As a special function and agency of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2003, "was created to mobilize resources on concessional terms for programmes that alleviate rural poverty and improve nutrition...to combat hunger and rural poverty in developing countries." To that end, the fund seeks to assist "the poorest of the world's poor" by offering long-term loans with exceptionally good terms of repayment (40 year loans with a 0.75% service charge per year). At this website, visitors can read about the fund's initiatives and its partners as well as perusing information supplied in the Rural Poverty Knowledgebase (including related links and an explanation of the grant programme offered by IFAD. Also of note are listings of upcoming events and meetings related to world hunger and links to several reports and documents available at the site.