Agriculture
Growth in agriculture is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors.
The Challenge
Development assistance for agriculture has declined over the last two decades, leaving many poor countries more vulnerable to hunger and poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa especially, agriculture has been plagued by low productivity and under-investment, making it difficult for Africans to feed themselves and earn an income from farming. The spike in food prices in 2008 jeopardized even more people in poor countries as the price of imported foods such as rice, wheat, and corn peaked. This, coupled with the global financial crisis, resulted in a devastating economic impact on poor families, who often spend at least half of their income on food. It is estimated that in 2009 the number of hungry people around the world exceeded 1 billion. Although the number declined slightly to 925 million in 2010, it is now poised to go up again as world food prices are 50% higher than they were six months ago, an increase that analysts forecast could last years and could drive millions into poverty and hunger.
The Opportunity
Investing in agriculture can be transformative, especially for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, where the sector employs nearly two-thirds of the population and accounts for an average one-third of GDP. Women produce 60-80% of food in sub-Saharan Africa, and the World Bank estimates that growth in the agriculture sector is twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. This investment will help the world's poorest people earn their way out of poverty. In addition to fueling economic growth, investment in agriculture will also enable the world's poorest countries to better feed their people and withstand future shocks from changing global food prices, weather patterns, and financial crises.
Access to tools, fertilizers, seeds, and information is urgently needed to help communities prevent another food crisis. Safety-nets like cash-for-work programs are also needed to ensure that the poorest families do not descend further into poverty. In the long-term, food security and economic growth will require significant investments in agriculture and rural development. With better infrastructure, improved technology and training, and access to financial services, farmers could benefit from increased crop yields and stronger connections to domestic, regional, and international markets.
Learn more, read the full Agriculture Issue Brief...
Progress Report
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Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa
Many governments and donor countries are beginning to tap into the vast potential of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa by making new investments in the sector to enhance economic opportunities and increase food security. More
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UN Summit: Fill the Funding Gap
September - October, 2008
In September 2008, before a High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals, more than 50,000 European ONE members mobilised to urge world leaders to fill the worldwide US$1 billion funding gap to combat the food crisis. More -
The “EU Billion” for Food and Agriculture
July - November, 2008
With €1 billion of funding to struggling farmers in developing countries on the line, European ONE members helped apply public pressure at the critical moment to help secure this new money.
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Hunger Crisis
April - July, 2008
As prices for staple foods essential to the world's poorest people soared to record highs in 2008, more than 140,000 ONE members signed our petition to President George W. Bush asking him to work to get the hunger crisis on the agenda at the 2008 G8 Summit, and to secure additional commitments for all types of food assistance and increased agricultural productivity in developing countries. More
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Global drive against hunger needed to end famine for good
The UN today reports famine conditions in Somalia have ended. Anti-poverty campaign group ONE calls for world leaders to ensure that this is the last famine in history. Adrian Lovett, Europe Director of ONE, said: "We called on world leaders to fight this obscene famine. Because millions of ordinary people spoke out and some of those leaders responded generously, hundreds of thousands of people who faced imminent death are alive today. But the end of this famine must mark the beginning of a global drive against hunger." More
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ONE calls on president Calderon not to drop the G20 development agenda
Mexico will take over the G20 at a stormy time for the global economy. Mexico can lead on restoring a truly global outlook to the G20, with Africa as part of the solution to the growth and debt crises that has dominated in France. When ONE co-founder Bono met with President Calderón in May there was strong agreement the G20 should continue to focus on fighting poverty.
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The untold story: famine avoided
Anti-poverty campaign group ONE today launched a new short film about the food crisis in the Horn of Africa as part of its Hungry No More campaign. The films, which are the result of a unique collaboration with the African production company A24 Media, focus on the untold story of the food crisis that is gripping the region. More
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500 miles from the 500 million
As G20 leaders prepare to meet in Cannes, just 500 miles from the African coast, anti-poverty group ONE has urged them not to overlook the opportunity on their doorstep or to forget the ongoing food crisis in the Horn of Africa. More
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ONE welcomes Piebalgs’ new focus on agriculture
Anti-poverty campaign group ONE today welcomed the announcement that the EU's new development policy will focus on agriculture and food security, along with other important issues like governance, health, education and energy.
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ONE’s F-Word advert banned in UK
ONE's new advert 'The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity' has been banned from being broadcast in the UK. The advert aims to focus the world's attention on the famine and food crisis in the Horn of Africa. Clearcast, the body which is responsible for clearance of television adverts, claims that ONE and the advert do not comply with rules covering political advertising in the UK.
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Quick Facts
Approximately 925 million people are hungry
around the world today, a decrease of an estimated 80 million people since 2009.
Growth in agriculture is twice as effective
at reducing poverty compared to growth in other sectors.
2/3 of people in sub-Saharan Africa
are employed in agriculture.
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