President Paul Kagame on Tuesday met with Álvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to discuss expanding cooperation in agriculture and rural development.
The meeting took place in Nairobi on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit, which brought together African and French leaders to discuss economic partnerships and development initiatives.
According to the office of the president, the talks focused on the existing partnership between Rwanda and International Fund for Agricultural Development, particularly efforts to modernize agriculture, strengthen rural communities and support smallholder farmers facing economic and climate-related challenges.
The two leaders also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation aimed at promoting inclusive economic growth, improving farmers’ access to markets and encouraging greater private-sector investment in agriculture.
Founded in 1978, IFAD is a United Nations agency that finances agricultural and rural development programs around the world to help reduce hunger and poverty. The organization says its projects have improved the livelihoods of more than 500 million people globally.
In Rwanda, IFAD supports agricultural and livestock development projects in 14 districts across the country, helping farmers increase productivity and improve access to markets.
