how can agriculture help solve world hunger

The Future of Farming: Eight Solutions For a Hungry World

1. Farm the Desert. Solution Greenhouses built near coasts turn plentiful seawater into freshwater for crops, without expensive desalinization plants.
2. Growth with Precision. Solution Networked soil sensors signal how much fertilizer and water are needed and when. …
3. Rebuild Rice. …
4. Replace Fertilizer. …
5. Re-Map a Continent. …
6. Use Robot Labor. …
7. Resurrect the Soil. …

More items…

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Answer

Can agriculture help relieve world hunger?

 · Coonrod, from the Hunger Project, explained what his organisation does in this regard: “We promote good nutrition through education, promoting better local farming methods, increasing local food…

How can we solve the world’s hunger problem?

 · Conservation practices, such as crop diversification, drip or sprinkler irrigation, zero-soil tillage and growing more crops that rely less on nitrogen, are key to adapting to climate change and solving hunger. According to the report, adopting no-till alone could lift almost 9 percent of people out of hunger by 2050.

Is commercial agriculture a sustainable solution to hunger and poverty?

 · Effective policies that foster small scale farming are crucial to increasing agricultural output, eradicating hunger and the multifaceted problems that come with poverty. Leaders of developing countries especially those in sub-Saharan Africa should design climate resilient agricultural policies and follow a bottom up development approaches that empower …

Can agriculture help end rural poverty?

 · Here’s how nitrogen-spewing microbes, underground soil sensors and fruit-picking robots will help keep food on our tables. 1. Farm the Desert 70%: Amount of the world’s freshwater used for…

How does agricultural research help reduce hunger and poverty?

Agricultural research works even without other investments, but also makes other investments more attractive. Agricultural research offers a lower-cost approach to poverty reduction because it leverages farmers’ own labor and land and attracts additional private investment.

How can agriculture help?

Agriculture can help reduce poverty, raise incomes and improve food security for 80% of the world’s poor, who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming.

What is the solution to worldwide hunger?

Education is the best weapon against poverty and hunger. It is especially powerful in underdeveloped countries. Education means better opportunity and more access to income and food. Additionally, some countries have food-for-education programs where students are given free food for coming to school.

How does agriculture helps a country?

Agriculture can be important for developing countries in several ways; where food security is weak it can be a vital source of nutrition, it provides income for farmers and farm workers and thus revenues for rural areas, job opportunities in related areas such as processing and in some cases export revenue and thus …

Why is agriculture important to food?

Food and agriculture are important for one simple reason: Everyone eats. Without food, we could not survive, let alone do anything else. And there are a lot of people around the world – more than seven billion. This means that there is a lot of agriculture going on in order to produce a lot of food.

How important is agriculture to the overall economy?

Agriculture and its related industries (things like food sales and other industries that wouldn’t exist or would be much smaller without agriculture) contribute $1.05 trillion to U.S. GDP, according to the latest data. That puts agriculture’s contribution to the overall economy at about 6 percent.

How can we solve hunger and food insecurity?

Here are some of the possible solutions to food insecurity.Reduce Food Waste. … Reduce the Risk of Commercialising. … Improve Existing Infrastructural Programs. … Improve Trade Policies. … Promote Diversification. … Close the Yield Gap. … Work Towards Defeating Climate Change.

How can we reduce poverty and hunger?

How to Stop PovertyCreate Awareness. Social media has become an integral part of daily life, and now is the time to use it as a voice of social good. … Take Action on Your Own. … Donate. … Eliminate Gender Inequality. … Create Jobs Worldwide. … Increase Access to Proper Sanitation and Clean Water. … Educate Everyone.

How can we solve hunger in Africa?

Five transformative ways to solve hunger in AfricaEmpower women. The first step to transforming how Africa grows and eats is identifying who’s behind the continent’s current food production. … Promote adult literacy. … Provide resources directly. … Look after the soil. … Build and support smart partnerships.

Why agriculture is Important to international relation?

