IFAD Projects: Results and Impact on Poverty Reduction in Rural China

Abstract

This paper analyses the economic, social and ecological benefits of projects of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) in China during the past two-and-a-half decades. An investigation was carried out through field visits to Jilin, Anhui, Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces and a comprehensive assessment was made of 12 IFAD projects in 13 provinces. The authors offer a systematic examination of the projects' impact on China's rural poverty reduction in five respects: food security, women and vulnerable groups, government policies on poverty reduction, state policies on rural finance, and institutional and capacity building of the Chinese government and the community. It is concluded that IFAD projects have achieved outstanding results and far-reaching impacts, and have played an important role in rural poverty reduction. Finally, with regard to policy recommendations, the authors propose that the Chinese government should: (a) continue to cooperate with IFAD for rural poverty reduction; (b) play IFAD's demonstrative role in other poor areas of China; and (c) facilitate the institutional reform of China's rural financial system.