Programme priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean
Josefina StubbsDirector of Latin America and the Caribbean, PMD
22-23 April 2008
8th Replenishment
The regional challenges and opportunities
Rural poverty and inequality have a negative effect on household and national economic growth
LAC holds 38% of the world’s tropical forests
Wide range of economies - IDA + MICs providing flexibility for pro-poor program and policy responses
Institutional development that allows for innovation at local level with global relevance
LAC generates knowledge and experience that is an asset for IFAD’s global program
IFAD’s comparative advantage in the region
IFAD reaches those marginalized areas as no other IFI does.
In Colombia, US$15 million helped 21 000 micro-entrepreneurs to increase their earnings by 23%, and generated 43 000 jobs.
33% of all beneficiaries of our program in Haiti are women.
22% of IFAD’s regional loan portfolio target indigenous people.
Responding to the emerging crisis in food prices
IFAD needs to step up its support selectively for the most affected Andean, Caribbean and Central American countries:
Expand availability of agricultural inputs (i.e. seeds) to increase food production and productivity
Strengthen synergies with other IFIs for higher impact and long term solutions
Increase investment in rural infrastructure and market institutions
2007-2008: Impact of projected food price increases on trade balances
Countries with TB losses shown in red
Countries with TB gains shown un blue
Addressing climate change
Community-based natural resource and forestry management
Market-based approaches (PES et al.) to conservation of forests and agricultural areas
Strengthen linkages between the PL portfolio and the climate change agenda, for example by setting up:
Risk insurance schemes, and establishment of commodity exchanges to enhance market transparency and predictability
Adaptation programmes to improve the resilience of the Caribbean islands which will be particularly affected by rising sea levels, to prevent
salinization of aquifers and continued availability of water irrigation
Leveraging remittances for rural poverty reduction
Replicate and upscale current programmes
Promote the development of financial services and institutions in rural areas
Scale-up innovative rural savings, micro-finance and micro-insurance schemes
Responding to the MICs agenda
Develop new financial instruments, tailored to characteristics of these countries, strengtheninglinks with the private sector
Build up additional knowledge-sharing instruments, including South-South cooperation schemes
Build on developments in information and communication technologies to further capacity-building schemes in rural areas