COP31: IFAD scales climate adaptation investments in rural communities feeding the world

IFAD will announce a major investment through a new financial instrument designed to channel private capital into rural adaptation. 

 

Together with Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, IFAD will also launch a landmark report warning of the potential trillion-dollar economic cost of El Niño and unveiling new evidence on how rural communities can build long-term resilience to overlapping climate and economic shocks. In addition, IFAD will also launch The Unfunded Half, making the case for greater investment in rural women as a critical driver of resilient food systems.

 

The urgency is growing. In 2026, small-scale farmers have faced a convergence of severe droughts and other climate extremes alongside energy and fertilizer price shocks, and a potentially record El Niño, threatening harvests and leading to higher food prices and food insecurity.

 

Small-scale farmers produce one third of the world’s food but receive less than one per cent of climate finance, underscoring the need to dramatically increase both public and private investment in their resilience.

 

IFAD President Alvaro Lario and İbrahim Yumaklı, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Türkiye will launch the joint flagship report “Food Systems Under Stress: Building Resilience from the First Mile” highlighting how bundled approaches spanning climate-resilient inputs, market access and finance can build lasting resilience in rural communities. Two panel discussions will explore how to translate evidence into action.

 

A panel discussion will include: Luis Planas Puchades, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain; Johann Saathoff, Parliamentary State Secretary for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany; José Manuel Fernandes, Minister of Agriculture and Sea of Portugal; Ruth Davis, UK Special Representative for Nature; Jan Versteeg, The Netherlands Climate Envoy and high-level climate experts.

 

IFAD President Alvaro Lario will launch the joint report “The Unfunded Half”, co-developed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye.

 

The event will explore why climate finance is not reaching rural women at sufficient scale despite their central role in growing food, managing natural resources and running rural enterprises vulnerable to climate shocks. The event will discuss solutions to channel financing to rural women with IFAD showcasing how it connects capital markets with investments that reach women farmers.

 

Financing Adaptation at Scale: Launch of IFAD’s new global adaptation bond

 

At the event co-hosted with the OPEC Fund, the IFAD President will announce a new financial instrument designed to channel private capital into rural adaptation and highlight the critical importance of partnerships in scaling adaptation finance.