2020年不是减贫合作的终结
——专访国际农业发展基金中国及蒙古代表马泰奥(Matteo Marchisio)
本刊记者 侯洁如 翻译|王晓波
导 读
从1981年农发基金在中国的第一个项目获得批准,农发基金在21个省共资助了31个项目,项目金额达到26亿美元,惠及约2000万人口
● 投资对于战胜贫困至关重要
● 减贫需要政府的不懈努力
● 农发基金不“选择”项目
● 农发基金与中国的合作不会止于2020
到2020年,中国就将彻底消除农村极端贫困。中国只用了40年的时间就成功帮助8亿多人脱贫,是人类历史上一个了不起的功绩。” 接受《中国投资》杂志采访时,国际农业发展基金(以下简称农发基金)中国及蒙古代表马泰奥说,“我为农发基金能够参与中国的减贫工作并贡献了绵薄之力而感到骄傲。”
从1981年农发基金在中国的第一个项目获得批准,农发基金已在21个省共资助了31个项目,项目金额达到26亿美元,惠及约2000万人口。
“但2020年并不是中国与农发基金合作的终结。”马泰奥补充道,他非常肯定,在协助政府继续减贫和实现农村振兴计划方面,农发基金仍可以发挥重要作用。
投资对于战胜贫困至关重要
《中国投资》:在减贫方面,农发基金近年来采取了哪些措施?成效如何?
马泰奥:农发基金是联合国系统专门向发展中国家提供优惠贷款和拔款,资助减贫和包容性农村发展项目的国际金融机构,工作任务就是减少农村贫困,加强粮食安全,全面促进发展中国家农村地区的发展。
农发基金的工作极其重要,这是因为:现在世界上仍有8亿多人口生活在贫困中,他们中80%的人口居住在农村,而且大多数依靠农业为生。要想战胜贫困,对农村地区进行投资至关重要。
农发基金的工作方法可以用两个词来概括:即综合性和以人为本。所谓综合性,就是指农发基金的投资提供了一整套综合互补的干预措施,包括:扩大生产规模、修建基础设施、提供市场信息、融资、改善人的营养状况和社区建设等;补充的干预措施则旨在减少气候变化对当地人口造成的影响。以人为本是因为农发基金投资的焦点和最终受益者是人。农发基金专门针对农村贫困家庭进行投资,特别是农村那些最弱势群体:小农场主、妇女、年轻人和少数民族。
至于取得的成效,自1978年成立以来,国际农业发展基金已经资助了125个发展中国家的1000多个项目。这些项目的总金额约达470亿美元,其中近200亿美元来自农发基金融资,其余270亿美元则来自受援国的政府预算、私营企业、受益方以及其他开发组织。四十多年来,农发基金的干预使4.74亿人受益,他们中有一半是女性。他们在农发基金的帮助下,可以生产更多的粮食,销售自己生产的产品,更好地利用土地和自然资源,学习新的技能,创办小企业,拓宽融资渠道,建立更加强大的社群组织并在影响他们生活的决策中获得发言权。
在中国,1981年农发基金的第一个项目获得批准。从那时开始,农发基金在21个省共资助了31个项目。这些项目金额达到26亿美元,其中10亿美元是由农发基金提供的,其余16亿美元则来自其他渠道。它们惠及约450万个农村家庭,2000万人口。
《中国投资》:从这些年的工作中,你们总结出了哪些有效的减贫方法?
马泰奥:如果回顾过去二三十年的全球发展趋势和模式,不可否认的是,世界在减贫方面取得了巨大进展。1990年,大约有18亿人生活在绝对贫困中,而现在贫困人口减少了一多半。
全球发展趋势也反映出以下方法是有效的:第一,贫困仍然是农村的一个较普遍的现象,如果我们想解决全球的贫困问题,对农村地区进行投资至关重要。
第二,世界上大多数穷人生活在中等收入国家,他们约占穷人总数的75%。因此,解决贫困问题的努力和投资一定要既包括低收入国家也包括中等收入国家。
第三,在很多时候,虽然人们的收入有所增加,但贫困的其他形式和侧面依然存在,比如不平等现象,对此包容性政策和干预措施就很有必要;营养不足和营养不良的问题,这就需要关注食品的品质(而不单单是数量)以及应对气候变化的脆弱性等。
同样的方式在中国也可以观察到。首先,中国虽然已经是一个中高收入国家,但仍有相当大量的人口生活在贫困或接近贫困状态中——当然这一人群的数量正在减少。其次,中国的大多数穷人生活在农村,中国的贫困主要是农村现象,因此解决这一问题需要在农村地区进行投资。再次,虽然中国即将消除极端贫困,但按照国家制定的贫困线衡量,不平等(城乡之间、不同人群间以及对待女性、老龄人口、少数民族等弱势群体)和脆弱性(特别是应对气候变化造成的影响)的状况仍然存在。
⬆⬆马泰奥在云南与村民交流“乡振兴示范”项目 供图|农发基金
减贫需要政府的不懈努力
《中国投资》:您认为减贫最重要的驱动因素是什么?您如何看待国际组织在减贫方面所起的作用?
