepared as a “how to” guide for project teams. IFAD12 actions will focus on using this guidance note.
4. Switzerland engages on IFAD’s Nexus approach with a pilot Secondment on fragile contexts, based in the regional office in Dakar, Senegal.

During IFAD13, the Fund aims to reach 100 million poor rural people through a Programme of loans and Grants amounting to $3.8 billion and achieving: 101 million experiencing positive economic mobility; 82 million with improved agricultural production; 84 million with improved market access. Relevant transversal mainstreaming targets are: Climate finance representing 45% of Programme; 30% of core resources within fragile situations.

100% of new country strategic opportunities programmes: (i) are aligned with nationally adopted food system transformation pathways where these exist; (ii) identify private sector opportunities; (iii) are aligned with national development strategies and national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

IFAD will be contributing to development outcomes around the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, in coordination with the work of its sister agencies – WFP and FAO – and of other development partners, International Finance Institutions, Civil Society Organizations and the Private sector

1. Smallholder producers have increased access to global climate finance and are thus able to strengthen their resilience.
2. IFAD has significantly strengthened its financial sustainability and institutional efficiency through strategic measures. These include judicious use of existing capital, continued implementation of balance sheet optimization measures, careful budgeting practices, and improvements in decentralisation and human resource management.
3. IFAD has significantly strengthened its engagement with the private sector, ensuring its capacity and institutional knowledge in this area.
4. Switzerland will advocate and promote: Increased inclusion of food systems transformation with a special focus on agroecology (AE) and nutrition sensitive programming in IFAD’s new projects.

11

Core contribution ranking IFAD12:

1. USA ($162 million);
2. France (150);
3. The Netherlands (150);
4. Italy (119);
5. Germany (95);

and 10. Switzerland; out of 59 donors (status March 5 2024).

Switzerland is an active Member of List A (OECD countries). It is part of a constituency with Germany, Luxembourg and the Russian Federation. Switzerland will be an alternate Executive Board member for the period 02.2024-01.2027