Every year, delegates from IFAD’s Member States come to Rome to participate in the Governing Council. This is IFAD’s main decision-making body, where 180 Member States collectively set IFAD’s direction for the years to come.

With dramatic changes in the development space and ever more pressing challenges, the need for multilateralism and coming together as one to chart the best path forward for rural people has never seemed so critical. To do this, we are committed to investing in the first mile – that is, in the rural areas of developing countries, where much of the world’s food is grown.

As IFAD prepares to welcome Member States and a record number of ministers and governors, we look back at decisions made at previous Governing Councils that have made a difference in rural people’s lives.