Empowering Rural Innovation: IFAD Spotlights Grassroots Solutions from Eritrea to Pakistan

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched a bold new global consultation today to co-create its upcoming Innovation Strategy, placing the spotlight on small-scale food producers as pioneers of people-powered transformation. The announcement came during IFAD’s Innovation Day held at its Rome headquarters, where inspiring grassroots innovations from across the Global South took center stage.

The event, themed "Transforming Rural Futures", emphasized the importance of inclusive, farmer-driven innovation in reshaping the prospects of rural communities worldwide. IFAD’s new approach seeks to amplify local voices, ensuring that innovation emerges from and directly benefits those who know the land best—its tillers, gatherers, and cultivators.

Innovation Day Opens with a Vision for Prosperity and Resilience

Carola Alvárez, Managing Director of IFAD’s Office of Development Effectiveness, set the tone during the opening session by stating, “We strive to make innovation a driving force behind prosperity, resilience, and connectivity across rural economies.” Her remarks underscored IFAD’s intention to shift innovation from a top-down imposition to a ground-up evolution, led by communities themselves.

By reimagining how innovation is defined and deployed, IFAD aims to ensure that it becomes not only more inclusive but also more impactful, scalable, and sustainable. The focus is on farmer-centered design, digital equity, social inclusion—especially for women and marginalized groups—and climate resilience.

From the Red Sea to South Asia: Real-World Solutions Transform Lives

Among the standout innovations showcased were two groundbreaking projects—one from Eritrea and another from Pakistan—each demonstrating the power of local ingenuity.

Eritrea: Turning Marine Waste into Agricultural Gold

In Eritrea, a pioneering project funded by IFAD is transforming fish waste and locally harvested seaweed into organic liquid fertilizer. This sustainable solution is more than just an agricultural input—it’s a game-changer. Farmers report a 35% reduction in fertilizer costs and a 27% increase in crop yields. Moreover, the initiative has created over 250 new jobs, with a remarkable 90% going to women, fostering both environmental and economic empowerment.

This innovation not only reduces dependency on imported chemical fertilizers but also curbs marine pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The project serves as a scalable model for climate-smart agriculture, particularly in fragile ecosystems prone to climate disruptions.

Pakistan: Breaking Barriers with Voice Technology

In rural Pakistan, where women often face digital and educational barriers, IFAD, in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan and mobile engagement firm Viamo, is using a simple yet powerful tool: the basic mobile phone. Through an audio-based campaign, rural women receive weekly voice messages in local languages, providing life-saving information on health, nutrition, climate resilience, and gender equality.

Unlike many tech-based solutions, this one requires no smartphone, internet access, or literacy—making it fully inclusive. To date, the initiative has reached tens of thousands of women, empowering them to make better decisions for their families and communities—one call at a time.

A New Strategy Rooted in Participation

The consultation process for IFAD’s new Innovation Strategy, which opened on 20 May, invites a diverse range of stakeholders—from farmers and NGOs to researchers and governments—to co-design solutions tailored to rural realities. The aim is to develop a forward-looking roadmap that addresses urgent challenges while harnessing the wealth of indigenous knowledge and creativity in rural areas.

Supporting this inclusive approach is “Improving Innovation,” a flagship knowledge product drawing from 180 scholarly sources and the insights of 40 global experts. This comprehensive guide will inform the ongoing strategy development and provide a knowledge foundation for future action.

Building the Future—Together

As IFAD looks to the future, its commitment to grassroots innovation and participatory development is clear. “We want to listen better, co-create more, and deliver better results for those who need them most,” emphasized Alvárez.

The evolving Innovation Strategy will prioritize:

• Farmer-Centered Design: Co-developing solutions with communities.

• Digital Transformation: Bridging the digital divide.

• Social Inclusion: Empowering women, youth, and marginalized groups.

• Climate Resilience: Building adaptive capacity against environmental shocks.

By aligning innovation with the lived experiences of rural people, IFAD is not just investing in tools or technologies—it is investing in human potential. The innovations presented today underscore that the future of rural development lies in the hands of those closest to the land.