Unilever and IFAD sign agreement to bolster agriculture worldwide

Unilever has announced the formation of a groundbreaking new public-private partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) spanning the next five years.

Aimed at helping to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers around the world, the collaboration will help to improve food security through by raising agricultural productivity, linking farmers to markets, reducing risk and vulnerability, improving non-farm rural employment and making agriculture more sustainable.

This will leverage IFAD's knowledge and expertise in working with small-scale farmers and rural enterprises, as well as Unilever's ability to integrate farmers into markets and its expertise in sustainable agriculture.

It represents the first global agreement of its kind involving IFAD and a private sector partner.

Paul Polman, chief executive officer of Unilever, said: "Now, more than ever, the world needs to increase investment in agriculture and this investment must come from both the public and private sectors to effect truly scalable transformational change."

This comes after the firm recently presented its first ever HRH The Prince of Wales Young Sustainability Entrepreneur Prize to a talented young Indonesian businessman at the inaugural Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards event.