‘Hope for Poorest of Poor’
Thank you for bringing to light the latest and most encouraging news regarding the replenishment of funding for the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The importance of IFAD’s role in helping the rural poor and landless farmers in developing countries to help themselves cannot be overemphasized.
IFAD has estimated that while it costs $400 to ship a ton of food to Ethiopia to feed one person for a year, for $200 IFAD can train an Ethiopian farmer to raise a ton of food each year for the rest of his life.
IFAD fosters self-reliance among participants in its programs, primarily by providing support funding to local small-loan programs to the rural poor in developing countries. Its success rate has been phenomenal--some 98% of the loans made have been paid back, making IFAD one of the most cost-effective foreign aid programs anywhere.
MICHAEL P. TYLER
Temple City
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
