PLEDGES AND POTENTIAL

Over 1 billion people have less food than they need according to a new UN Food and Agriculture Organization report. The report points primarily to the economic crisis, with persistent high food costs and failing markets.

In response to the FAO report, Kanayo Nwanze – President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development – stated, “Many of the world's poor and hungry are smallholder farmers in developing countries. Yet they have the potential not only to meet their own needs but to boost food security and catalyse broader economic growth.” In order to unleash this potential, he said, we need to invest in agriculture, including, “tailored technologies, infrastructure, rural finance and markets.” Sounds a lot like IDE’s key priorities over the past quarter century.

Food and education are the first two investments that families make when they increase their income. We have found countless times that the most effective way to feed a family in a rural village in Asia or Africa is to help them earn more income from their small plot of land.

A month after the FAO released its report, the G8 leaders announced a $20 billion pledge to boost agricultural productivity in developing nations. President Barack Obama said, “We believe that the purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it's no longer needed, to help people become self-sufficient, provide for their families and lift their standards of living.”

We couldn’t agree more, and can only hope that these investments truly respond to the real priorities of smallholder farmers, unleashing their potential to drive sustainable economic growth and transform lives in countless villages across Africa and Asia.

This issue celebrates the potential of smallholder farmers to make a big difference.