Tanzania: Sweden Commits Funds to Ifad to Help Avert Covid-19 Food Crisis

By Josephine Christopher

Dar es Salaam — The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has pledged $5.7 million to help avert a potential food crisis in some of the world's most vulnerable rural

communities in the wake of Covid-19.

UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Thursday announced that the funds will be committed to IFAD's rural poor stimulus facility which was launched in April.

The facility supports small-scale farmers and rural producers to continue growing and selling food despite Covid-19 restrictions in movement and trade, by providing timely access to agricultural inputs, information, markets and liquidity.

"We would like to thank Sweden for its commitment to achieving a world without poverty and hunger," said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD.

Mr Houngbo added: The funds will assist rural producers, particularly women, to continue making food available on the markets, ensuring that the Covid-19 pandemic does not escalate into a lingering food crisis.

Movement restrictions in many parts of Africa meant to prevent the spread of the virus left many small-scale producers without access markets to sell produce or to buy seeds or fertilizer.

Transport and border closures adversely affected rural areas and disrupted food systems. The most vulnerable include daily laborers, small businesses and informal workers, mostly women and young people.

Sida's director general Carin Jämtin said, 'In the midst of the pandemic, we need to support sustainable food production to reduce poverty and achieve zero hunger by 2030. Small-scale farmers are in the frontline and they need assistance now'.

Sweden has also committed approximately $4.6 million to IFAD's financing facility for remittances.

"This will help maximize the impact of remittances and Diaspora investment on rural development, accelerate the transformation of remittance markets through new technologies, and promote financial inclusion so that families receiving remittances use their funds productively," IFAD stated.

Sweden is a founding member of IFAD and is one of the 36 members of IFAD's executive board. It has committed more than $471 million to the Fund. With a specific focus on helping small-scale farmers adapt to climate change, Sweden has contributed substantially to building the resilience of more 30 million rural people.