New Zealand has joined the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund LIFT as its newest donor. New Zealand joins the six existing donors to the pooled fund, which are the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Switzerland, the United States of America, Canada and Ireland. LIFT’s funding to date totals USD 574 million.
New Zealand was a donor to LIFT in 2011-2012 and is now rejoining the fund. New Zealand’s Ambassador to Myanmar Steve Marshall said: “Coming from a country where primary industries are such a fundamental element of our economy, New Zealanders understand how vital sustainable agriculture is to lifting incomes and creating sustainable economic growth and development. I am proud to put New Zealand’s support behind LIFT Myanmar, which will complement and broaden our work in Myanmar’s dairy, cropping and horticulture sectors, and has already increased the incomes of 11.6 million people in Myanmar.”
LIFT Fund Director Katy Webley said: “We are pleased to welcome New Zealand to LIFT’s Donor Consortium, once again. Our strategy for this phase is well aligned with their priorities and many more of Myanmar’s most vulnerable communities will benefit from this multi-year contribution”.
The Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund set up in 2009, marking its ten-year anniversary last year. LIFT aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainable livelihoods of poor households by helping people to reach their full economic potential. This is achieved through increasing incomes, improving the nutrition of women and children, and decreasing vulnerabilities to shocks, stresses and adverse trends.
LIFT is proud to have made a significant contribution to Myanmar’s development. To date, over 11.6 million people in 75 per cent of Myanmar’s townships have benefitted from LIFT’s programmes. From January 2019, LIFT has been guided by a new five-year strategy that places ‘no one left behind’ at the centre and increases focus and resources on social inclusion and cohesion, areas affected by conflict, displaced people and working with Government at all levels on targeted policies to achieve gains in these areas.
LIFT has received funding from altogether 15 international donors since it was established. For more details, visit www.lift-fund.org.
