President of UN International Fund for Agricultural Development Alvaro Lario to visit Helsinki

President of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario will visit Helsinki on 16–17 June. The topics on the agenda are Finland’s cooperation with IFAD and global food security.

During his visit, President Alvaro Lario will meet Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah and members of the Development Policy Committee. President Lario will also meet members of the Finnish Water Forum in his role as the Chair of UN-Water, which coordinates the UN’s work on water and sanitation.

“It is essential to build sustainable food systems and reduce aid dependence. The private sector and innovation can be leveraged to support long-term agricultural development and self-sufficiency in developing countries,” says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

IFAD is the only international financial institution exclusively focused on transforming rural economies, and the only specialised UN agency to have received an international credit rating. IFAD’s efforts deliver results: for every dollar received, the Fund has mobilised an average of six dollars in investment at the country level.

“Investing at the first mile, in rural communities where food is grown and livelihoods are made, is where development finance can have the greatest impact. IFAD’s experience shows these investments can increase incomes, productive capacity and access to markets by over 30 per cent,” says President Lario.

“With like-minded partners like Finland, we are combining innovation, strong public investment and private sector engagement to scale sustainable solutions — strengthening food security, building resilience and creating jobs and lasting opportunities in rural areas.”

Finland’s priorities for IFAD are private sector engagement and innovation. As one of the co-chairs of the School Meals Coalition, Finland also highlights IFAD’s role in promoting school meals.

“Linking school meals with local food production and farmers supports the entire local community,” says Minister Tavio.

Investing in agriculture also supports national resilience and stability. IFAD mainly provides funding in the form of concessional loans; however, the poorest countries and those with low debt sustainability also receive grant-based assistance. Ukraine became a member of IFAD in 2024.

Finland’s support for global food security through IFAD

Finland is a long-term supporter of IFAD. Finland has pledged EUR 13 million in grant-based assistance and EUR 30 million in partner loans for the13th replenishment of IFAD (IFAD-13, 2025–2027). Finland also contributes EUR 3 million to IFAD Private Sector Financing Programme to promote business growth and market access for small-scale farmers in particular.

Finland has invested USD 32.5 million in IFAD’s Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Financing Mechanism (ARCAFIM). The mechanism facilitates access to official banking services for small-scale farmers and SMEs in East Africa for the next seven years.  In addition, Finland is also funding IFAD’s Green Finance for Youth Employment project in Kenya with EUR 8 million in 2024–2027. The project promotes the employment of young people in rural areas.