$600 Million Towards Agricultural Advancement in Africa

Up to $600 million has been set aside to aid in advancing agriculture among the world’s poorest farmers in Africa and Asia.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $300 million over the next three years to support agricultural research that will help farmers better adapt to increasingly-challenging conditions brought about by climate change, including rising temperatures, extreme weather patterns (droughts and floods), diseases, poor soil fertility, and attacks from crop pests.

On the other hand, the European Commission also announced a $318M commitment aimed at helping farmers increase crop yields, respond to environmental threats, and adapt their farming methods to climate change.

According to the Gates Foundation, “Agriculture is the most promising path out of poverty for individuals and countries,” Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said. “The disproportionate impact of climate change on the world’s poorest people means that there is a more urgent need than ever to help the poorest farmers improve their productivity in the increasingly tough conditions that they continue to face.” He was speaking at the One Planet Summit in Paris, a fortnight ago.

On the other hand, the European Commission also announced a $318M commitment aimed at helping farmers increase crop yields, respond to environmental threats, and adapt their farming methods to climate change.

The Gates Foundation’s announcement is in response to the needs articulated by developing countries in their adaptation plans in three areas:

Crop improvement: the increasing demand for food, calls for employment of new techniques to improve crop yields and enhance crop and soil productivity.

Crop Protection: to survive in the changing environment, more research has to be done to ensure that farmers are able to protect their crops from drought, floods and heat, as well as attacks from plant pests and diseases.

Crop management: this entails giving farmers new insights into the most advanced practices, particularly ways to help preserve and enhance soil fertility allowing them to sustainably boost production.

“Agriculture is the most promising path out of poverty for individuals and countries. The disproportionate impact of climate change on the world’s poorest people means that there is a more urgent need than ever to help the poorest farmers improve their productivity in the increasingly tough conditions that they continue to face,” Bill said.