IFAD
February 2, 2021
Indigenous Peoples have suffered disproportionately from the economic impacts of COVID-19, yet they hold essential knowledge for rebuilding a more sustainable and resilient post-pandemic world, free of poverty and hunger, said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), at the opening of the Fifth global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum today.
“COVID-19 has devastated the lives of millions of people across the globe. But this dreadful plague also drives us to find ways to live more harmoniously with nature,” said Houngbo. “We know that the only way to achieve this is by joining forces with Indigenous Peoples - who are stewards both of nature and of a vast reservoir of traditional knowledge around the world.”