Alvaro Lario

Japan’s leadership has been central to advancing the Enhanced Linkages between the Private Sector and Small-scale Producers (ELPS) initiative, a flagship partnership with @IFAD that is helping connect rural producers to agribusinesses, markets and sustainable value chains. During my meeting with @norikazu_0130, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of #Japan, we discussed the continued expansion of ELPS and its role in strengthening resilience, productivity and long-term food security at the first mile. For example, through the coffee manufacturer UCC Japan and trading giant Marubeni, ELPS is strengthening producer organizations in Tanzania and scaling sustainable coffee practices by doubling productivity while strengthening overall supply consistency. Another ELPS pilot intervention is about to be implemented in Rwanda in collaboration with OSTI Group to support 500 farmers in adopting organic practices and better macadamia management. Our partnership with Japan's MAFF has also helped lay the foundation for #AgriLink, a new multi-donor framework designed to scale collaboration between small-scale producers and agribusiness partners across countries and value chains. As discussions on #IFAD14 advance, initiatives such as ELPS and Agri-Link show why investing at the first mile matters. They bring together public finance private sector engagement and market-based solutions to mobilize investment where it can strengthen livelihoods, build resilient supply chains and create shared prosperity. #FinancingTheFirstMile

Greater transparency in food systems finance is essential to improving the effectiveness and targeting of investments. The 3FS platform – developed through a collaboration with the @WorldBankGroup, @IICAnews and @FoodSystems – is now accessible via the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. The platform consolidates methodologies, country-level data and key resources to support shared understanding of financing flows and gaps across food systems. Access the 3FS platform at bit.ly/4wE3Ty5 #FinancingTheFirstMile

Japan has long been a strategic partner of @IFAD in advancing human security. During my visit to Japan, I met with senior Japanese leaders, including @moteging, Minister for Foreign Affairs @MofaJapan_en, Yoko Kamikawa, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to the UN 2026 Water Conference and Members of Parliament. Our discussions focused on how Japan and IFAD can deepen cooperation around rural transformation, food security, climate resilience through investing in the first mile. These are not separate priorities. They are central to stronger economies, more stable supply chains, and long-term shared prosperity. The Japan-IFAD partnership is already moving in this direction, including through the Enhanced Linkages between the Private Sector and Small-scale Producers (ELPS) launched during Japan's #G7 Presidency in 2023. Strengthening public-private partnerships with Japanese companies can help connect small-scale producers to markets, expand innovations, and build more resilient and inclusive food systems. This model also extends to our partnership with the @jica_direct_en. In my meeting with President Akihiko Tanaka , we discussed practical ways to deepen collaboration at the country level, including through the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion Approach and expanding the co-finance portfolio. The approach has already supported more than 77,000 farmers across IFAD-financed projects in Africa, demonstrating how targeted investments, market access and capacity-building remain essential to creating sustainable rural livelihoods and economic opportunities. As discussions on #IFAD14 advance, Japan’s continued leadership and partnership will remain essential to #FinancingTheFirstMile. Together, we can build more resilient rural economies, stable supply chains, and long-term shared prosperity.

I have been reflecting on how economies, supply chains and food systems are being reshaped by today’s disruptions and shocks. What stood out to me during the UN Chief Executives Board meeting in #Japan was how clearly this moment calls for a more focused and effective multilateral response. Together with Secretary-General @antonioguterres and leaders from across the @UN system, we strengthen our collective impact and ensure multilateral institutions are equipped to respond in an increasingly complex world. This is ultimately what the #UN80 reform agenda is about. Disruption can also create opportunities but only if finance is deployed more strategically, partnerships become more purposeful, and innovation helps strengthen local and regional economies rather than deepen existing gaps. No institution can address these challenges alone. The value of the UN system lies in bringing together different strengths and perspectives to support countries in building more inclusive, productive and resilient agrifood systems. For @IFAD, this conversation is closely tied to the “first mile.” Rural economies are often the first who feel the impact of global shocks, but they are also where targeted investments can have some of the greatest impact — for food security, jobs, resilience and long-term stability. #FinancingTheFirstMile

