The LLF will be holding official delegation level talks with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) to reinforce its ongoing commitment to ensuring food security and poverty alleviation in Indonesia’s upland areas through a USD 66 million flagship project, titled, ‘Development of Integrated Farming Systems in Upland Areas’. The UPLAND Project, an integrated agricultural development program co-financed by the IsDB and the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in conjunction with the Government of Indonesia (GoI), is benefitting 120,000 households in 14 districts across seven provinces since its inception in 2018.

The donor mission visit will put a special focus on the need to support smallholder farming systems and agriculture communities to develop resilience, accelerate collective action to tackle food insecurity, and increase blended finance for integrated development programs.

This collaboration aims to reduce poverty in the highlands through profitable, sustainable, and resilient livelihoods. In addition, this collaboration aims to increase agricultural productivity through new good agronomic practices, strengthening farmers associations and linking them to domestic and international markets.

The Upland Project have so far trained 6000 smallholder farmers (40% women) on several interventions, including good agronomic practices that are critical to raising productivity, conserving the resource bases and for minimizing post-harvest losses. over 1200 ha of irrigated lands have been developed and/or rehabilitated. Moreover, 120 km of rural access roads that link farmers to input and output markets have been developed and/or rehabilitated. Additionally, over 1200 ha of irrigated lands have been developed and/or rehabilitated. Moreover, 120 km of rural access roads that link farmers to input and output markets have been developed and/or rehabilitated.

With improved capacity, the project farmers have succeeded in exporting 20 tons of pepper from Purbalingga Regency to Japan and it has been agreed that this export will continue until 2024 with a total target of 300 tons.

The delegation will also visit select project sites in the highland areas to observe the interventions, structures and support put in place to enhance smallholder farming systems, and bolster value chains of strategic food security crops such as rice. The delegation will visit smallholder farmers, including women and youth, and discuss their role in homestead agricultural activities to boost the productivity of their farms.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The UPLAND Project financing totals USD 151.4 million, consisting of: (i) an IsDB Financing of USD 70 million under the Lives and Livelihood Fund (LLF) that is established by the bank and its development partners to provide concessional financing to low and middle-income countries.
(ii) an IFAD loan of USD 50 million (iii) an IsDB grant of USD 500,000; (iv) a contribution by GoI of USD 17.09 million, and; (v) expected beneficiary contributions of USD 14.03 million.

The Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) is a US$ 2.5 billion development initiative launched in 2016 and funded by an unprecedented global coalition including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). As the largest development initiative in the Middle East, its goal is to lift the poorest out of poverty across 33 IsDB member countries by addressing 9 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through projects in health, agriculture, and basic infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is a leading national development-financing institution. It was established in 1971 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the country’s founding father, who stressed the importance of enabling developing countries to achieve their development goals. ADFD provides concessional loans for infrastructure development and manages government grants for strategic projects for partner countries to bolster their economy. It also invests in diversified financial portfolios in partner countries, in addition to making investments in the UAE to support the national economy and drive forward its sustainability agenda. ADFD leverages its strategic relations with more than 100 countries to support the UAE’s private sector, facilitate exports, promote Emirati products around the globe and create investment opportunities for partner nations.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on areas of greatest need across the world, offering the opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of life for billions of people. It builds partnerships that bring together resources, expertise, and vision, and works with the best organizations around the globe to identify issues, find answers, and drive change.

The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development bank (MDB) working to improve the lives of those we serve by promoting social and economic development in member countries and Muslim communities worldwide, delivering impact at scale.

The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development is dedicated to reducing poverty in its member countries by promoting pro-poor growth, emphasizing human development (especially improvements in healthcare and education), and providing financial support to enhance the productive capacity and sustainable means of income for the poor. This includes creating employment opportunities, providing market outlets especially for the rural poor, and improving basic rural and pre-urban infrastructure.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) is dedicated to coordinating and providing international relief to crisis-affected communities, alleviating suffering, and providing the essentials to allow people everywhere to live a safe and decent life.

The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is a public institution committed, on behalf of the state of Qatar, to implementing foreign aid projects. Since 2012, QFFD has been providing aid to many countries in accordance with international cooperation goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and in line with best practices and standards. QFFD’s main goal is to achieve inclusive and sustainable development by addressing global priority issues in education, health, and economic empowerment.