Agriculture is often the economic driving force in developing countries. WTO statistics show that agriculture accounts for over one-third of export earnings for almost 50 developing countries, and for about 40 of them this sector accounts for over half of export earnings.

Why agriculture is considered as the backbone of the economy?

Agriculture makes its contribution to economic development in following ways: By providing food and raw material to non-agricultural sectors of the economy, by creating demand for goods produced in non-agricultural sectors, by the rural people on the strength of the purchasing power, earned by them on selling the …

What is sustainable agriculture?

They all emphasised the urgency of investing in sustainable agriculture, defined by the Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition as “the efficient production of safe, healthy, and high-quality agricultural products, in a way that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.”

How can private investment develop sustainable agriculture?

How can private investment develop sustainable agriculture? Vos from IFPRI said that a first priority should be to provide incentives for investments beyond farms “in infrastructure like roads, electricity and cold transportation and agri-food processing.”

Which country has the highest sustainable agriculture?

The Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition’s Food Index on sustainable agriculture, which ranks 25 countries according to 58 indicators, reveals that Germany and Canada are among the states that rank highest with regards to sustainable agriculture.

What is the role of national governments?

When asked about the role of national governments, Bogart said: “Member states have a responsibility to lead such efforts by developing effective partnerships with the private sector and fostering an enabling environment for investment.”

Is there more investment needed to lift the poor out of poverty?

UNITED NATIONS , Jul 24 2018 (IPS) – Significantly more investment is needed to lift hundreds of millions rural poor out of poverty and make agriculture environmentally sustainable, according to Rob Vos, director of the markets, trade and institutions division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

What are the weaknesses of poor farmers?

The weakness of poor farmers and the growth of low-nutrition crops have been, until now, some of the deterrents of efficient agriculture. “The world has over-invested in low-nutrition staple crops, driving up the relative price of nutrition rich-foods. Empty calories is the food system of the poor.

Is agriculture a private sector?

The relationship between the private sector and agriculture isn’t new. On the contrary, many farmers-especially the poorest ones-are members of the private sector.

How can farming help to reduce hunger?

By giving individuals the resources they need to be able to grow enough food for their families , it will slowly grow into reducing community and state hunger by first eliminating household starvation. These farming practices embrace “the environmental, economic, and social conditions that challenge food security” (Guenette). They aim to break the systematic barriers that are built through poverty traps and help people satisfy their hunger so they are able to find jobs and pursue higher income. For local economies to grow, the needs of the people must first be met.

How can sustainable agriculture help the world?

Another aspect that needs improving is connecting farmers who have mastered these techniques and increased their output to larger trade markets. This will allow produce not to go to waste and also increase the diversity and availability of certain produce in other areas around the world, expanding resources to other communities outside of immediate reach.

How does FRN help food insecurity?

If you’re ever looking to fight food insecurity first hand do not forget to check out the Food Recovery Network (FRN) organization on campus! Multiple nights a week they collect the leftover food from the Cafe and pass it out in different locations around San Francisco. Not only does this organization do an amazing job at preventing food waste but they also provide meals to many individuals who may not have the means to attain it on their own. So make sure to get involved with FRN in the fall and help alleviate local food insecurity in the city!

How can agriculture be sustainable?

For sustainable agriculture to be the end-all solution, one fact must be dealt with: these resources must be introduced and be available to begin with. Most people in developing countries will not have any knowledge about any of these practices if they are not told about them by others in the community or by organizations that specifically promote them. The country’s government and outside organizations have to invest in these communities to begin the transformation. Without outside help, it is even harder to create any profit from farming when families are unable to feed themselves to begin with.

How can we reduce the number of people who go to sleep hungry every night?

