Today we held the IFAD press conference at the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF’s) Fifth Assembly in Cancun to launch the IFAD-GEF Advantage Report: Partnering for a Sustainable World.
With the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, in the building there was strong competition for media attention.
But after the President opened the GEF Assembly this morning the Mexican media eventually made their way across the conference centre to our press event.
The report makes the case that higher yields and incomes, healthy ecosystems, and empowered communities are among the benefits for small farmers in developing countries from projects co-sponsored by IFAD and the GEF.
IFAD and GEF began their partnership in 2001, working together with rural communities worldwide on poverty reduction and environmental protection.
“The IFAD-GEF partnership creates important and lasting environmental and socioeconomic benefits,” said Elwyn Grainger-Jones, Director of IFAD’s Environment and Climate Division. “These include gains in agricultural production, household income and education, as well as improved forest, land and water resources in rural communities."
“This report shows that there is a clear IFAD-GEF Advantage: when we work together, natural resources and ecosystems are protected, and people’s lives improve,” said Sheila Mwanundu, Senior Technical Advisor for Environment at IFAD.
Journalists were keen to understand the work that IFAD is doing with local communities in Mexico.
Juan De Dios Mattos, IFAD’s Regional Environment and Climate Expert for Latin America explained IFAD’s work on reforestation with indigenous communities in the southern states of Mexico.
Working with the Mexican Forestry Service (CONAFOR) more than 100 initiatives have taken off so far ranging in focus from agroforestry to tree surgeries to clean technologies such as cooking stoves.
Click Here for a link to the IFAD-GEF Advantage press release
Click Here for a link to the IFAD-GEF Advantage press release
