The Road to the SDGs

PURPOSE X IsDB is committed to growing the agriculture sector of its MCs and enabling these countries to achieve the SDGs. There is growing evidence that improvements in the agriculture sector can generate a multiplier effect. X Various development studies have shown that US$ 1 invested in the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa has impacts that can lift at least 16 people out of poverty. X IsDB is working to ensure that the needed investments are made, especially by the private sector, so that agriculture will grow sustainably at scale over the longer term. These investments also need to be integrated to generate impactful change. X Outcomes of IsDB’s investment in the agricultural sector include: – Better access to good quality, high- yielding seeds for farmers in many MCs – Improved rural infrastructure, such as roads, markets and irrigation systems for rural communities – Knowledge about what we should do differently in the future, such as: – Having representatives on the ground – Engaging with the private sector – Enabling value chains that link farmers to markets and create rural jobs for youth and women. X The publication, Change for Impact , stems from the desire to raise awareness of IsDB’s new business model, especially concerning GVCs and private sector engagement, and to share with a wider audience IsDB’s wide-ranging knowledge of agriculture and rural development. METHOD X Through case studies, the book explores IsDB’s role in fostering sustainable, inclusive and integrated growth in the agriculture and rural development sector. X It sheds light on the critical pathways to impactful investment, using IsDB’s new business model of a global value-chain approach and strong partnerships with development partners. X The book serves as a guide to IsDB’s commitment to transform the agricultural sector in its MCs. It provides balanced reflections on the past and valuable lessons that inform the way forward. X The publication addresses issues faced by the agricultural sector in many IsDB MCs, including: – Low productivity – Climate change Change for impact: transforming agriculture and rural development in MCs P ublished by IsDB in 2018, the book Change for Impact: Transforming Agriculture and Rural Development in IsDB Member Countries has broadened awareness of IsDB’s work in its MCs This publication identifies important lessons and opportunities for transforming the agricultural sector in MCs. It also explores opportunities to engage with a wide range of stakeholders (including the private sector, development partners and civil society) in the transformation process [ 58 ] SDGs