> > >

Learn

Agriculture and Sustainable Development

View David Beckmann's September 12, 2006 Congressional testimony on "The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Importance of Agricultural Development in Sustainable Global Poverty Reduction"
Since the greatest concentrations of undernourished people are in rural areas, this is where interventions should be focused.…One place to start is by helping farmers used technologies that improve the nutritional content of staple crops….Ending chronic malnutrition among the rural poor will require more than just providing smallholder farmers with better seeds….Helping smallholder farmers increase production of a varied selection of fruits and vegetables can help improve rural livelihoods and support greater dietary diversification (Hunger Report 2006, Page 102 and 104) Cross Reference: Malnutrition and Biotechnology
A key reform is to promote trade rules that favor non-trade distorting support payments. Trade agreements should favor farm income support payments that discourage or at least do not encourage heavier production of price-suppressing surpluses of agricultural commodities…Trade reform policies can and must be part of a package that liberalizes U.S. commodity agriculture and promotes a true domestic rural development model based on entrepreneurship…reforming trade agreements and rules has the potential to provide multiple benefits to the rural communities in the United States and developing nations (Hunger Report 2005, Page 110). Cross Reference: Trade, Rural Development (Domestic and International) and Agriculture (Domestic).
The ultimate goal of U.S. Farm policy must be to promote sustainable agriculture, reduce rural hunger and poverty, and eliminate food insecurity here in our own country and around the world (Hunger Report 2005, Page 110). Cross Reference: Agriculture (Domestic) and Food Insecurity (Domestic and International).
Agricultural trade liberalization must be accompanied by assistance to those countries and people who will be hurt in the short-term. This is a long-standing concern (Hunger Report 2005, Page 80). Cross Reference: Trade
There is today a reasonable chance for Africa to succeed in the long term, especially when one considers what has happened in other regions of the world in terms of progress and leadership...Agricultural production and rural income must be at the core because two-thirds of Africa's population is rural (Hunger Report 2005, Side Bar: Page 13).
Because most of the world's poor and hungry people live in rural areas, development efforts must focus on rural and agriculture development initiatives (Hunger Report 2004, Page 84) Cross Reference: Rural Development
Agriculture and rural development efforts should focus on arid, mountainous and other difficult terrains, where hunger and severe poverty are concentrated (Hunger Report 2004, Page 9). Cross Reference: Rural Development
Developing country governments not only must provide incentives for long-term corporate investment in agriculture, but craft regulations that protect the rights and interests of small farmers, the knowledge of indigenous peoples, and the health and safety of consumers (Hunger Report 2003, Page 109).
As one of the countries that stands to gain from agricultural trade liberalization, the United States should take the lead in reducing it trade-distorting agricultural subsidies and in urging other countries to do the same (Hunger Report 2003, Page 109) Cross Reference: Trade
One of the largest steps in making global trade fairer for developing countries would be for industrialized countries to reduce their agricultural trade barriers (Hunger Report 2003, Page 103). Cross Reference: Trade
Trade rules also must change if trade is to benefit poor countries…Key changes include reducing tariffs on agricultural products, ending tariff escalation and tariff peaks, and eliminating both production-linked domestic and export subsidies (Hunger Report 2003, Page 101). Cross Reference: Trade
The World Bank should put more emphasis on agriculture (Hunger Report 2003, Page 101).
If long-term development is to succeed in developing countries and poor people are to win the fight against hunger, agricultural reform must occur. Hunger 2003 shows that making the agricultural trading system more equitable is in the interest of everyone, rich or poor (Hunger Report 2003, Page 99). Cross Reference: Trade
As a group speaking with one voice, developing countries should seek an end to agriculture dumping, special concessions to countries also have a role to play. They can urge their governments to reform agricultural trade rules in ways that would be good for their people and for developing countries and rural populations (Hunger Report 2003, Page 71). Cross Reference: Trade
The ultimate goal of U. S. farm programs must be to promote sustainable agriculture, reduce rural poverty and eliminate food insecurity, both in the United States and throughout the world. Toward this end, the United States should: gradually eliminate tariffs on developing country agriculture exports, export subsidies and production-linked domestic support payments; support U.S. farmers who leave agriculture with adjustment assistance that would include counseling, job training, education reimbursement and transportation aid; support small and mid-size farmers with comprehensive rural development programs and technical assistance in adopting new technologies and developing greater economies of scale; establish provisions for farmers to help them sustain losses resulting from catastrophic weather events; strengthen assistance for farmers in meeting conservation goals and environmental mandates, including increased technical assistance, cost-share programs and incentive payments for use of environmentally friendly practices; increase research and regulation in areas, such as biotechnology, food safety, disease prevention and environmental quality; invest in rural communities by supporting economic development initiatives, job training, business promotion and infrastructure development, and reduce hunger in the United States (through nutrition and poverty reduction programs) and worldwide (through development assistance and trade opportunities), with this adding to the ongoing demand for food production (Hunger Report 2003, Page 55). Cross Reference: Agriculture (Domestic), Food Security (Domestic and International), Rural Development (International), Environment, Biotechnology, Nutrition Programs, Trade, and Development Assistance.
The fact that food is essential to human survival makes agriculture more likely than other industries to need government intervention to correct market failures and cope with natural disasters (Hunger Report 2003, Page 26). Cross Reference: Economy and Food Security
The United States should provide development aid to: Support traditional and nontraditional agricultural exports in which women control the proceeds; work with women's groups in low-income countries to increase women's entitlement to land and access to credit; retrain women farmers who have been displaced; provide legal support and health care assistance to workers who are exposed to pesticides and other harmful chemicals; and ensure that American companies, contractors and subcontractors that produce agricultural products abroad abide by U.S. labor standards and observe U.S. health and safety protocols for their workers (Hunger Report 2003, Side Bar: Page 23). Cross Reference: Development Assistance, Empowerment of Women, and Health Care
Whether in developed or developing countries, for agricultural and rural development to succeed, a sustainable approach must be pursued, stressing effective use of labor and environmental conservation. Concurrent progress also must be made in infrastructure, rural institutions, health and education (Hunger Report 2003, Page 20). Cross Reference: Rural Development
Agricultural policies should include investments by developing countries in five key areas—irrigation, rural roads, agricultural research, clean water provision and education (Hunger Report 2002, Page 83).
Transportation infrastructure would reduce the time women spend on their chores, freeing them to go to school, increase agricultural productivity, improve market opportunities, access social services, and engage in nonagricultural employment (Hunger Report 2001, Page 99). Cross Reference: Empowerment of Women, Development Aid to Africa
Agricultural research and extension that improves agricultural productivity and assures sound natural resource management should be relevant and responsive to the needs of small-scale farmers and hungry people (Hunger Report 2000, Page 80).
Southern governments and civil society organizations should invest in gender-sensitive and poverty-focused rural development (including off-farm employment) and agricultural research and extension (Hunger Report 2000, Page 80). Cross Reference: Gender Equality, Rural Development
The Indian government should provide improved agricultural research, extension and technologies that are appropriate and responsive to the circumstances of smallholder farmers in low-potential rainfed areas (Hunger Report 2000, Page 87).

Send suggestions or comments to Institute@bread.org