CATEGORY:	Development actor
CSA PROJECT:	Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme
SCALE:	National coordination actions
PERIOD OF THE PROJECT:	2012- present
GRANT SIZE OF THE PROJECT:	N/A

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial and specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty. IFAD is involved in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) through general research, policy formulation, knowledge dissemination, technology transfer, coordination and networking, communication, and financing of climate smart agriculture actions. The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture programme seeksto make climate and environmental finance work for smallholder farmers.

Smallholder farmers are on the frontline of climate change. They inhabit some of the most vulnerable landscapes, such as hillsides, rangelands, semi-arid and arid lands, deltas and flood plains, and rely on climate-sensitive natural resources to make a living. As a result, they are at significant risk from increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme events such as floods and droughts. Smallholders often lack secure land tenure and resource rights, and access to markets and finance. Climate change exacerbates existing threats and presents a need to devise new financial and programming instruments to address complex emerging problems. The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) is IFAD’s flagship programme for channeling climate and environmental finance to smallholder farmers.

IFAD’s approach to promoting CSA for smallholders focuses on three core objectives: increasing yields and incomes in a sustainable manner; building adaptive capacity and resilience; and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

BEYOND FARM LEVEL	TARGET BENEFICIARIES	INDICATORS MONITORED
Gender inclusion in climate change adaptation	Women	Increased participation of women in, and their benefits from, climate-change adaptation
Policy engagements	Agricultural institutions	International climate change commitments and national adaptation priorities

The organisation is a member of the following networks: Africa Food Sovereignty Alliance- AFSA; Africa Biodiversity Network –ABN; Kenya Organic Agriculture Network –KOAN and Climate Smart Agriculture Multi stakeholder Platform among others.