Reflecting on My Six-Month Internship at IFAD

Ethan Luce, December, 06, 2024

My six-month internship at IFAD is an experience I am truly grateful for and will never forget. From meeting passionate, brilliant professionals working to improve the lives of rural smallholder farmers, to gaining insights into international development within the context of a UN agency, this journey has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned about current trends in development, grown my leadership skills as co-president of the IFAD Student Club, and built my capacity to be a changemaker. This internship has left an indelible mark on my life and will undoubtedly shape my future career endeavors.

Earlier this week, lying in my quaint student house, surrounded by my tacky LED mood lights and slow jams (you have to set the scene, right?), I took time to reflect on the past six months—what I accomplished, what I learned, and how I’ve grown.

Highlights from the Past Six Months

Re-launching the IFAD Student Club
Together with my partner-in-crime and co-intern, Joy Amyotte, we accredited the IFAD Student Club at the University of Guelph and recruited the club’s executive team of seven passionate students. Leading this team was one of my favourite learning experiences of the internship. It came at the perfect time because I am taking a Leadership class this semester, which allowed me to apply what I was learning in the course to better lead the team. I learned the value of creating a strong team culture by fostering a collective vision, providing team bonding opportunities, maintaining open communication, offering frequent encouragement, and always showing recognition and gratitude for people’s work.

Our team organized a screening of The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, followed by a discussion facilitated by Dr. Silvia Sarapura, an expert in rural development and gender issues. The event attracted 25+ engaged students. We also collaborated with the McGill IFAD Student Club on a webinar titled Working at the UN: Forging Your Path to a Career in International Development. The hour-long event featured IFAD panelists sharing their career journeys and advice, providing valuable insights to over 50 participants. Moderating this panel alongside McGill student interns was a great opportunity to sharpen my public speaking skills.

The Value of Diversity in Teamwork
Working with a diverse team of executive members taught me the importance of embracing different skills, opinions, and personalities. Our skillsets complimented each other, and we were able to lean on the strengths of others in areas where we fell short. Our unique strengths complemented one another, making us a stronger, more dynamic team. This lesson has reshaped how I think about collaboration, and it’s something I’ll carry into future roles. Diversity is an incredible strength, and I’m even more inspired to advocate for it as I step into any future leadership or hiring position.

While my internship is ending, my involvement with the IFAD Student Club continues😊 (IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE!)  We have an exciting event planned for January: Tasting the World, a food-tasting experience where international clubs at the University of Guelph will share traditional dishes and their cultural significance. This event presents a wonderful opportunity to build community and explore the stories behind staple foods. Clubs Fest, where all the student clubs on campus showcase their activities to recruit new members, provided an exciting opportunity to network with the international clubs. Many expressed great enthusiasm for participating in our upcoming food tasting event. Additionally, we had 50 students sign up as general club members.

Insights into IFAD’s Work

I was surprised to learn that IFAD is not directly involved in project implementation. Instead, IFAD designs projects and works with local governments and organizations to provide resources and ensure effective implementation with maximum transparency. This empowers local communities to take ownership of development initiatives.

While preparing a briefing for the Minister of International Development, I was struck by the long-term nature of IFAD projects, many of which span approximately 10 years. This prompted me to reflect on how true, sustainable change takes time—a core principle that IFAD embodies.

As an intern in the Partnership and Resource Mobilization Divisions (GPR), I was exposed to a side of development I hadn’t thought much about before: acquiring donor funds. In the intergovernmental space that UN agencies like IFAD operate within, this process is fascinating because it resembles sales and relationship-building but is directed towards governments. It is highly strategic and requires political awareness, all driven by the moral purpose of helping underserved rural farmers. I also learned that international development is an effort that involves and requires the expertise of many different professional niches, whether it is implementing climate adaptation and women’s empowerment into project design, structuring new finance mechanisms, auditing capital flows, or developing new ways to measure indicators of progress, such as household resilience.

Attending the Arrell Food Summit
One of the highlights of my internship was attending the Arrell Food Summit in celebration of World Food Day. The summit brought together leaders from industry, food production, non-profits, government, policy, and academia to exchange diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing global food systems. It was one of the most exciting days of my semester, filled with networking and learning from professionals passionate about Canada’s food and agriculture industry. Additionally, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet my IFAD colleagues in person.

What’s Next for Me?

I think I have finally found my professional passion: food security and development. My internship, coupled with taking a course on global food systems this semester, has sparked a passion I’m excited to continue pursuing as I enter the workforce. After graduation, I plan to live and work on several organic farms in Latin America to get my hands dirty (literally) and gain a firsthand understanding of sustainable farming practices, the challenges involved, and the opportunities that arise. This experience will also serve as an opportunity to further develop my Spanish, which I’m currently studying through elective courses.

A Grateful Farewell

I am deeply grateful to have worked with my incredible colleagues Joy, Enki, Nicole, Rachel, Jean, and Carmina on the Canada Team of the Americas Liaison Office. I learned something unique from each of you, and I’ll miss our weekly Wednesday meetings.

A big shoutout to our amazing executive team at the UofG IFAD Student Club—you’ve been instrumental in bringing our vision to life. I’m excited to keep rocking these events with you all next semester. As a wise exec team member once said after crushing some unknown challengers in a foosball game at an exec team social, IFAD FOREVA!