IFAD launches $200 million climate facility for Rwandan farmers
The International Fund for Agricultural Development began a $200 million blended finance initiative to support agricultural adaptation in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. A separate $21 million partnership with Bank of Kigali is set to finalize shortly.
At the opening of the African Food Systems Forum 2026 on September 2 in Kigali, Gérardine Mukeshimana, Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), announced a new $200 million blended finance facility. The initiative targets farmers across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda to expand climate adaptation financing. Mukeshimana stated that approximately 60 percent of IFAD core resources are invested in Africa. She emphasized that public financing alone cannot meet the continent's investment needs. Instead, she argued governments must use public funds strategically to reduce risk and unlock private sector capital. In addition to this global facility, IFAD is scheduled to sign a separate $21 million blended-finance partnership with Bank of Kigali on September 4. This smaller deal aims specifically to expand financing for farmers' organizations in Rwanda. The broader effort seeks to utilize development finance to mobilize more private capital for Africa's food systems.