Africa’s rural transformation will not be delivered by finance alone. It will depend on whether public finance, private capital, science and markets can be connected more effectively to the people and places where growth begins. The first mile. At the #AfricaForward Summit, my discussions with development finance, private sector and research partners reinforced the importance of building stronger partnerships that can turn investment into lasting rural transformation. In my meeting with Christophe Lecourtier , CEO of @AFD_en , we discussed a new strategic phase in the @IFAD-AFD partnership, building on our complementary strengths. We have successfully combined IFAD’s reach to small-scale producers and rural communities with AFD’s ability to mobilize financing at scale. The signing of the statement on cooperation for the Climate-Smart Smallholder Dairy Transformation Project in Tanzania provides a concrete example of this partnership in action, with the potential to support climate resilience, nutrition and incomes for smallholder dairy producers. IFAD and AFD now want to add to our cooperation by mobilising both French and local private sector together at the first mile. This also connects directly to my discussion with Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of @Danone , where we explored how private sector partnerships can strengthen inclusive dairy value chains and nutrition-sensitive rural transformation. IFAD can help create the first-mile conditions for investment through farmer aggregation, rural infrastructure and capacity building, while partners like Danone can bring expertise in sourcing, processing and market integration. With Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of @KeEquityBank, we discussed how inclusive rural finance can be scaled across Eastern Africa through stronger financial ecosystems, blended finance and partnerships with African commercial banks. The IFAD-Equity partnership, including ARCAFIM, has the potential to become an important platform for expanding agricultural lending while embedding climate adaptation and maintaining strong donor confidence. At the Summit, I strengthened IFAD’s collaboration with French research agencies @Cirad , @INRAE_France and @ird_fr. By formalising this partnership, we can better connect scientific evidence to programme design, investment decisions and practical solutions for smallholder farmers facing climate, productivity and food systems challenges. These discussions and signings all point in the same direction. Financing the first mile requires more than capital alone. It requires the right partners, the right evidence and the right market connections to turn investment into lasting rural transformation. #FinancingTheFirstMile

In Rome, Ambassadors @Elissa_Golberg & @DavidLametti met with @IFAD leadership @IFADPresident for a substantive exchange on #CanadaIFAD cooperation, including #financingfordevelopment, private sector engagement, and innovative financing. #CanadaRBAs 🇨🇦🇺🇳

On day two of the #AfricaForward Summit in Nairobi, I continued my bilateral discussions with African leaders on strengthening partnerships with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and scaling investment in rural economies through #IFAD14. Across all bilaterals, discussions reinforced the growing recognition that investing in the first mile is increasingly central to economic resilience, food security, job creation and long-term growth across Africa. My meeting with President @JDMahama of #Ghana, where we discussed the importance of investing in African food corridors to create local value addition and youth employment as part of Ghana’s broader economic transformation agenda. We also discussed how to scale up solar irrigation as a sustainable solution for resilient rural economic development. Ghana hosts one of IFAD’s largest portfolios in West and Central Africa, with more than US$1.07 billion in total financing mobilized. The President expressed his support for IFAD14 and reinforced our shared commitment to scaling impact across the first mile. With President @FA_Touadera of the #CentralAfricanRepublic, discussions centred on resilience, rural stabilization and the importance of sustained investment in fragile contexts. We discussed IFAD’s expanding engagement in the country, including the recently approved Climate Resilient Agribusiness Promotion Programme, a major new investment supporting climate-resilient agribusiness, value-chain development and rural livelihoods. In environments affected by fragility and instability, investments in agriculture and rural economies are also investments in resilience, opportunity and long-term stability. I also met with President of #Rwanda, @PaulKagame to discuss innovation, investment and the role of technology-driven rural transformation in accelerating economic growth and resilience. Rwanda continues to emerge as a regional model for blended finance, innovation and systems modernization, with IFAD-supported initiatives spanning SmartFarm technologies, women’s financial inclusion, irrigation management, nutrition and digital public infrastructure. These efforts reflect how investment in the first mile is increasingly being linked to technology, productivity and modern economic transformation, alongside Rwanda’s strong support for IFAD14. #FinancingTheFirstMile #IFADImpact @RwandaGov @UrugwiroVillage @GhanaPresidency

