Amid increasing global hunger and poverty, devastating climate change impacts, the Covid-19 pandemic and the widespread effects of the war in Ukraine, small-scale producers can play a lead role in reducing hunger and poverty at country and regional levels. On 16 November 2022, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will convene policy-makers, development practitioners, rural producers and farmers organizations at its second Farmers Forum in Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire to explore opportunities to strengthen partnerships between them. Together, they can work jointly for sustainable transformation of food systems and food security.

The Farmers Forum will be a key component of discussions taking place during IFAD’s 12th Regional Implementation Workshop for IFAD-supported projects in West and Central Africa (WCA), from 17 to 18 November. High-ranking government officials from Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministries of Agriculture and of Finance will be in attendance. Deliberations will focus on access to finance, support to youth in agriculture, and climate change and value chain approaches leveraging IFAD’s long-standing partnership with farmers organizations.