There can be a reduction in the number of people who go to sleep hungry every night through sustainable practices that promote an increase in food production and that can be sustained for generations. These agricultural practices include introducing drought-resistant or high yielding seeds, cheaper and less labor-intensive farming techniques, including more female farmers, introducing insurance to promote risk-seeking behavior, and in many cases just informing farmers about new concepts. By introducing new types of seeds that are not only suitable for dry environments but will produce more, the amount of available food will increase and the percentage of crop failure may decrease. Informing the farmers about new techniques can also make a big difference since they may still be farming with less efficient techniques. If more women farmers were included in the field then “the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million” (Concern Worldwide). This allows for a greater population to be producing food and a chance for more variety. By allowing insurance to be available, it would give farmers the courage to take risks growing new crops knowing their family will not starve if the crop fails and they have a bad season. This branching out opens new possibilities and encourages other farmers to try new techniques when seeing how well their neighbors are doing.

What would happen if more women farmers were included in the field?

If more women farmers were included in the field then “the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million” (Concern Worldwide). This allows for a greater population to be producing food and a chance for more variety.

What are the problems in developing countries?

To this day one of the biggest issues in developing countries is the continuous rise of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Most people are under the assumption that with the increase of trade, food production, and technological advancement these problems would slowly decrease over the years. Instead, 2019 marked the third consecutive year that world hunger had kept rising after a one year decline (United Nations). There are also 821 million people in the world who are undernourished and, in 2017, 770 million faced food insecurity (United Nations). For this reason, the second United Nations Sustainable Development Goal is to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.” Without efforts to bring these numbers to a halt, they will continue to increase along with the growing population, worsening the conditions over time. The economic and technological conditions of low-income countries create environments where their citizens are slowly sucked into a poverty trap that leaves them in these unforeseen circumstances. To dissolve this food fight, new investments must be made supporting small scale and family farming in developing countries, allowing them to gain knowledge and resources surrounding sustainable agriculture.

How does hunger affect agriculture?

Extreme hunger and malnutrition inhibit sustainable development and create a trap that cannot easily be escaped. Adults who suffer from undernourishment as children grow up facing lifelong health challenges and find themselves more prone to disease. They often struggle to earn a living or improve their agricultural productivity because of two main conditions: hunger and malnutrition. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which maximizes investment in agriculture that improves nutrition, holds the key to solving both. That means saying goodbye to agriculture that only supports homogenous diets of nutrient-poor, staple foods and welcoming more diverse diets. By growing, consuming and selling more diverse crops, especially during off seasons, farmers diversify their incomes, which allows them to buy and consume more nutritious food.

How does agriculture help the world?

As the single largest employer in the world, agriculture provides livelihoods for 40 percent of today’s global population. It’s the largest source of income for poor, rural households. In fact, 500 million small farms provide up to 80 percent of the food consumed in a large part of the developing world. Most farmers’ fields are rain-fed, meaning their crops rely solely on rainfall. Without irrigation systems, they face serious risks due to unpredictable weather patterns. For this and many other reasons, investing in technology for smallholder farmers helps ensure food security for the poorest populations and consistent food production for local and global markets. Setting appropriate policy environments, catalyzing private investment to make markets more effective and making agricultural improvements sustainable together can help end world hunger.

What countries are feeding the future?

ACDI/VOCA’s recent Feed the Future projects in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia have worked to improve smallholder farmers’ productivity and access to markets and trade.

Why is it important to invest in smallholder farmers?

For this and many other reasons, investing in technology for smallholder farmers helps ensure food security for the poorest populations and consistent food production for local and global markets.

How many people will be hungry by 2050?

The current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050. Today, nearly 800 million people, or one in nine, are undernourished. By 2050, that number could grow by two billion. Most of the world’s hungry live in developing countries, where 13 percent of people face undernourishment.

What is the turning point in agriculture?

Today, the turning point in agriculture is sustainability. But how do we strengthen agricultural markets and food systems to boost economic progress and deliver on the promise of improved diets for all? The key lies with sustainable, nutrition-sensitive agriculture. When working so hard to produce more food, smallholder farmers should also be nourishing their families.

What is feed the future?

Feed the Future projects insist on sustainable impact and performance monitoring. Already, hunger and poverty have declined by one-third in some project areas. According to the Feed the Future website, “Poor nutrition perpetuates the cycle of poverty and hunger, leading to poor health, lower levels of educational attainment, and reduced productivity and wages in adulthood… The good news is we’re making progress.” Last year, Feed the Future reached 18 million children globally with interventions designed to improve their nutrition.

