Planting hope in remote communities, with Alvaro Lario | IFAD President | Awake at Night

Growing up in rural Spain, Alvaro Lario’s parents managed a small fruit farm that sold melons in local villages. Now he is President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is helping small scale farmers to thrive all around the world. “All of these people are extremely entrepreneurial. They're extremely creative. They have a lot of willingness and energy. Many times it's just the lack of opportunity or the lack of means, and I think that's what makes this job or this role very rewarding.” The UN supports rural communities around the world as they gain economic self-reliance through agricultural activities. In this episode, Alvaro Lario reflects on attracting private sector investment for those projects, on what indigenous groups can teach others about resilience to global shocks, and shares how building one new road can transform thousands of lives. [00:00] Introduction [00:29] Transforming rural livelihoods through agricultural investment [04:57] Building resilience and economic opportunities [09:24] What keeps Alvaro awake at night [11:07] The entrepreneurial spirit of small-scale farmers [12:23] Why water matters for sustainable development [14:36] Climate change and the future of food systems [18:03] Growing up with farming roots in Spain [20:24] Small investments with a lasting impact [21:57] Why empowering women farmers matters [23:41] The challenge of attracting the next generation of farmers [28:03] Can technology transform agriculture? [29:20] Learning from Indigenous communities [32:26] The most rewarding part of the job [33:16] Closing remarks Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt #podcast #UnitedNations #AwakeAtNight #IFAD #food #agriculture About Awake at Night Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.


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