He added that we need to make it easier for the private sector and philanthropists to invest in rural areas – the places where rates of poverty and hunger are highest. “While the state should not intervene directly in rural finance, it should create an enabling environment,” he said. In 2015, Official Development Assistance (ODA) was approximately $192 billion and only $9 billion of that was earmarked for agriculture. Nwanze stressed that the financing needs for development are enormous, but so are the opportunities. The conference is co-organised by IFAD, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Brookings Institution and the University of Warwick and will continue from 26-27 January at IFAD Headquarters in Rome.

Source: GNN Liberia January 26, 2017 11:17 UTC