How can agriculture be improved in developing countries?

Of the total global arable land, 60% is located in Africa which could be taken advantage-off by increasing the local capacity of small scale farmers and designing sustainable policies that promote climate resilient sustainable agriculture. Effective policies that foster small scale farming are crucial to increasing agricultural output, eradicating hunger and the multifaceted problems that come with poverty. Leaders of developing countries especially those in sub-Saharan Africa should design climate resilient agricultural policies and follow a bottom up development approaches that empower small-scale farmers. Leaders of these developing countries should also be cognizant of predatory investors who are swarming their countries for arable land either to export-back products to their home countries or produce crops for bio-fuel in the name of green technology. Promoting commercialization of agriculture and deals with corrupt and cash-strapped dictators only favors the elites and the already rich. Due to the prevalence of corruption and bad governance, the benefit from the investment is less likely to reach the majority poor. In order to modernize the agriculture, ensure food security and improve the livelihood of the of people who depend on agriculture, government should work around the small scale farmers. Governments in developing countries should invest in small scale farmers and work with civil society and multilateral organization in the sector. Providing training, micro-financing, investment in value chain, empowering women and construction of infrastructures (roads,dams and irrigation canals) if coupled with sound environmental policy, can lead to a sustainable development and economic growth. International financial institutions and donor governments such as the World Bank, IMF, FAO, EU, China and India should recognize the importance of investing in small scale farmers and refrain from financing commercial farmers engaged in food-for-export and bio-fuel trading at the cost of locals.

Why is agriculture important?

While this article is not about history of agriculture and industrialization, it discusses about the importance promoting climate resilient sustainable agriculture centered around small scale farmers (Chung & Billingsley,2013). The experiences of the United States, European Union and developed Asian countries on their transition from small scale farming to commercial agriculture and eventually to manufacturing and service industry is a basis for suggestions and recommendations given. Africa as a continent though not as populous as Asian countries such as China and India, it will be the center of this discussion as majority of its population depend on traditional and rain-fed small scale farming earning less than $2/day. Of the global 7.1 billion population, 852 million hungry people live in developing countries (FAO, 2012). Thus, investing in small scale agriculture and centering development policies around this important sector addresses hunger, and it also helps reduce the countless problems associated with poverty such as malnutrition, unemployment, conflicts and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, polio and etc. Moreover, economically well-off communities can afford to pay for services, goods and provide their families without aid in a sustainable way.

Which countries should invest in small scale farmers?

International financial institutions and donor governments such as the World Bank, IMF, FAO, EU, China and India should recognize the importance of investing in small scale farmers and refrain from financing commercial farmers engaged in food-for-export and bio-fuel trading at the cost of locals.

Why should government work around small scale farmers?

Due to the prevalence of corruption and bad governance, the benefit from the investment is less likely to reach the majority poor. In order to modernize the agriculture, ensure food security and improve the livelihood of the of people who depend on agriculture , government should work around the small scale farmers.

What countries were forced to clear their homes and lands violently?

In American countries such as Guatemala and Colombia, native Indians were forced of their homes and lands violently to clear away for crop production and plantation by local elites and foreign companies who export the products to the U.S. and Europe.

Where do small scale farmers live?

Small scale farmers lead the global food production and most of them live in developing countries of Africa, Asia and L. America. Studies by (Chung & Billingsley, 2013) show that climate resilient sustainable agriculture (CRSA) is the way to go to bring about food security, agricultural development, eradicate poverty and succeed in environmental …

Is commercial farming sustainable?

Commercial Agriculture is not Sustainable Solution to Hunger and Poverty. There is a huge misconception on how to go about agricultural development and food security in developing countries. For some, commercial farming is the way to increase agricultural output and income. This is a myth and not cognizant of the real situation on …

How does fertilizer help crops?

