Food & Agriculture

IRD’s food and agriculture programs operate under a wide range of conditions, but all aim to improve the productivity and efficiency of food production, processing, and marketing systems. When possible, our programs also integrate nutrition, public health, sanitation, and water infrastructure, generating enduring results for communities worldwide. In Africa, for example, IRD uses participatory farmer field school methodologies to train farmers in crop and livestock production systems, business development, and creation of off-farm jobs. In Asia, we help local food processors develop and distribute nutritionally fortified noodles and other food products for schoolchildren – improving educational outcomes, child nutrition, and employment opportunities. Nutrition education and water sanitation and health are also important complementary components of IRD’s food security programs. For example, in southern Africa, IRD is building community resilience to drought by developing sustainable, small-scale irrigation and sanitation infrastructure, improving land and watershed management, and developing local businesses. With the support of our donors and partners, IRD plans to expand its work to alleviate hunger and improve nutrition, provide training and equipment to farmers and businesses, generate local employment opportunities, and strengthen entrepreneurial capacity and farm-to-market linkages.

Featured Initiatives

Capacity Building

IRD supports communities to become self-sufficient – to guide their own learning, l... more

Natural Resource Management

CAMEROON The loss of soil fertility caused by environmental degradation – primaril... more

Water & Sanitation

IRD develops a unique response to each situation using a wide variety of tools and... more

Women & Gender

IRD has a proud history of commitment to women’s issues since our founding in 1998.... more

Programs

Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture

AVIPA and AVIPA Plus were relief and stabilization programs funded by USAID and imp... more

Better Foods for Better Lives

Better Foods for Better Lives promotes both agricultural and private sector develop... more

Cambodia Food for Education

IRD is promoting primary education and reducing the incidence of hunger in 125 s... more

Child Survival in Cambodia

Funded by USAID’s Global Health bureau, IRD’s Child Survival and Health program use... more

Community Revitalization through Democratic Action

CRDA began as a community mobilization initiative and evolved to emphasize economic... more

Conservation Agriculture in Swaziland

Much of southern Africa is caught in a cycle of drought and flooding, making it dif... more

Enhancing the Value Chain Competitiveness of Sesame and Fonio in Mali and Burkina Faso

IRD is using proceeds from monetization of wheat, vegetable oil, and rice to enhanc... more

Food for Education in Liberia

IRD is addressing the problem of low attendance and achievement and poor nutritiona... more

Hambantota Educational Support Improvement Project

IRD worked in the Hambantota district of Sri Lanka in 2004–08 to distribute 12,000... more

Improving Agricultural Income and Employment in Zimbabwe

AgriTrade is a USAID-supported commercial lending facility that links farmers and a... more

Improving Cashew Production in the Senegambia

The Gambia River Basin Cashew Value Chain Enhancement Project (CEP) is a subregiona... more

Improving the Health of Vulnerable Communities in Rural Yemen

The health of 30,000 people in vulnerable communities in the Hodeidah Governorate o... more

Reducing Vulnerability to Drought, Cyclones & Climate Change in Mozambique

For over a decade, Inhambane province, Mozambique, has experienced severe cyclones... more

Restoring Livelihoods and Strengthening Value Chains in Zimbabwe

The REVALUE program worked with smallholder groundnut and bean farmers in Zimbabwe... more

Safe Educational Opportunities Project

Khammouane province in central Laos had one of the lowest primary school complet... more

Southern Regional Agricultural Development in Afghanistan

The Southern Regional Agricultural Development (S-RAD) program works to increase lo... more

Strengthening the Onion Value Chain in Niger

IRD and its partner organization SNV are implementing the $3 million onion value ch... more

Support to Pakistan Farmers Through Improved Citrus Orchards

Pakistan produces 13 million tons of fruit and vegetables, worth over $2 billion ea... more

The Serbia Agribusiness Project

The Serbian Agribusiness Project (SAP), funded by USAID, is assisting the Serbian a... more