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In the heart of Central America, El Salvador's rural communities face the dual challenges of poverty and climate change.

Distributed along the Dry Corridor, these communities are particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters such as droughts. Its population often faces challenges in securing sufficient farmland, accessing financial services, and obtaining modern farming technology—key elements for poverty reduction in rural areas.

To turn these challenges into opportunities, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) teamed with the Government of El Salvador in 2019 to launch the Rural Adelante project.

With strategic support from the FAO Investment Centre during supervision and implementation support missions, this initiative embarked on the ambitious challenge of transforming El Salvador's rural economic landscape in eastern departments of La Unión, Morazán, Usulután and San Miguel.

Starting with an initial investment of USD18.69 million, the project focused on building smallholder producers' capacity to adapt to climate change and sustainably increase the incomes of 5 900 poor rural families through climate-resilient value-chain development and improved access to markets that could withstand unexpected weather changes.

Rural Adelante’s scheme included focusing on territorial, organizational, and individual levels, coordinated on a common platform driven by market demands. 

The project prioritized the needs of women, youth, and indigenous peoples – groups that have historically faced significant barriers to food security and nutritional quality.

It also kept a close focus on developing high-demand products in value chains and updating policies.

Innovation paying off

The project provided small farmers with the tools and knowledge they needed to adjust to climate changes, keeping a climate-smart approach at the core of the project.

An innovative climate financing mechanism directed investments to meet the specific environmental needs of the communities and municipalities, which included a participatory process for establishing climate and environmental agendas, and subsequent investments at the landscape level.

For example, it established reservoirs and rainwater harvesting systems, securing vital water sources for livestock and crops, particularly during the critical summer months.

The project has also funded the SIAM-MAG mobile app, equipping farmers with access to data on wholesale market prices, early warnings about natural phenomena, as well as a comprehensive directory of agricultural producers.

This initiative is designed to enable informed decision-making based on up-to-date weather and market information.

Unprecedented achievements

The various initiatives of Rural Adelante resulted in considerable advancements in agricultural productivity, adaptation to climate change, and gender inclusion, surpassing many of its original objectives.

By prioritizing climate-smart agriculture and the development of competitive market chains, the program supported more than 120 business plans.

To date, the project has engaged over 19,000 households, exceeding its goals and demonstrating an expansive, inclusive approach; notably, over 10 000 of these households are female-led.

Its commitment to gender equality and inclusion has driven substantial shifts, with approximately 500 workshops on new masculinities focusing on young men, and over 300 gender training sessions reaching 1 600 women, enhancing their leadership and decision-making capabilities.

The way ahead

The project's achievements have led to the design of a second phase, expanding both the scope and scale of new activities through an additional USD 82.75 million investment, pending congressional ratification. 

Approved in December 2023, Rural Adelante 2.0 builds upon the efforts and lessons learned from its predecessor, aiming to update the traditional ways of running the rural economy by introducing new and creative technologies and methods, and incorporating a food and nutritional safety focus to promote healthier diets and more sustainable production systems.

The results are helping to shape the future of El Salvador's countryside, striving to reduce poverty and enhance community resilience against climate change.