Climate change threatens rural poor

CLIMATE change is one of the most serious threats to small farmers and the world’s poor rural people, according to Matthew Wyatt, assistant president, International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD).

Mr Wyatt led a delegation to Ireland last week from IFAD, a lending institution that specifically targets small-holder farming communities, the only United Nations-based body with such a mandate.

Ireland was one of the founders of IFAD in 1977 and is providing €6 million to a three-year replenishment programme (2007-2009).