International Fund for Agriculture Development

April 24, 2023

The International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) will set up a new framework to facilitate cooperation between small agricultural producers in developing nations and businesses in Japan and elsewhere.
The Enhanced Linkages between Private Sector and Small-Scale Producers (ELPS) initiative will be set up with an aim of strengthening developing nations’ agriculture and food systems.
Enhanced Linkages between Private Sector and Small-Scale Producers (ELPS) Initiative:
- It is an initiative by IFAD in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.
- It aims to connect small-scale food producers and marginalised farmer groups in developing countries with larger agrifood companies to facilitate investment, capacity building and trade.
- Small-scale producers can greatly benefit from the expertise, knowledge, and technologies of the private sector.

About IFAD

IFAD is an international financial institution and specialized United Nations agency working in the field of poverty eradication in the rural areas of developing countries providing grants and loans with low interest for allied projects.
It works with marginalized and vulnerable groups such as farmers with small holdings, foresters, Pastoralists, Fishermen and small-scale entrepreneurs by giving them disaster preparedness, access to weather information, technology transfer and social learning.
It was created in 1977, which is the outcome of the World Food Conference of 1974.
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
It has 177 member countries including India.
IFAD is the only multilateral development institution that focuses exclusively on transforming rural economies and food systems.
It brings out the Rural Development Report every year.
Objectives:
- To increase the productive capacity of poor people.
- To increase benefits for them from market participation.
- To strengthen the environmental sustainability & climate resilience of their economic activities.