United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Improving Lives through Agricultural Science and technology

More than 800 million people go to sleep hungry every night. Of this number, 185 million are preschoolers who are very undernourished (malnourished). Families’ incomes are too little and food materials often run short. Rural populations— including farmers, herders, and fishers— need to raise their incomes by increasing their competitiveness.

Science and technology are levers for increasing agricultural productivity: increasing yields and protecting them from drought, animals, and disease; lowering costs; and improving food storage and food qualities. Funds in agricultural research and the development and application of a wide range of technologies speed up the discovery of solutions to agricultural problems.

USAID is proud of its role in ensuring that development assistance makes a difference in the lives of millions of farmers, fishers, herders, and other food producers around the world.

HERE ARE IS CHALLENGES:
 Attacking Poverty through Productivity
Ending hunger and poverty will require more than doubling the current efficiency of the land, labor, and water resources of agricultural producers in developing countries.

 Attracting Trade and Investment
Worldwide, levels of foreign trade and investment exceed $9 trillion annually. Linking to these flows of money and products enables developing countries to fund growth and enhance output.

 Improving Health through Food-Based Solutions
Improvements in food quality and quantity are crucial to ending starvation and reducing the high incidence of death, illness, and poor growth of children in developing countries.

 Investing in People
Today, scientific and technical capacity is the key to a nation’s ability to compete globally and direct the development of its human resources.

 Ending Famine
Famine is a completely preventable tragedy—with the right policies, including early warning systems, flexible response mechanisms, broad engagement from traditional and nontraditional donors, and sound policies in the countries most at risk.


USAID’s Commitment or Promise:
Over the next 20 years, USAID is committed to:
■ working with partners to expand global and domestic trade opportunities
■ improving the capacity of farmers and rural industries to act on them
■ promoting sustainable agriculture
■ mobilizing science and technology to reduce poverty and hunger
■ bridging the knowledge divides through training and education, outreach, and adaptive research