马泰奥:对于什么是减贫最重要的驱动因素,我想举中国的例子来加以说明。
中国只用了40年的时间就成功地帮助8亿多人脱贫。我认为中国在减贫方面的成功可以归功于这样几个因素:改革开放的方针和正确的决策(特别是上世纪70年代末实行的家庭承包责任制和逐步引进外资的政策);将基础设施建设与社会发展(即对卫生和教育部门的投资)和经济发展(即实现农业增产和“工业化”)结合起来的综合性减贫方法;精准扶贫的措施(即深入了解哪些人是真正的贫困人口以及造成他们贫困的根源,然后根据已查明的贫困原因,量身定制具体的减贫措施)和大力度并且持续的财政支持。
不过,在我看来,中国在减贫方面取得成功的最重要因素是过去四十年里中国领导人对消除贫困的坚定决心和不懈努力。他们不仅规划了长期愿景,而且为实现这一愿景制定了一系列中期计划。在对资源进行合理分配的同时,以问责制的方式明确了各级政府需要承担的责任。
我认为,国际发展组织在减贫方面可以发挥的作用是“在减贫过程中与各国政府建立伙伴关系”。国际发展组织可以为发展中国家提供相关的知识和建议,分享国际经验和最佳方案,并帮助获得能够助力其减贫和发展的财政资源。
这正是农发基金目前所做的:在提供财政资源的同时,力争为贫困地区从其他渠道吸引其他合作伙伴(包括私营企业、金融部门、其他政府项目和其他发展组织);在项目设计和实施过程中,与这些贫困地区分享相关的知识和国际先进经验;通过南南合作将这些国家结合在一起;以及为发展中国家政府在减贫方面提供参考建议。
农发基金不“选择”项目
《中国投资》:农发基金通常如何选择项目?最看重哪些因素?
马泰奥:农发基金并不“选择”项目,项目都是由受援国根据其战略考量和优先事项确定并向农发基金提出的。不过,农发基金会参与项目的确定和选择过程,帮助政府确立项目标准,设定目标,并且保证其符合农发基金的规定,也与全球关注的重要议题密切相关,比如解决气候问题或减少气候变化造成的影响;给予女性更多的权力;为年轻人创造更多的就业机会和改善农村人口的营养状况。
选择项目的常用标准包括贫困发生率、贫困密度、目标人口的脆弱性、目标地区的发展机遇、每个受益人的成本、拟干预措施的经济和财务回报等。
《中国投资》:在以财政援助来推动减贫的过程中,你们遇到了哪些困难?
马泰奥:为减贫提供财政援助(比如补贴和现金支付)的主要挑战是确保此类援助能够与其他补充性干预措施同步进行,这样才能帮助受援国逐渐不再依赖财务支持,使为减贫所付出的努力具有可持续性。
出于这样的考虑,农发基金的干预重点是为其目标受益者创造各种机会(比如市场机会、商业机会等),而且,更重要的就是帮助受益者能够具备利用这些机会的能力。通过培养这种能力,农发基金的减贫努力就具有了长期的可持续性。
农发基金与中国的合作不会止于2020
《中国投资》:未来您对于进一步促进所负责地区和国家的减贫工作有什么计划?
