Rural territories form the first mile of global food systems and underpin national economies. Home to 44 per cent of the world’s population and nearly 80 per cent of the world’s extreme poor, these areas sit at the frontline of global crises and economic risk. They face challenges from climate shocks and market volatility, but they also hold immense potential. With the right support, small-scale producers can drive growth, reduce poverty, strengthen food security, improve nutrition outcomes, and build resilience in their communities.
IDFR 2026 is conceived as a call to action for public institutions, the private sector and civil society to focus collective effort on how remittances can be better supported to drive more durable household resilience and drive decent work opportunities, employment and entrepreneurship in rural communities—especially for women and youth.
The future belongs to young women and men seeking the tools, resources and opportunities to shape their own paths. Where such opportunities are lacking, economic pressure can make migration a necessity rather than a choice.
By supporting diaspora, remittance-receiving households and returnees, and by linking remittances and investments to opportunity at home, policymakers, development partners and the private sector can boost entrepreneurship, job creation, climate-resilient rural communities and broader local economic development.
IDFR 2026 is carved within the #FamilyRemittances decade campaign 2020–2030: Support one billion people to reach their own SDGs.
French Group of Seven (G7) Presidency supports IDFR 2026 to advance practical action on remittances for rural resilience and jobs.
Realising this shift – from coping to opportunity – requires more than access to remittance services alone. It requires working hand in hand with the private sector and harnessing technology and innovation to deliver affordable, digital and people-centred financial services that allow families not only to receive money, but also to save, borrow, insure and invest.
It also depends on strong enabling environments, including coherent policies, capable institutions and inclusive digital infrastructure with public actors playing a key role through incentives, risk-sharing and blended approaches that leverage remittances and diaspora capital to translate these financial flows, the skills and knowledge that accompany them, into sustained local economic impact.
The 2026 IDFR Campaign calls the private sector, the public sector, and the civil society to:
In 2025, in Sevilla, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) reaffirmed the role of remittances and diaspora capital for inclusive growth, resilience and sustainable development, particularly in rural areas. The Sevilla Commitment (Compromiso de Sevilla) underscores the importance of private finance in financing development, including through improved access to financing, remittances, correspondent banking relationships and diaspora investment, and reflects a shared recognition that progress now depends on moving decisively from commitment to action.
The public and private sector are called upon to act together to close the financing gap needed to transform agrifood systems, strengthen food security and nutrition, and unlock inclusive economic opportunity, including through entrepreneurship, decent employment, reliable infrastructure and climate action.
