Against hunger and poverty, a solution: the development of the rural environment
October 11, 2017
After 10 years of near-constant improvement, hunger in the world has increased sharply with 815 million people affected in 2016, 38 million more than in 2015. According to the FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization and agriculture), “there could be no clearer signal” that the situation is deteriorating particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Focus on the rural economy.
The international community has set itself the goal of eradicating hunger and poverty in the world by 2030. This means that, in the face of this daunting challenge, every bad news makes its realization go back on time.
For this reason, FAO’s UN agency estimates in a report published on 9 October 2017 at its headquarters in Rome that the ” realization of the 2030 Program is absolutely dependent on the progress made in rural areas where most of the people suffering from poverty and hunger “.
In this table, with 20% of the population affected by hunger, sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected.
To remedy this situation, FAO has several avenues, in particular the development of agro-industry (storage, processing or wholesale trade in agricultural products) and the deployment of necessary infrastructure to link rural areas to urban markets.
Urban food demand, with the prospect of a very large increase of the population in the cities, will be one of the main engines of growth of the rural areas, emphasizes the organization UN, although there is no automatism for small farmers.For them, ” policies and public investment of support are one of the elements on which any inclusive rural transformation is based ” which leaves no one behind, FAO assures.
Experts from the African Center for Economic Transformation(ACET), established in Ghana, are even more explicit. To avoid the continent’s dependence on food imports for an annual budget estimated at $ 68 billion, they suggest that countries adopt modern technologies (drones) to make agriculture more efficient and modify agricultural land.
Towards a class of modern African farmers
For them, it is also essential to rejuvenate the farmers. ” If we can introduce a series of reforms and support programs and make agriculture a profitable business, we can hope to train younger and more cultured farmers, ” says economist Yaw Ansu.
Choices which, according to these analysts, could “lifting millions out of poverty “.