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showcase a variety of projects in which its ASAP programme channels climate finance to smallholder farmers to build their adaptive capacities - that is, their ability to withstand, absorb and recover from climate shocks. Smallholder farmers are among those who have contributed the least to climate change yet stand to be affected by it the most. Given their role in ensuring their country’s food supply, it is imperative to work with rural people to increase their resilience and adaptability. By investing in them we can better fight the effects of climate change around the world while also promoting food security for all. ■References1Ferrarese C., Mazzoli E., Rinaldi R., 2016. Review of economic and livelihood benefits for ASAP-supported investments. IFAD Publications, Rome, Italy.ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Kanayo F. Nwanze is President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is dedicated to ensuring that agriculture is a central part of the international development agenda, and that governments recognize the concerns of smallholder farmers and other poor rural people. Dr Nwanze has been a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Food Security since 2010. He was previously Director-General of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Africa Rice Center for a decade, where he was instrumental in introducing and promoting New Rice for Africa, or NERICA, a high-yield, drought- and pest-resistant variety developed specifically for the African landscape. Dr Nwanze graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and has a Doctorate in Agricultural Entomology from Kansas State University. He has also received honorary degrees from McGill University, Canada, and the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, as well as numerous honours and awards from governments, and national and international institutions. He has published extensively, is a member of several scientific associations and has served on various executive boards.ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (IFAD)The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s poorest people - 1.4 billion women, children and men - live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods.Above left: A coffee picker in Timor-Leste Below left: Dr Kanayo F. NwanzeBelow right: Women farmers in El Fasher, Sudan Photo Credit: UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran AGRICULTURE 075