The international fund of agricultural development is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. It is the only multilateral development organization that focuses solely on rural economies and food security. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, IFAD is involved in over 200 projects across nearly 100 countries It funds and sponsors initiatives that improve land and water management, develop rural infrastructure, train and educate farmers in more efficient technologies, build up resilience against climate change, enhancing market accessibility, and more. IFAD has 177 member states and works in partnership with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Since its foundation in 1977, IFAD has provided US$22.4 billion in loans and grants and coordinated an addition US$31 billion in international and domestic co-financing.