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Why a Rural Solutions Platform?

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About the Portal

The Rural Solutions Portal is a web-based knowledge-sharing platform that collects rural development solutions. These are innovations, technologies, processes and methodologies for the rural world.

 

It was set up by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and seeded with a number of successful solutions implemented through IFAD-funded projects.  

 

Who is it for?

The Rural Solutions Platform is aimed to anyone involved in the rural development sector, including:

  •     Policy-makers
  •     Researchers
  •     Private and public organizations
  •     Farmers' associations
  •     Smallholders and family farmers
  •     Development practitioners

 

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Why do we need a solutions platform?

South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is a growing model for collaboration among developing countries (countries of the “global South”) in a range of political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains. SSTC involves two or more developing countries, in collaboration with a third party, typically a multilateral institution, a traditional resource partner, or an emerging economy, which facilitates exchanges through the provision of technical or financial resources.  

 

The Rural Solutions Platform is SSTC in action. By providing a space for solution sharing, IFAD aims to connect more people and ideas for the benefit of rural communities everywhere.

 

SSTC is also an important development cooperation modality that contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Rural Solutions Portal, by showcasing innovations and solutions for agriculture and rural development and promoting knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning, will play an important role in meeting the SDGs.

 

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What is a rural solution? 

A rural solution solves specific challenges in the rural environment. It's a tool that can be used and re-used to address common issues like resource management, marginalization of rural communities, financing concerns, erosion, pollution, financial stress and the effects of climate change.

A rural solution can be a technology, such as a sustainable energy source, a financial scheme that gives rural people access to credit or savings, or a process that supports rural businesses, like enterprise support centers or training programmes.

When selecting solutions for this portal, we look for three qualities:

  • RELIABLE

    It has been tried and tested, producing good results, or it is an innovative solution with clear expected results.

  • RURAL

    It is focused on  solving a specific problem in the rural space, for the smallholder farmer, the rural small business or the fisher folk.

  • REPRODUCIBLE

    It can easily be re-used by others in similar situations.

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The Rural Solutions Portal supports the