Canadian International Food Security Research Fund

The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) invested in scaling up solutions that increased production, access, and consumption of safe and nutritious food.

Jointly funded by IDRC and Global Affairs Canada, CIFSRF addressed the critical challenge of global hunger through applied research in 25 countries. The CA$124 million fund supported Canadian-developing country partnerships that tested and scaled up practical solutions to increase food production, raise income for farming families, and improve nutrition throughout the Global South.

Since 2009, CIFSRF had funded 39 applied, collaborative, and results-oriented research projects. These initiatives significantly improved food and nutritional security for men and women smallholder farmers. Championing the value of multi-sector partnerships, CIFSRF worked directly with 40 Southern and 20 Canadian institutions, including universities, civil society organizations, governments, and the private sector, to test and deploy proven food security and nutrition solutions.

CIFSRF projects generated knowledge and innovations such as new skills and tools, improved farming practices, and novel ways to increase more sustainable agricultural productivity, foster youth-led agribusinesses, and diversify diets in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Photo credit: David Borish | LI-BIRD