马泰奥:作为农发基金中国代表,我为我们组织能够参与中国的减贫工作并贡献了绵薄之力而感到骄傲。
虽然2020年中国将消除农村的极端贫困,但2020年并不是中国与农发基金合作的终结。我非常肯定,在协助政府继续减贫和实现乡村振兴方面,农发基金仍可以发挥重要作用。
首先,在维护减贫成果方面,农发基金可以帮助政府防止或避免脱贫者重新陷入贫困。具体措施包括:为居住在脆弱地区的农村人口提供能够持续增加收入的机会;增强他们抵御风险的能力;以及完善政府现行的“产业扶贫”模式的利益共享机制。
第二,鼓励创业,特别是女性和年轻人。努力为弱势地区引入新投资者, 这样一方面可以使农村现有人口继续留在农村,另一方面还能吸引更多的人才到农村发展。
第三,增强农村适应气候变化所造成负面影响的能力。
这些都是农发基金在云南和湖南两省设计的两个新的“乡村振兴示范”项目的重点,它们将在2020年〜2025年开始实施。
文 | 本刊记者 侯洁如
翻译 | 王晓波
编辑 | 侯洁如
设计 | 孙子悦
英文版:
2020 Not the End of Cooperation
——Interview with Matteo Marchisio, Country Director and Representative of International Fund for Agricultural Development in China and Mongolia
By Hou Jieru China Investment
“By 2020 in fact, China will have eradicated extreme rural poverty, succeeding in bringing more than 800 million people out of poverty in four decades. This will be a historic achievement in human history.” Matteo Marchisio, Country Director and Representative of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in China and Mongolia, said in an interview with China Investment, “I am proud of the humble contribution that my organization provided to China in accompanying it along this journey.”
In China, since 1981 when IFAD's first project in China was approved, IFAD has financed 31 projects in 21 provinces worth USD 2.6 billion, benefiting about 20 million people.
“But 2020 will not be the end of the collaboration between China and IFAD.” Matteo Marchisio adds, He still foresees that IFAD can play an important role in supporting the Government in pursuing its poverty and rural revitalization agendas.
Investment is essential to the fight against poverty
China Investment:In terms of poverty reduction, what are the practices of IFAD in recent years and what are the results?
Matteo Marchisio: IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, is an International Financing Institution and specialized Agency of the United Nations, whose mandate is to reduce rural poverty, enhance food security, and overall promote rural development in developing countries. IFAD provides concessional loans and grants to developing countries to finance poverty reduction and inclusive rural development projects.
The mandate of IFAD is critical for the following reason: there are more than 800 million people living in poverty today: 80% of them live in rural areas, and most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. In order to overcome poverty, it is thus critical to invest in rural areas.
In terms of "practices", IFAD's approach can be defined in two words: integrated and people-centered. Integrated, as IFAD's investments provide a package of integrated, complementary interventions. production enhancement, infrastructure development, access to markets, access to finance, nutrition enhancement, community development, etc. complemented by interventions aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change on the local populations. People-centered because the main focus and the ultimate beneficiaries of IFAD's investments are people. IFAD specifically targets poor rural households, with specific focus on the most vulnerable groups: smallholder farmers, women, young people, and ethnic minorities.
In terms of "results", since 1978, when IFAD was established, IFAD financed over 1,000 programs and projects in 125 developing countries worth about USD 47 billion, out of which about USD 20 billion from IFAD financing, and USD 27 billion leveraged from recipient countries government budget, the private sector, beneficiaries, and other development organizations. Over 40 years, IFAD's interventions benefited 474 million people, half of which are women, helping them to grow more food, sell their products, manage their lands and natural resources better, learn new skills, start small businesses, access finance, build stronger organizations, and overall gain a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
In China, since 1981 when IFAD's first project in China was approved, IFAD has financed 31 projects in 21 provinces worth USD 2.6 billion, out of which about USD 1 billion from IFAD financing and USD 1.6 billion leveraged from other sources, benefiting about 4.5 million rural households, or 20 million people.
China Investment: From these practices, what are the ways or patterns that you have summarize to be effective in poverty reduction?
Matteo Marchisio: If we observe the global trends and patterns over the past 20-30 years, it is undoubtable that the world has made enormous progress in reducing poverty. In 1990 there were about 1.8 billion people living in absolute poverty; today less than half.
However, trends show the following patterns. First, poverty remains a rural phenomenon, and it is critical to invest in rural areas if we want to address poverty globally.
Second, the majority of poor people in the world live in middle-income countries, about 75% of the remaining poor. Efforts and investments to address poverty need to include middle-income countries as much as low-income countries.
Third, while in many cases incomes have risen, other forms and dimensions of poverty persist: inequality, and thus the importance of inclusive policies and interventions; undernourishment and malnutrition, and the importance of focusing on the quality (and not only on the quantity) of food; and vulnerability to climate change – among other dimensions.
The same patterns can be observed in China: first, China is an upper middle-income country. Yet, there is still a significant, though decreasing, number of people living in – or close to – poverty. Second, most of the poor in China live in rural areas: poverty in China is still predominantly a rural phenomenon, and addressing it requires investments in rural areas. Third, while China is about to eradicate extreme poverty, measured against the national poverty line, issues like inequality (between urban and rural areas and between different groups of people, with the women, the elderly and ethnic minorities being the most vulnerable groups), vulnerability (particularly to the effects of climate change), persist.
