The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) doubled down on its support for rural Mexico, as President Alvaro Lario arrived in the country to meet top government officials and community leaders. Lario’s visit, his first since taking office, comes as Mexico eyes stronger food production and climate resilience through partnerships aimed at empowering small-scale farmers and Indigenous communities.
Speaking in Mexico City, Lario called the decades-long collaboration between IFAD and Mexico “a shared mission to build rural economies that create real work and lasting growth—especially for women and Indigenous people.” He met with Mexico’s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Bárcena, and Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, to discuss ongoing and new rural projects designed to improve food security and climate adaptation.
The Sheinbaum government has made homegrown food production a top priority, launching strategies like Plan Mexico and Cosechando Soberanía. These efforts help small farmers get the tools and funding they need to grow staples such as corn, beans, wheat, and coffee, and to bring their products to market1.
Projects backed by IFAD in Mexico focus on helping communities grow and protect local resources. For example, the Balsas Basin project helps farmers add value to their harvests, restore vital forests, and build new safeguards against wildfires. Another partnership, Agribiomex, works with the agricultural ministry to promote sustainable farming and protect forests—covering nearly a million hectares while fighting deforestation and helping communities avoid harmful farming practices.
IFAD has also helped Mexico access new international funds, making it easier to launch projects that cut carbon emissions while growing the rural economy. Over the past 45 years, IFAD and Mexico have worked together on 12 rural development projects worth $500 million, bringing jobs, income, and new skills to more than half a million people across the country.
