IFAD and Unilever sign first global PPP agreement

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and consumer goods giant Unilever have signed a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement aimed at helping to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers around the world.

The five-year global agreement – the first of its kind by IFAD with the private sector – was signed by IFAD president Kanayo F. Nwanze and Unilever ceo Paul Polman to help improve food security through a variety of initiatives including raising agricultural productivity and making agriculture more sustainable.

Scoping exercises have already begun looking at ways to leverage IFAD’s knowledge and expertise in working with small-scale farmers and rural enterprises with Unilever’s ability to integrate farmers into markets and its expertise in sustainable agriculture. These have included a joint field mission to review an IFAD-supported project in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Western, focused on spices and onions.

Kanayo Nwanze commented: “It is not enough to focus narrowly on boosting agricultural productivity. Instead, a broader approach that also supports the establishment of viable linkages between rural producers and markets is essential. IFAD recognises that the right types of investments in agriculture are essential to food security for a growing population. That is why partnerships like the one we have signed today with Unilever are so critical.”

Picture credit: © Liz Van Steenburgh | Dreamstime Stock Photos