At the #AfricaForward Summit in Nairobi, I held productive bilateral discussions with African leaders on strengthening partnerships with @IFAD and advancing investment in rural economies through #IFAD14. In the bilateral with His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, we discussed the country’s priorities around nutrition, resilience and private-sector-led rural transformation. IFAD’s partnership with Lesotho continues to expand through investments in horticulture, financial inclusion and rural entrepreneurship, while mobilizing strong co-financing support from partners including @WorldBankGroup, @TheOPECFund and the @theGEF. My meeting with President @duma_boko of #Botswana focused on the catalytic effect of collaborating with national development banks and the private sector, including commercial banks and local SMEs, aligned with national priorities. With our investment in Bank Gaborone for example we are complementing our sovereign investments by crowding in private capital to enhancing finance for rural entrepreneurs and farmers toward sustainable food systems. We further discussed the impact of recent floods and the importance of climate smart farming and resilient infrastructure. With President @julius_maadabio of #SierraLeone, discussions centred on food security, resilience and strengthening integrated, climate-resilient food systems. Through major programmes supporting livestock, agricultural value chains and rural finance, IFAD’s partnership in Sierra Leone now spans 10 projects with total financing of US$473 million, demonstrating the scale of long-term investment and co-financing being mobilized around rural transformation. I also met with Prime Minister @mwigulunchemba1 of #Tanzania to discuss strengthening cooperation with IFAD and advancing investment in youth employment, climate-smart agriculture and rural economic opportunity. Tanzania is now one of IFAD’s largest portfolios in Africa, with more than US$3.3 billion in total financing mobilized since 1978, including new efforts to structure blended investment around the BBT-Coffee Programme and Tanzania’s wider rural transformation agenda. Across all discussions, there was strong recognition that investing in the first mile is critical not only for food security, but for economic resilience, stability and long-term growth across the continent. #FinancingTheFirstMile #IFADImpact

This afternoon on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, President Kagame met with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Álvaro Lario. They discussed ongoing cooperation between Rwanda and IFAD, particularly in advancing rural development, agricultural transformation, and resilience for smallholder farmers. The discussions also explored opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in support of inclusive growth, market access, and private sector participation in agriculture.

As the Africa Forward Summit concludes in Nairobi, one message stands out clearly. Africa’s economic transformation will increasingly depend on how successfully the continent invests in the first mile, rural economies and its growing young population. Over the past days, I engaged with Heads of State, financial institutions, investors and private sector leaders on the scale of the opportunity ahead and the partnerships required to unlock it. Today, my bilateral discussions with President @PaulKagame of Rwanda, President @JDMahama of Ghana and President @FA_Touadera of the Central African Republic focused on investment, economic resilience, job creation and support for #IFAD14. I also spoke at the Africa Forward Summit Agriculture Pillar roundtable, “Building Productive, Sustainable and Resilient Agri-Food Systems in Africa: Strengthening Partnerships”, alongside Heads of State, ministers, @AGRA_Africa CEO @aruhweza and other leaders. Discussions focused on mobilizing investment, strengthening food systems and expanding partnerships that can drive growth, resilience and economic opportunity across rural economies. In my meeting with Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of @KeEquityBank Limited, we discussed how stronger financial ecosystems, blended finance and strategic partnerships can expand access to capital, crowd in greater private sector investment and accelerate financing at the first mile. Reaching the scale required for transformation will depend on mobilizing both public and private capital. At @IFAD, we increasingly see recognition that rural economies and food systems are foundational to growth, stability and long-term economic resilience, particularly at a time of fiscal pressure, debt vulnerabilities and growing employment challenges across many economies. The conversations in Kenya reinforced the importance of investment-led approaches that can mobilize capital at scale, strengthen local markets and support country-led transformation. #FinancingTheFirstMile #AfricaForward @RwandaGov @GhanaPresidency

