International Fund for Agricultural Development
Loans and grants for research and capacity building in agriculture and natural resources
Principal Office: International
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, established as an international financial institution.
IFAD provides grants and low-interest loans in support of pro-poor agriculture and management of natural resources in the developing world. Loans are provided to IFAD’s developing member states on terms and conditions which vary according to the country’s per capita income. Grants strengthen technical and institutional capacities linked to agriculture and rural development.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
1 — Grants for research and technical assistance. IFAD makes grants for research and capacity building in agriculture, natural resources, and related strategies to address rural poverty. It organizes its grants into those which it makes available at the country level, and those at regional and global levels.
IFAD’s grant recipients include the centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR); intergovernmental organizations in which IFAD’s member states participate; national governments; civil society organizations; and private-sector entities. Only organizations which are based in or work in IFAD’s member states are eligible for grants.
Many of the large grants support international agricultural research in networks or at regional scales, as well as other international efforts for rural development. Larger grants are mainly in the range of US$0.5 million to US$2 million.
IFAD’s operations in a country are framed by that country’s Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOP). Project concepts and subsequent project design must be consistent with the COSOP.
Most small grants (<US$500 thousand) focus on capacity building, awareness raising, knowledge networks, policy advocacy, and rural innovation.
APPLICATION: IFAD announces calls for proposals when funding is available.
2 — Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility. The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) aims to strengthen indigenous peoples’ communities and their organizations by financing small-projects which foster self-driven development.
Grants range from US$20 thousand to US$50 thousand.
APPLICATION: IPAF announces calls for proposals when funding is available.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
The following are IFAD’s developing member countries.
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands: Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vietnam
East Asia: China, Mongolia
South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Eurasia and Central Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey
Eastern Europe and Russia: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Moldova, Macedonia
Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Dem Rep of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Latin America and Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Note: IFAD includes a few additional member states which are not recognized as countries in the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
IFAD publishes helpful tools and guidelines in the thematic areas of agriculture, water resources and rural sustainable energy. These resources can be downloaded for free.
Contact Us provides information for IFAD’s headquarters in Rome, and for IFAD’s country offices worldwide.