It is not by chance that the first objective of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to eradicate
poverty and hunger, which is closely related with the
human health goals. If the world is to achieve the
targets, massive increases in agricultural productivity
in developing countries are required. In countries
where agriculture is the basis of economy, more than
half of the labor force works in agriculture. Poor
agricultural systems undermine development by
pushing up the cost of food, capital and other
commodities.
The need for rapid agricultural development for
poverty alleviation is particularly pronounced in sub-
Saharan Africa ,there has been no increase in fertilizer
use and crop yields, but the population has been
increasing, meaning less food for everyone. Many
African rural areas are now characterized by a
combination of poor soil health, poor crop health and
poor livestock health, all major factors contributing to
poor human and environmental health.
To lift developing countries out of poverty, large
increases in the scale of agricultural research and
environmental assessment will be required.
Information concerning the soil fertility deficiencies
should be readily disseminated to farmers in a timely
manner, through their government’s agricultural
research institutions therefore enabling them to input
the required fertilizers on time and thus increase food
production.
With soil fertility issues on check, farmers should be
advised on how to use plant diversity to fuel
developments. Since the farmers are well aware of the
relationship between stability and sustainability of
their production systems and the diversity of crops
and crop varieties on their lands, their management
and use of a diverse range of plants can often help
them to survive under the most difficult conditions.
By growing a range of different crops, farmers will
have a better chance of having enough of the right
kinds of crops to meet their various needs and those
of their families. These might include, for example,
crops that mature at different times or that can be
easily stored, helping to ensure a stable food supply
throughout the year.
Growing a range of crops may help farmers provide a
nutritionally-balanced diet for their family, exploit
different environmental niches that exist on their land,
or diversify their sources of income to include, for
example, medicines, fuel, textiles, building materials,
and "novelty" foods for export, etc.
Genetic resources can improve the livelihoods of poor
farmers and forest dwellers by reducing their
vulnerability to shocks and seasonal changes. Given
access to new varieties of plants that produces higher-
yielding disease-resistant crops, farmers can produce
more food than their families need so they can sell
their surplus crops at local markets. If they have
access to the world market they can grow cash crops
for export.
That will give them additional income with which to
buy more clothing and household goods, thus
stimulating other parts of the economy. This will
increase demand for services of food processing,
storage, transportation and marketing. Thus a small
increase in farm output increases demand for other
goods and services and becomes a catalyst for broad-
based economic growth.
The prosperity then begins to spread. The farm
families, as well as those working in other parts of the
economy, have more money and their demand for
imported goods begins to rise. This stimulates the
growth of exports from other countries. Because
economic growth requires new market for goods and
services, the destinies of countries are intertwined
with each other.
By reducing hunger and poverty, the rehabilitation of
agriculture can have an important impact on other
development scourges, through its role in
underpinning economic development, reducing
poverty and preventing environmental destruction.Panorama
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