Food is a metaphor for life - an expression of joy. It's a tapestry of cultures and traditions passed down through generations.

It is a celebration of human relationships.

One in ten people sleep on an empty stomach each night, because 1.3 billion tons of food production is lost in the supply chain every year worldwide.

The irony is that hunger looms large in the time of excessive food production.

How we produce food and how it reaches local markets is the biggest determinant of food insecurity, leading to a hungry planet and malnourished people. This is bellwether of a broken food system, which can only be fixed with collaborative and concerted actions.

As part of the global drive to eliminate hunger, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) – a joint development initiative of global partners including the Islamic Development Bank, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, and the Qatar Fund for Development – is doubling down on its commitment to reduce food scarcity in low and middle income member countries of the IsDB. We are working closely with governments, development partners, and communities in tackling this challenge in a holistic manner.

Taking a multi-sector approach, we are empowering our famers with climate and nutrition-smart farm inputs, robust rural infrastructure, and easy access to microfinance to champion crop yields, add value to agricultural and pastoral outputs and transform their farms into mini food hubs.

The Fund is enabling countries to pursue food sufficiency and nutritional security by investing in female farmers and agripreneurs. We recognize the transformative power of women and young girls to bring about a sea-change in global food systems. Our gender-focused programming is providing female farmers better access to and control over agricultural assets and inputs, thus stimulating their productivity and incomes, leading to improved food and nutrition security at the household level, in their communities, and beyond.

Our integrated development approach continues to explore sustainable ways of strengthening food security and livelihoods by putting rural infrastructure upgrades in place. The LLF constructed roads, markets, and storage facilities etc. are helping farmers build on the foundation of success they’ve sowed and harvested in the fields. At the same time, the rehabilitated or newly constructed structures are a gateway to opportunities for young roadside vendors like Ibrahim and Pauline, who’ve been toiling day and night in semi-permanent and flimsily constructed markets, riddled with formidable challenges, and at times putting their lives on the line.

The Lives and Livelihoods Fund is ensuring that its financial support to member countries is underpinned by the principles of green economy, focusing on reducing the carbon footprint and other emissions from how our farmers grow food, make food and bring food to the markets.

Our flagship intervention in Uganda – the Institutional Cookstoves and Charcoal Briquettes Activity – has result in preserving countless trees, leading to less fuel-wood usage and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

At LLF, we are linking food with the fertility of soil, productivity of animals, and the well being of humans. We are assisting communities strengthen local food systems, practice sustainable farming, diversify income, adapt to climate change, and cultivate local entrepreneurship. When all is achieved, food becomes a reason for joy, celebrations and bonding.