Poverty reduction requires the steady and continuous strong political commitment
China Investment:What do you think is the most important driving factor for poverty reduction? How do you view the role of international organizations in poverty reduction?
Matteo Marchisio: I take the example of China to describe what, in my view, is the most important factor driving poverty reduction.
China is succeeding in bringing more than 800 million people out of poverty in four decades. China' success in poverty reduction can be attributed to the combination of right policies and reforms (particularly the introduction of the household responsibility system in the late 70s and progressive opening up to foreign investments), an integrated approach to poverty reduction which combined infrastructure development with social development (i.e. investments in the health and education sector) and economic development (i.e. production enhancement and "industrialization" of the rural areas), precise targeting and tailored poverty reduction measures (an effort to understand who the poor are and why they are poor, and – on the basis of the identified causes of poverty – the set-up of specific/tailored measures for poverty reduction), and strong and continuous financial support.
However, the most important factor of success in China's poverty reduction efforts was – in my view – the steady and continuous strong political commitment to poverty eradication which characterized Chinese leadership over the past four decades, which translated into a long-term vision, a series of consistent mid-term plans which supported the long-term vision, an adequate allocation of resources to achieve the goal, and a clear responsibility and accountability framework at all levels.
The role I see international development organizations can play in poverty reduction is that of "partners to the governments in the process": international development organizations can support developing countries in their poverty reduction processes by providing knowledge and advise, sharing international experiences and best practices, and access to catalytic financial resources.
That's exactly what IFAD does: it provides financial resources that are catalytic to attract and leverage resources from other partners (the private and financial sectors, other government programs, and other development organizations); it shares knowledge and international best practices during the project design and implementation process, and by linking countries through south-south cooperation; and it generates knowledge which is used to inform and advise governments in their poverty reduction efforts.
IFAD does not "choose" projects
China Investment:How do you usually choose projects? What factors do you value most?
Matteo Marchisio: IFAD does not "choose" projects. Projects are identified and proposed by recipient countries to IFAD for financing on the basis of their strategies and priorities.
IFAD participates and contributes to the process, supporting the government in the definition of the criteria for project identification and selection, the design of activities and targeting, and ensuring that the proposed projects are aligned with IFAD mandate and contribute to themes of global importance, such as addressing the causes and reducing the impacts of climate change, empowering women, creating opportunities for youth, and improving nutrition status among rural populations.
Most common criteria used in the selection of a project include poverty incidence, poverty density, vulnerability of target population, development opportunities of the target area, cost per beneficiary, economic and financial returns of the proposed interventions, among other criteria.
China Investment: What are the difficulties in financial assistance for poverty reduction?
Matteo Marchisio: The main challenge in providing financial assistance for poverty reduction (for instance subsidies and cash transfer programs) is to ensure that such assistance is accompanied by other complementary interventions that enhance the capacity of the recipients to became independent from financial support, thus ensuring sustainability of the poverty reduction efforts.
For this reason, IFAD's interventions focus on developing opportunities for its target beneficiaries (e.g. market opportunities, business opportunities, etc.), and – most importantly – building the capacity of the beneficiaries to take advantage of such opportunities. By building such capacity, IFAD ensures that poverty reduction efforts will be sustained over time.
2020 will not be the end of collaboration between China and IFAD
China Investment:What plans do you have in the future to promote poverty reduction in the countries and regions you are responsible for?
Matteo Marchisio: As Country Director of IFAD in China, I am proud of the humble contribution that my organization provided to China in accompanying it along this journey.
But 2020 will not be the end of the successful collaboration between China and IFAD. Despite China will be free from extreme rural poverty, I still foresees that IFAD can play an important role in supporting the Government in pursuing its poverty and rural revitalization agendas.
First, in sustaining poverty reduction achievements, that is to say to help the Government in preventing or avoiding that the people that were moved out of poverty fall back into poverty. This will be achieved by enhancing the income generating opportunities of rural population residing in vulnerable areas, enhancing their resilience to shocks, and improving the benefit sharing mechanisms of current government's chanye fupin (poverty reduction through industrialization) models.
Second, in stimulating entrepreneurship and attracting new investors in vulnerable areas- particularly among the youth and women – to retain, and possibly attract, the rural population.
Third, in making rural development more resilient to the negative impacts of climate change.
This is the focus of the two new "Rural Revitalization Demonstration" projects that IFAD is designing in Yunnan and Hunan provinces, and that will be implemented in 2020-2025.
Author | By Hou Jieru
China Investment
Design | Sun Ziyue