A partnership to eradicate rural poverty - IFAD

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Healthier livestock produces more milk in Lebanon Lebanon’s 17-year civil war left rural families with few cattle,sheep and goats.IFAD and the OPEC Fund cofinanced the US$21.9 million Smallholder Livestock Rehabilitation Project, to enable herding families in the Bekaa Valley to purchase animals and obtain technical assistance to improve the production of milk, meat and wool.The project ran from 1993 to 2002. Farmers secured loans to buy high-yielding imported dairy cows and local varieties of sheep and goats. Dairy cattle were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease. The project constructed ten milk collection centres to provide a more hygienic way of collecting milk. Five extension centres trained nearly 1,000 participants in animal health, livestock breeding and post-harvest processing.Women took courses in how to organize small-scale entrepreneurial activities, such as selling handicrafts. Many women formed food production cooperatives to process fruits and vegetables. One of greatest impacts of the project was an increase in annual milk production, from about 3,500 litres per cow to more than 6,000 litres. More hygienic processing reduced the amount of milk rejected because of poor quality from 20 per cent to 1.7 per cent and led to a 50 per cent rise in the price farmers received for their milk. The vaccination campaign reduced the incidence of animal diseases. Harnessing the life-giving force of the Niger River in Mali In the desert of Mali, where there is water, there is life.When rainfall is abundant, the Niger River floods its banks, raising the water levels of lakes and ponds. In the dry season, the lakes recede and in some years rainfall is so sparse the lakes dry up. The limited availability of water contributes to poor agricultural production. The US$11 million Development Project in the Zone Lacustre helped farmers, fishers and herders in the northern Niafunké region of the country to conserve water and use improved farming techniques to boost yields.The project received cofinancing from IFAD and the OPEC Fund, and ran from 1987 to 1996. Land was levelled so that water from the lakes and ponds could be used for irrigation. Dams and floodgates helped maintain water in the lakes for longer periods and small pumps transferred water to nearby fields. Technical advice enabled farmers to make the most of the floating rice system, a way of planting seedlings in the flooded plains and transferring them as the water recedes. Women’s groups worked plots of 5 ha of irrigated vegetable gardens using improved varieties of rice, sorghum and other crops.The yields were large enough so the women could feed their families and still have a surplus to sell or trade. As the water levels of lakes and ponds rose and remained high for longer periods, more families were able to settle there, engaging in both farming and fishing. A second phase of the project, approved in 1996 and ongoing, is building on these achievements and introducing new efforts to improve health and nutrition, including better access to clean water and sanitation. 16
Improved irrigation and better animal health reduces poverty in Morocco In the southern arid zones of Morocco, population pressure and limited natural resources are major constraints.The US$52.5 million Tafilalet and Dades Rural Development Project was implemented between 1994 and 2001 to modernize irrigation systems and improve animal health. IFAD and the OPEC Fund contributed to the financing of the project. The project focused on people living in two main ecosystems. One was arid and pre-Saharan, where agricultural production depended on the availability of water for irrigation.The other was steppe, where raising goats, sheep and other livestock was the main source of income. The use of small-scale irrigation is a tradition in Morocco. Equipment was repaired and reinforced and dykes were installed to protect cultivated fields from flooding. Rotation, land-resting schemes and other techniques allowed farming and grazing lands to recover from degradation. Farmers planted fodder shrubs to prevent soil erosion and ensure improved grazing lands for livestock. More than 2 million animals were vaccinated against disease and another 3 million were treated against parasites. Women learned new skills to help them generate income. They also attended literacy classes to improve their business skills.The project introduced a new breed of goat that women could purchase for a third of the market price and pay for in several instalments. The women also had access to free veterinary care for their animals. A cooperative made it possible for 1,200 women to process goat’s milk into cheese. Women formed five associations, made up of more than 200 women farmers and livestock herders. Women’s groups helped other women share experiences and develop marketing plans to ensure that agricultural products found a market outlet. 17
Page 1 and 2: IFAD AND THE OPEC FUND A partnershi
Page 3 and 4: Making a difference in the fight ag
Page 5 and 6: Foreword It is 30 years since OPEC
Page 7 and 8: With support from their crew leader
Page 9 and 10: Transforming this idea into reality
Page 11 and 12: Gender matters This is especially t
Page 13 and 14: Reversing land degradation through
Page 15 and 16: Each partner focuses on certain sec
Page 17: IFAD AND THE OPEC FUND COFINANCE PR
Page 21 and 22: IFAD AND THE OPEC FUND JOINTLY SUPP
Page 23 and 24: Cover photo: A man prepares vegetab

A partnership to eradicate rural poverty - IFAD

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