Fertilizer use has exponentially increased crop yields in the past 30 years. That fertilizer provides extra nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are essential for plants to build amino acids and cell walls. Soon, farmers may be able to get all the benefits of man-made fertilizer for hundreds of dollars less by using microbes instead. C.A. Reddy, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University, examined 300 naturally occurring soil microbes and assembled a cocktail that can simultaneously reduce the need for phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers, protect plants against pathogens, and boost yields in virtually every type of crop.

How does air move in a greenhouse?

From there, the air moves immediately into a condenser, which pulls out freshwater and sends it to an underground storage tank for watering the plants.

Will Mexico grow twice as much food by 2050?

As a result, the challenge of growing twice as much food by 2050 to feed nine billion people —with less and less land—is everyone’s problem. But scientists are hard at work fomenting a second green revolution.

Can GPS tractors apply fertilizer?

With today’s “precision agriculture,” GPS-steered tractors can apply fertilizer and water to seeds with sub-inch accuracy. Now farmers can be as exacting with the amount and timing of the application. Stuart Birrell, an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, teamed up with his colleague Ratnesh Kumar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, to design a network of underground soil sensors that stay in the field year-round.

What are the solutions to hunger?

The solutions to hunger are both simple and complex: What’s simple are the actual interventions themselves, many of which are steps that can easily be taken. More complex is making that change happen in a lasting and sustainable manner, and finding the right combination of solutions for each individual community.

What are the two key areas of global hunger?

Gender equality is another key solution to global hunger, in two key areas: agriculture and maternal and child health.

What are some crops that can be improved with biofortification?

With limited resources (including land, labor, and finances), the poorest farmers tend to focus on growing a limited number of crops, such as maize, rice, pearl millet, beans, and sweet potatoes.

What are the threats to crops?

Crops aren’t only threatened by drought and flood — they may also be decimated by pest or fungus invasions. As of this writing, eastern Africa (including Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan) is facing an unprecedented upsurge in locusts, which are creating swarms (some as large as 25 miles in diameter) that are now also invading central Africa and even parts of West Asia including Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. Over 13 million people could go hungry as a result.

Can you eat enough water?

Sometimes, people (especially children) appear to be eating enough. But if they live in an area with insufficient sanitation or poor hygiene practices, they may be susceptible to diarrhea or other waterborne illnesses that prevent them from absorbing those nutrients. Making sure that drinking and washing water are uncontaminated can save a life — in more ways than one.

Why is female nutrition important?

Female nutrition is also crucial. According to the World Food Programme, women are more likely than men to go hungry in nearly two-thirds of the world’s countries. By making women’s health and nutrition a priority, we can prevent not only health complications for them if and when they have children, but also for the children they bear. This begins with puberty and continues through pregnancy, breastfeeding, and on through healthy habits that children can maintain for the rest of their lives.

What are Syrian refugee women learning?

For example, Syrian refugee women and their Lebanese counterparts in host communities have been learning to make staples like cheese and yogurt, and how to sell them at market for a profit. For those refugee women who wish to return to Syria, this will also be an essential skill to have as the country rebuilds its infrastructure after a protracted conflict.

How long has hunger been on the rise?

The world actually managed to reduce hunger significantly from 1991 to 2014 but according to the ‘ State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 ’ by FAO, it has been slowly on the rise since then.

How does food affect the environment?

Additionally, through land use change, intensive agriculture, large-scale livestock production, and other practices, food systems have led to agro-ecological degradation and contributed to climate change. Changing lifestyles and diets in recent decades have led to increased demand for animal-source foods such as eggs, meat, milk, and fish. The huge increase in intensive livestock production has been the most significant cause of the loss of biodiversity in recent decades. Our food system as a whole contributes 21–37% of total net caused emissions of greenhouse gases caused by humans. Furthermore, it does all of this whilst also generating enormous amounts of food waste. According to the FAO, more than 1/3 of all food is wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes every year.

How many children died from hunger in 2020?

