The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

• Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
• 24, Jan 2022

Why in News:

Sri Lanka and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are working together to promote the island’s agriculture-based economy.

• They are now partnering to create the Smallholder Agribusiness and Resilience Project (SARP) to combat poverty, food insecurity and gender inequality.

How SARP Will Prevent Food Insecurity?

Part of food insecurity goes hand in hand with poverty. Farmers who cannot afford to manage their land or crops cannot produce an adequate supply of food. In turn, many of SARP’s poverty reduction efforts will ultimately improve food production levels.

About IFAD:

1. It is a specialized United Nations agency created in 1977 engaged in providing grants and loans with low interest for allied projects.
2. The IFAD works with rural people allowing them to enhance their food security, improve nutrition and raise their incomes.
3. It also helps people to expand their businesses.
4. The organization is an outcome of the World Food Conference of 1974.
5. It is headquartered in Rome and headed by a President.
6. It has 177 member countries.
7. IFAD brings out the Rural Development Reportevery year.

The objectives of the IFAD are three-fold:

1. To increase the productive capacity of poor people.
2. To increase benefits for them from market participation.
3. To strengthen the environmental sustainability & climate resilience of their economic activities.

Facts for Prelims:

Vidyanjali portal

The Vidyanjali portal will enable community/volunteers to contribute by connecting directly with the government and government-aided schools of their choice.

According to education ministry, any person who is a citizen of India/NRI/PIO OR any organization/institution/company/group registered in India can volunteer and contribute in two ways:

• Services/activities• Assets/material/equipment such as basic civil infrastructure, basic electrical infrastructure, classroom support materials and equipment, digital infrastructure, equipment for extra curricular activities and sports, yoga, health, etc.
• Serving and retired teachers, scientist/government/semi government officials, retired armed forces personnel, self-employed and salaried professionals, alumni of educational institutions, homemakers and any other literate person can volunteer at a school that requests for assistance.

NISHTHA 3.0

• NISHTHA 3.0 under NIPUN Bharat is a platform that provides training to teachers on how to make education more enjoyable for a practical understanding.
• Around 25 lakh teachers will be benefitted and trained through NISHTHA