ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY Gender

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY Gender and Household Food Security 1

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY Objectives What is IFAD’s Mandate? To work with developing countries to. . . 1. Alleviate Rural Poverty 2. Reduce Food Insecurity and Malnutrition 2

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY What Does Food Security mean? IFAD describes Household Food Security as… “The capacity of households to procure a stable and sustainable basket of adequate food” Reference: IFAD, Memory Checks for Household Food Security and Gender 3

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY Many actions contribute to building Household Food Security and each action requires a gender perspective to hold the structure together STABILITY UTILISATION ACCESS Sustainability Health & Sanitation Community Organization AVAILABILITY Incomes Land Practices Participation Savings & Credit Water Caregiving Institution Building Extension & Training Technology Literacy Livestock & Fisheries Environment 4

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY For Example… Many IFAD projects promote actions such as: Agricultural Extension Services to increase food availability Rural Savings and Credit to improve access to food Clean Water Supply to enhance food utilization Crop Storage Facilities for stability in food supply 5

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME POVERTY IFAD Projects Each of these project activities is intended to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the rural poor “…ultimately, the only criterion by which the value of the Fund can be properly judged is its impact particularly with regard to food security and nutrition on the circumstances of the rural poor. ” (Reference: IFAD Annual Report, 1998) 6

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