According to the Global Hunger Index 2020, 5.3 million children died from hunger before their fifth birthdays in 2018. Hunger is a killer and the threat it poses to the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people is clear to see. That is more than enough reason to solve world hunger.

How many people will be food insecure by 2020?

Globally, the number of people who are food insecure is projected to almost double, from 135 million people at the start of 2020, to a staggering 265 million by the end of the year.

What is the most significant cause of the loss of biodiversity in recent decades?

The huge increase in intensive livestock production has been the most significant cause of the loss of biodiversity in recent decades. Our food system as a whole contributes 21–37% of total net caused emissions of greenhouse gases caused by humans.

What are the natural disasters that occur when crops are decimated?

It is causing natural disasters like drought and flooding to occur far more frequently. When these disasters strike, crops are decimated. Sometimes the entire crop will be destroyed leaving communities with nothing to eat and with no seeds to plant for the next year.

Why are cowpea seeds important?

The cowpea seeds were given to extremely poor women in Concern-supported mother groups to fight malnutrition.

How is deep learning used in agriculture?

Deep learning AI is being used to help machines identify the health of crops. Once the machine’s ability improves, farmers around the world will be able to leverage its learnings through an app that can diagnose an issue so the farmers can take action before the losses are catastrophic.

How can AI help farmers?

AI technology such as FarmView can help researchers figure out the right genetic makeup to create seeds that generate the highest yield, the most nutrition and the most disease resistant strains of staple crops . There are 40,000 varieties of sorghum, a valuable cereal crop in developing countries such as Ethiopia and India. AI can be used to experiment with these varieties to develop the perfect crop. All the growth, genetic and environmental data collected during research will be given to an AI model to process. AI algorithms are better able to review all the variables and varieties to identify patterns and insights faster than humans. Deep learning AI will be able to comprehend the complex genetics of plants that will support better breeding of plants. Those more efficient plants will improve our food production.

What is the Nutrition Early Warning System?

The Nutrition Early Warning System (NEWS) uses big data and machine learning to identify areas at increased risk for food shortages due to droughts, rising food prices and crop failure. It has already been deployed to warn farmers in Colombia that a drought was on the horizon and suggest they skip the planting season.

What is the purpose of the LettuceBot?

Instead of the “spray and pray” approach to herbicide application, the LettuceBot from Blue River is working to distinguish between a weed and a sprout of lettuce based on learning from more than a million images of 5,000 young plants. When it identifies a weed, it sprays it directly. This has cut losses by up to 90 percent.

Is half of the world’s farmland used for agriculture?

But nearly half of the planet’s potentially productive farmland is already used for agriculture. Combine that with the realities of fragile ecosystems and the impact of global warming and it’s clear that we need to go beyond the traditional if we hope to solve the world hunger issue.

How many people will be hungry by 2050?

The world population continues to grow, and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations estimates there will be 9.7 billion on Earth by 2050. Unfortunately, even today, one in eight people don’t get enough food to eat.

How is AI impacting our lives?

AI is already impacting our everyday lives—when Facebook recognises faces of friends to tag them, when Netflix suggests what you should watch next, and Alexa sets a timer per your request—but now AI is beginning to be used to solve the world’s biggest problems including the fight to end hunger in the world.

Introduction

Factors Leading to Hunger and Food Insecurity

What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

How Sustainable Agriculture Alleviates Hunger

• There can be a reduction in the number of people who go to sleep hungry every night through sustainable practices that promote an increase in food production and that can be sustained for generations. These agricultural practices include introducing drought-resistant or high yielding seeds, cheaper and less labor-intensive farming techniques, inclu…

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Factors Preventing Sustainable Practices

Conclusion

How Big Is World Hunger?

Progress in The Fight to End Hunger

The United States’ Collaborative Approach

How Can We Adapt?

• If ending hunger requires better food security and nutrition, the world should pursue nutrition-sensitive agriculture intensely. Organizations that implement agricultural development projects for the world’s donor community hold a unique and influential position. Many see a strong need for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which addresses the underl…

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Focusing Agricultural Development Projects