From #Rwanda to #France, stronger agricultural value chains are creating jobs, expanding market access and generating new income opportunities for rural communities. Through IFAD-financed investments and collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and private sector partners, producers were able to strengthen productivity and secure long-term agreements with international buyers such as Agro Sourcing. The result: stronger value chains, greater resilience to global shocks and a 26% increase in incomes. This is the impact of #FinancingTheFirstMile of food systems – combining public finance, private sector engagement and local organizations to create long-term economic opportunities for rural communities. At the #AfricaForward Summit, IFAD continues to advance partnerships that mobilize investment for resilient, market-oriented rural transformation across Africa and beyond. #IFADImpact #IFAD14 | @francediplo | @francediplo_EN | @Economie_Gouv | @RwandaAgri | @CaroitEleonore

I arrived at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, I met with Heads of State, private sector leaders and partners from across Africa and globally to discuss how investment in rural economies can drive jobs, growth and economic transformation. I held bilateral discussions with His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, President Duma Boko of Botswana, President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, Prime Minister Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba of Tanzania and heads of French development and research agencies. Across these conversations, there was strong recognition that food systems and rural economies are macro-critical to Africa’s future growth, stability and resilience, particularly as countries seek to create opportunities for a rapidly growing youth population. Africa has enormous potential not only to produce food, but also to process, transform and add greater value across the continent. Unlocking that opportunity requires greater investment, stronger partnerships and financing that reaches the first mile, where the impact on incomes, employment and resilience is greatest. As an #IFI, @IFAD is working as a co-investment platform with governments, development banks and private sector partners to help mobilize capital, crowd in investment and support country-led transformation across Africa’s rural economies as we build momentum towards #IFAD14. #FinancingTheFirstMile #AfricaForward

AFRICA FORWARD SUMMIT "IFAD’s 14th replenishment offers African leaders an opportunity to collectively channel resources where they are most needed: towards rural people who are most vulnerable to poverty, hunger, and shocks" - Alvaro Lario-IFAD President #KBCniYetu ^KG

Strategic partnerships between @IFAD's African leadership and long-term investors will be critical to shaping the continent’s food and economic future, a point strongly reflected in President @WilliamsRuto latest op-ed in @cnbcafrica . The next food shock will not begin in global markets. It will begin where young farmers cannot access finance, inputs, markets or opportunity. Africa has the youngest population in the world and one of the greatest agricultural opportunities. But this will only translate into growth, jobs and stability if investment reaches rural areas at scale. This is why partnerships and long-term financing matter. Through #IFAD14 as a co-investment platform, we have an opportunity to invest in rural youth, small-scale producers and resilient food systems before the next crisis arrives. Read the op-ed: cnbcafrica.com/2026/the-next-… #FinancingTheFirstMile #AfricaForward @StateHouseKenya @ForeignOfficeKE

Last week, I welcomed the Prime Minister of Haiti, @citoyendidier, to @IFAD’s Headquarters in Rome. The bilateral reaffirmed IFAD’s long standing partnership and commitment to Haiti’s rural economy. We discussed IFAD’s continued focus on reducing rural poverty and strengthening resilience through long term investments in sustainable agriculture and food production, complementing humanitarian efforts by addressing the root causes of vulnerability. IFAD’s investments, including in inclusive blue economy in the Northeast as well as increase and diversification of local food production in the Southeast contribute to the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, particularly in remote and underserved areas. Strengthening resilience to climate and economic shocks through local food systems development is crucial for food security, health diets and rural economic development. IFAD remains a committed, reliable partner to Haiti for inclusive and sustainable rural transformation. @PrimatureHT #FinancingTheFirstMile

