IFAD Urges Scaled-Up Finance for Coastal Communities at UN Ocean Summit

At the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is delivering a critical message: global efforts to protect the ocean must prioritize financing and empowering small-scale fishers and coastal communities. From 9–13 June, IFAD leadership is emphasizing the urgent need to direct more innovative, sustainable, and inclusive financial models toward these frontline stewards of marine ecosystems.

With marine degradation accelerating, IFAD is calling for a surge in blended finance, blue bonds, and green technologies to simultaneously preserve biodiversity, improve nutrition, and secure livelihoods for vulnerable communities.

“Our oceans are deteriorating quickly. We cannot afford to wait longer to invest at scale in small-fishing and coastal communities who have the highest incentives to conserve the ecosystems that are central to their way of life,” said Pieternel Boogaard, IFAD’s Managing Director of the Office of Technical Delivery.

The Financial Gap: Urgency of Investment

Despite the critical role oceans play in climate regulation, biodiversity, and food security, annual investments in ocean conservation remain alarmingly low. The UN estimates $175 billion per year is needed to meet Sustainable Development Goal 14, yet between 2015 and 2019, less than $10 billion was allocated globally.

IFAD is highlighting this stark disparity, particularly as small-scale fisheries account for 90% of global fisheries and aquaculture production, supporting 492 million people worldwide, nearly half of whom are women.

Blended Finance and Blue Bonds: Unlocking Capital

At the conference, Boogaard will champion blended finance mechanisms as a viable path to scale up investment. By leveraging public funds, private capital, and philanthropic contributions, blended finance reduces risk for investors while delivering environmental and social returns.

Boogaard will also showcase IFAD’s blue bond innovations, noting the organization’s first sustainable development bond issuance in 2022. These bonds direct capital into climate-smart coastal projects, including community-based fisheries management, sustainable aquaculture, and nature-based solutions like mangrove planting.

Carbon Markets and Nature-Based Solutions

Boogaard will further explore how carbon trading systems can unlock new revenue streams for coastal communities. Projects such as mangrove reforestation and seaweed farming not only act as carbon sinks but also strengthen coastal resilience against rising sea levels and storm surges. These nature-based solutions can be monetized through carbon credits, offering financial incentives for ecosystem stewardship.

Green Technologies and Value Chains

A major focus of IFAD’s work is reducing post-harvest losses, which can claim up to a third of small fishers’ catch due to spoilage. By investing in solar-powered fish dryers, energy-efficient cold storage, and eco-friendly transport, IFAD is building more resilient and profitable fish value chains.

These interventions improve product quality, extend shelf life, and reduce the pressure on fish stocks, while creating economic opportunities for women and youth involved in fish processing and marketing.

Combatting Harmful Subsidies

IFAD is also advocating for a global shift away from harmful fishing subsidies that promote overfishing and resource depletion. Instead, the agency calls for the reallocation of subsidies to support sustainable practices, community-managed fisheries, and innovation in conservation. As a technical partner to the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism, IFAD plays a key role in supporting developing and least-developed countries in implementing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

IFAD’s Impact to Date: A Track Record of Support

Since 2010, IFAD has invested $1.4 billion across 130 projects that directly address the needs of small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal livelihoods. These projects have reached an estimated 80 million beneficiaries, including:

• Small-scale fishers

• Artisanal fish traders

• Women and youth in coastal value chains

• Indigenous communities in marine zones

This long-term engagement underscores IFAD’s belief that coastal communities are key players in ocean sustainability, not passive recipients of aid.

From Vision to Action, Finance Must Flow Now

At the UN Ocean Conference, IFAD is reinforcing the call for scaled-up, science-based, and community-led financing models. Coastal people are not only essential to protecting marine ecosystems — they are partners in building a sustainable Blue Economy.

“This is a smart investment which will bring substantial returns for economic well-being, better nutrition and ocean health,” Boogaard concluded.

With the oceans under threat and small-scale producers under pressure, the time to act — and invest — is now.