ISLAMABAD (TW) __ The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) remains committed to partnering with the Islamist Republic of Pakistan for inclusive and accelerated rural poverty reduction and enhanced food security, said Fernanda Thomaz Da Rocha, IFAD’s new country director for Pakistan.
“IFAD and Pakistan have had an enduring partnership for more than 40 years, working together for inclusive and sustainable rural development, supporting the government to achieve national priorities and objectives. I look forward to continuing this excellent work, applying innovative approaches, building partnerships, including with the private sector, and ensuring that women and young people are integrated into the rural economy,” said Rocha while presenting her credentials last week to Ambassador Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.
Da Rocha takes up her new position at a critical time, when erratic climate patterns are negatively impacting food production and rural livelihoods across the globe and especially in Pakistan, which suffered devastating floods in 2022. Small-scale rural farmers, who make up the majority of farmers in Pakistan, are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
To help respond to this, Da Rocha brings over 18 years of experience in finance and implementation of development programmes in agriculture, environment, and infrastructure-related poverty alleviation.
In her previous role as IFAD’s Senior Regional Technical Specialist in Rural Institutions for the Latin America and the Caribbean region, she led designs and technical assistance of investment projects in the region, particularly for small-scale farmers’ agriculture development, farmers’ organizations and rural institutions, territorial development, and sustainable production systems.
Before joining IFAD, she served as senior manager in different divisions of the Brazilian Development Bank-BNDES and led financing programmes and projects for rural development and poverty reduction in Brazil. Da Rocha has extensive experience in the development of country strategies and the design and implementation of poverty alleviation programmes in poor and climate change-affected areas. A national of Brazil, she holds a master’s in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley, USA.
In her new role, she will lead the Pakistan country team to offer expert guidance on IFAD’s strategic direction, thematic priorities and the technical quality of its investments and operations in the country.
“I will ensure that IFAD’s technical knowledge and strategies focus on how IFAD, working with partners, can deliver the greatest impact to increase rural communities’ incomes and livelihoods, and build their ability to adapt to climate change and shocks,” she said.
IFAD has five active projects in Pakistan, making it currently the IFAD’s portfolio with the highest IFAD financing amount. IFAD’s investment in Pakistan aimed at transitioning the ultra-poor through proven graduation models centred on women and young people, while contributing to Pakistan’s vision for an agriculture sector that continues to modernize and commercialize in a way that is inclusive, climate smart and attractive to rural youth.
Since 1978, IFAD and Pakistan have collaborated on 28 Projects for a total investment of US$2.91 billion with IFAD financing amounting to US$920 million. The ongoing IFAD projects’ cost is about US$691 million of which US$451 million is contributed by IFAD.
IFAD programme in Pakistan contributes to enhancing the productivity and profitability of small-scale farmers by encouraging climate-resilient diversification in farming and building agribusinesses that would put more money in their pockets. IFAD’s investment is focused on inclusivity, enabling women, youth and landless and ultra-poor households to graduate to self-sustaining decent livelihoods through a combination of skills, productive assets, start-up capital for enterprises and engagement in remunerative employment in the rural economy.Read more about IFAD’s work in Pakistan.