Africa remains central to @IFAD's investment model, with nearly 60% of our core resources directed to the continent. That is why I am in #Nairobi for the Africa Forward Summit. At a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation, fiscal pressure and contracting aid flows, the conversation taking place here is an important one - how to mobilize investment, build productive sectors, expand opportunity and create jobs. At the Summit, it means I will be advancing three priorities: • Positioning agriculture and rural economies where they belong: at the centre of economic policy, as drivers of growth, employment, stability and resilience. • Strengthening IFAD’s role as a co-investment platform capable of crowding in greater public and private investment at the first mile of food systems, where investment has the greatest multiplier effect. • Building strong momentum for #IFAD14 and reinforcing the global case for sustained investment in rural economies. The discussions I will be having with African Heads of State, partners and the private sector reflect a shared understanding, development must increasingly be driven by investment, implementation and economic transformation. #FinancingTheFirstMile | #AfricaForward

With my personal appreciation to Ambassador @MartinSelmayr for inviting me to provide opening remarks at Villa Europa to celebrate #EuropeDay. Europe day is a celebration of peace, unity and cooperation. Those values have shaped Europe’s leadership at home and in the world. And Europe’s own history reminds us of a basic truth: food security underpins stability. After the Second World War, rebuilding a reliable and affordable food supply was central to recovery. It helped create the conditions for deeper cooperation between European states. That lesson still holds. Food insecurity and political instability remain closely linked. Following the recurrent energy and fertilisers price shocks, import-dependent countries face compounded pressures: higher input costs, tight fiscal space, and reliance on international markets for staple foods. When governments have limited room to act, global volatility translates quickly into domestic food insecurity. This is why food security is not only a development concern. It is a stability issue. It affects inflation, fiscal pressure, migration dynamics and supply chains.

See below my interview with the main French business newspaper, @LesEchos , on the impact of the Gulf crisis on global food security and small-scale producers. lesechos.fr/monde/afrique-… #FinancingTheFirstMile #IFAD14

Today we begin #IFAD14 consultations with a clear sense of responsibility. The operating environment for rural development has changed. Growth is slowing, inflation remains persistent, fiscal space is tightening, and supply chain disruptions are reaching rural communities with speed and force. For the small-scale producers @IFAD serves, this is not a distant macroeconomic trend. It affects whether inputs can be purchased, whether produce can reach markets, whether young people can find work, and whether families can plan beyond the next season. This is why IFAD14 matters. IFAD’s role is to make long-term investment possible where it is needed most and where perceived risk too often keeps finance away. Through core contributions, loan reflows, borrowed resources, supplementary funds, cofinancing and private sector engagement, we turn public resources into a wider platform for rural investment. Our priorities for IFAD14 are deliberately focused by strengthening rural markets, productive rural employment, and resilience that can withstand repeated shocks. Together with our Member States and over the next two days, our task is to sharpen these priorities, test our assumptions and build a replenishment that matches the scale of the moment. Learn more about IFAD14: ifad.org/en/ifad14/ #FinancingTheFirstMile

A constructive exchange this week in Brussels with Ambassador Hugo Brauwers, reaffirmed #Belgium’s strong and longstanding partnership with @IFAD. In today’s environment of recurrent shocks, sustained partnerships are essential. Belgium’s engagement with IFAD reflects a shared commitment to long-term investment in rural economies, supporting small-scale producers, strengthening value chains and building resilience where it is most needed. The conversation underlined our shared commitment to scaling private-sector engagement, alongside sovereign financing and targeted investments, to create jobs, strengthen local SMEs, while advancing green finance and climate resilience, ensuring that investments deliver both economic and environmental returns. As IFAD continues to scale its role as an international financial institution, partnerships such as this will be critical to mobilizing resources more effectively and delivering impact at scale. @BelgiumMFA #FinancingTheFirstMile