Stockholm - "With the right investments and partnerships, we can create resilient food systems that feed the growing population in harmony with nature, while they deliver jobs, stability, and hope for future generations," said Gerardine Mukeshimana, Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), today at the EAT Stockholm Food Forum.

Following the launch of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission, Report on Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food System, Mukeshimana said: "The report confirms what IFAD has been advocating for: Food systems present a great opportunity to deliver on global challenges, addressing climate issues, sustainability and inequality".

"We need to invest in what has been proven to work, with our investments leading to income increases over 50 per cent. This type of projects bring practical solutions that can help bridge the gap between scientific research and the real needs of the backbone of food systems: small-scale producers, rural women, and young entrepreneurs in the first mile of rural areas."

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©IFAD

Between 2022 and 2024, IFAD investments created nearly 390,000 jobs and enabled 1.1 million households to adopt climate-resilient practices, according to the 2025 Report on IFAD's Development Effectiveness.

Project participants saw average income increases of 34 per cent, with 'transformational impacts'-income increases over 50 per cent- nearly half of the projects sampled by the RIDE report.

By combining finance, training, infrastructure, and market access, IFAD's investments have consistently demonstrated that holistic interventions are most effective in generating jobs and sustainable livelihoods. The RIDE assessment indicates both production and market access rising by 35 per cent, showcasing that investments in the first mile are key to connecting smallholder farmers to profitable opportunities.

The Vice-President of IFAD urged governments, investors, and development partners to scale up investments in rural communities along the 'from farm to fork' value chain as a strategic pathway to a safer, more prosperous world, delivering real, long-lasting socio-economic transformation, food security and climate resilience.

In 2023, IFAD and partners disbursed US$17.8 billion for food systems to help unlock trillions in potential business opportunities, while mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity and ensuring healthier diets.

Partnering with Sweden for impact

Sweden's government and private sector have been vital partners in these transformational achievements over the last years. In 2022, IFAD became the first UN fund outside the World Bank Group to issue a sustainable development bond - a US$100 million bond issued with the support of Folksam, a major Swedish insurer.

"If one of our customers asks us, 'why do you invest my pension in IFAD?' (...) IFAD takes on the challenge of things that you don't want in your life - poverty, inequality, lack of food. Companies with high ambitions to contribute to a sustainable world cannot overlook financial institutions like IFAD, with its focus and commitment to help adapt and mitigate climate events and climate issues," said Mark Johnsson, strategist, Folksam Asset Management

Since the first bond, IFAD and the Swedish financial sector have continued to innovate. This includes a one billion Swedish Krona bond in 2024 led by Skandia, a Swedish insurer and Folksam, and a 900 million Krona bond issued with Kåpan, the pension fund for Swedish state employees, and Skandia in 2025.

"Our partnership with Sweden is not just financial. It is a shared commitment to tackle poverty and hunger, empower women, adapt to the realities of climate change, and engage with private sector," said Mukeshimana. "Together, we are addressing the root causes of instability and forced migration by building resilience abroad, and stability at home."

Mukeshimana also highlighted IFAD's ability to deliver lasting solutions in fragile contexts, announcing that the Fund is designing Ukraine's first rural recovery programme to support smallholders, women, youth and internally displaced people. Sweden's leadership in Ukraine can be amplified through IFAD's expertise in inclusive, climate-smart rural development.

IFAD remains the only UN fund or body, other than the World Bank Ground, with a AA+ credit rating, reaffirmed in 2025 - reflecting its efficiency, effectiveness, and strong track record as a high-performing financial institution that multiplies Member States contributions into long-lasting impact for the world's poorest rural communities. For every US$1 in donor contributions, IFAD have turned it into US$6 in investments on the ground.

Note to editors:

IFAD-Sweden Partnership. Since IFAD was established, Sweden has contributed US$619 million to the Fund's core budget, being IFAD's 9th largest donor historically, and providing strategic guidance to the Fund. With this core support, Sweden contributes to creating opportunities so that millions of rural people can thrive in their own communities. Through the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), Sweden supports IFAD's crucial work on remittances, indigenous people's empowerment and resilience-building.

Key findings of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission, Report on Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food System :

Shifting global diets could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths per year.

Food systems are the largest contributor to the transgression of five planetary boundaries.

Food systems currently account for roughly 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally. Transforming food systems could cut these emissions by more than half.

Fewer than 1% of the world's population is currently in the 'safe and just space', where people's rights and food needs are met within planetary boundaries.

The wealthiest 30% of people drive more than 70% of food-related environmental impacts.

Media contact: Alberto Trillo Barca | a.trillobarca@ifad.org | +39 366 576 3706

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No.: IFAD/77/2025

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome - the United Nations food and agriculture hub - IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.

A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD's work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.