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DISCUSSION No. 148 • FSN Forum digest No. 1338
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Eradicating extreme poverty: what is the role of agriculture?
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until 24 April 2018
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Dear Members,
Please find below the latest contributions to the discussion
Eradicating
extreme poverty: what is the role of agriculture?
Participants are sharing views and experiences on interventions that can succeed in addressing extreme poverty,
focusing on the role of agriculture.
We would like to renew the invitation to add your thoughts:
Can agriculture offer opportunities for sustainable livelihoods to the most poor and vulnerable, including those who lack productive assets? Are there examples of eradication of extreme poverty though agriculture
interventions?
Your views will be part of a broader reflection to refine and improve FAO's approach towards the eradication
of extreme poverty by using its experience in supporting agriculture and the livelihoods of rural dwellers towards the realization of
SDG1.
The full versions and the introduction are available on the
discussion page.
To take part, send your contribution in English,
French
or Spanish
to [log in to unmask] or
post it online on the FSN
Forum.
Your FSN Forum team
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Zhanhuan
Shang, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, China
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Based on the experience of Lanzhou University in Kenya and other African countries, Zhanhuan highlights
the results obtained thanks to the implementation of low cost techniques followed by demonstrations to encourage adoption by farmers.
Read the contribution
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Chinasa
Ikelu, Institute de Mathématique et des Sciences Physiques, Benin
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Chinasa lists some conditions that would make agriculture more profitable and therefore more effective in
helping people escape poverty.
Read the contribution
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Daman
Sanka, United Republic of Tanzania
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Damian calls for stronger engagement with local farmers when designing interventions.
Read the contribution
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Andrew
Isingoma, Rwanda Agriculture Board, Rwanda
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Responding to the questions proposed, Andrew highlights the role of agriculture in helping the poor and
food insecure. He calls for more research on crop varieties for drought affected areas and for lower prices of agriculture products to support the poor in purchasing food.
Read
the contribution
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Donna
Rosa, Aidtrepreneurship, USA
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Donna draws attention to the problem of postharvest losses which hinder the achievement of food security
and nutrition. She also quotes a few solutions already available for storage and processing.
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the contribution
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Edward
Tanyima, FAO, Uganda
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In countries like Uganda, where many poor and vulnerable rural households mostly rely on agriculture for
food and as source of income, enhancing agricultural productivity, value addition and agro-processing are critical to lift people out of poverty. However, to succeed in reducing extreme poverty, agriculture interventions need to take a social protection perspective:
this means that actions should be designed to address multiple risks related to economic, social and environmental aspects.
Read the contribution
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Hans
Schaltenbrand, rural development expert, Switzerland
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Hans stresses that political will and policy is what matters most to eradicate extreme poverty. F.i. India
implemented the Food Security Bill in 2013 and it would be important to share lessons learned with other countries, such as Nepal, where a Right to Food Acts is currently being prepared.
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the contribution
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Deepak
Sharma, VAAGDHARA, India
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Deepak focuses on the problems such as post-harvest losses caused by looking at agriculture from an economic
point of view, only. To address this, he argues that at small farm level there is need for awareness raising activities on the role of agriculture for nutrition/food security, while at policy level the state should take on the responsibility for keeping land
productive.
Read the contribution
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KV
Peter, Kerala Agriculture Research, Ethiopia
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Kuruppacharil states that the unpredictable nature of agriculture with its price fluctuations and weather
dependence can be the cause of post-harvest losses. He presents the case of Israel where infrastructure such as cold chambers and packinghouses avoid that produce goes to waste, and helps implement value addition activities.
Read the contribution
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Aklilu
Nigussie, Ethiopian Institutes of Agricultural Research, Ethiopia
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Aklilu answers the second question arguing that natural resource management is central to healthy food system
and should be applied also at the small scale level.
Read the contribution
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Nurah
Oseni, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Nigeria
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Nurah sees a strong nexus between food losses, hunger and poverty and perceives the adoption of Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMP) as key to ensuring food security.
Read the contribution
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