Agricultural Production
Despite the last century’s gains in agricultural productivity,
as we begin the twenty-first century, “business as usual” will
not feed the more than 800 million people who go to bed hungry each night,
nor will it improve the future prospects of the 185 million preschoolers
who are seriously malnourished. To meet current and future demands for
food, increasing agricultural productivity, especially of staple foods,
is crucial. When farmers are able to grow more than they eat, they can
sell the excess. Money earned can be spent on foods they do not grow
as well as other good and services. Increased agricultural production
therefore has a wide impact, which, in addition to reducing hunger and
increasing food security, reduces poverty and brings higher standards
of living in rural and urban areas. To have this impact, agriculture
has to be more than farms and farming, or raising crops, livestock, or
fish.
First and foremost, increasing production requires better use and access
to technology. In many cases, this means making sure that “on the
shelf” technologies are available and are put to use. Also, with
USAID support, scientists are developing higher yielding and more drought
and pest resistant crops, making water and fertilizer user more efficient,
promoting soil conservation, and increasing soil fertility to increase
crop production. To make sure people have access to the information,
USAID continues to champion the important role extension services play
in educating rural communities.
But growing more food is just the beginning. USAID is also helping rural
farmers diversify their farms to produce higher value products. USAID
also assists the development of infrastructure. Farmers need the means
to connect to markets to get seeds and fertilizers at reasonable prices.
After the harvest, they need to get their products to market and reduce
post-harvest losses. To allow small and rural farmers to reap the full
benefits of increased production on their farms, USAID also recognizes
the need to invest in rural services, stability of governments, and peace.
Poor access to health and education services in rural areas indirectly
but ultimately reduces agricultural productivity. Global epidemics such
as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS devastate farmers and their families. By
having to care for the people who are sick, less time is left to tend
fields, which limits people’s ability to produce the very food
they need to survive. By maintaining or increasing crop yields and by
producing more nutritious and balanced diets, people can more effectively
deal with the negative impacts of these diseases on their family’s
lives.
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