In fact, rural people produce three-quarters of the world’s food, yet they constitute 80% of the world’s poor. If current trends hold, by 2050 the amount of food being grown will feed only half of the world’s population. Governments, through their various agricultural programmes, can help rural farmers to form cooperatives, where they can leverage their collective strength. But success will require a commitment from both governments and the private sector to help rural farmers shift to sustainable — and profitable — agricultural practices. If that happens, then not only will we end food insecurity, but Adesina’s prediction that “the next generation of billionaires in Africa will be farmers” may come closer to being realised.

Source: Irish Examiner June 09, 2019 23:02 UTC