Bill Gates To Call For United Action To Support World's Poorest Farmers

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MEDIA RELEASE PR36535

Bill Gates to Call for United Action to Support World's Poorest Farmers


DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


          Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Announce US$120 Million in

                           New Agriculture Grants


    Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Thursday will urge governments, donors,

researchers, farmer groups, environmentalists, and others to set aside old divisions and join forces to help

millions of the world's poorest farming families boost their yields and incomes so they can lift themselves out of

hunger and poverty. Gates will say the effort must be guided by the farmers themselves, adapted to local

circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and the environment.


    Speaking at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, in his first major address on agricultural

development, Gates will lay out the foundation's vision, which includes investments in better seeds, training,

market access, and policies that support small farmers. Gates also will announce nine foundation grants

totaling US$120 million that illustrate the range of efforts necessary to empower millions of small farmers to

grow enough to build better, healthier lives.


    "Melinda and I believe that helping the poorest small-holder farmers grow more crops and get them to

market is the world's single most powerful lever for reducing hunger and poverty," Gates will say, according to

a draft of his speech.


    After his speech, Gates will be joined on the stage by the 2009 World Food Prize laureate, Dr. Gebisa Ejeta,

a renowned Ethiopian sorghum researcher who was honored for his work to develop hybrids resistant to

drought and the Striga weed – advances credited with increasing food security for hundreds of millions of

Africans.


    The foundation's new grants include funding for legumes that fix nitrogen in the soil, higher yielding varieties

of sorghum and millet, and new varieties of sweet potatoes that resist pests and have a higher vitamin content.

Other projects will help the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa support African governments in 

developing policies that serve small farmers; help get information to farmers by radio and cell phone; support

school feeding programs; provide training and resources that African governments can draw on as they

regulate biotechnologies; and help women farmers in India manage their land and water resources

sustainably. To date, the foundation has committed US$1.4 billion to agricultural development efforts.


    Gates will say the world should draw inspiration from the agricultural transformation in Latin America and

Asia during the 1960s to 1980s, known as the Green Revolution, which averted famine, saved hundreds of

millions of lives, and fueled widespread economic development.


    But Gates will warn that as scientists, governments, and others strive to repeat the successes of the original

Green Revolution, they should be careful not to repeat its mistakes, such as the overuse of fertilizer and

irrigation.


    "The next Green Revolution has to be greener than the first," Gates will say. "It must be guided by small-

holder farmers, adapted to local circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and the environment."


    According to the World Bank, three-quarters of the 1 billion people who live in extreme poverty depend on

agriculture for a living. More than 1 billion people suffer from chronic hunger in the developing world. In the

world's poorest areas, small farmers frequently face harsh conditions, including depleted soils, pests, drought,

diseases, and lack of water. Even if they manage to grow a surplus, they often lack a reliable market where

they can sell it.


    Despite these challenges, there are reasons for optimism in the fight against hunger. After two decades of

neglect, the world's attention is once again focused on agricultural development. The G20 group of leading

donor and developing nations recently made a three-year, US$22 billion pledge to help solve global hunger by

supporting small farmers in the developing world.


    "It's a great thing that donor nations are focusing on this issue," Gates will say. "But we need them to spell

out clearly what the US$22 billion means -- how much is old money, how much is new, how soon can they

spend it, and when will they do more?"


    While Gates will say that major breakthroughs in the fight against hunger and poverty are now within reach,

he will caution that progress toward alleviating global hunger is "endangered by an ideological wedge that

threatens to split the movement in two." On one side, he will say, there are groups that support technological

solutions to increase agricultural productivity without proper regard to environmental and sustainability

concerns. On the other, there are those who react negatively to any emphasis on productivity.


    "It's a false choice, and it's dangerous for the field," Gates will say. "It blocks important advances. It breeds

hostility among people who need to work together. And it makes it hard to launch a comprehensive program to

help poor farmers. The fact is, we need both productivity and sustainability -- and there is no reason we can't

have both."


    Gates will say the foundation is supporting research on crops that can withstand drought and flooding so

poor farmers can adapt to climate change. It is also supporting a ground-breaking effort with the World Food

Programme (WFP) to buy food from small farmers in the developing world for food aid. WFP has already

purchased 17,000 metric tons of food from small farmers through the program, linking many to markets for the

first time.


    Gates will say the foundation isn't an advocate of any particular scientific method. "Of course, these

technologies must be subject to rigorous scientific review to ensure they are safe and effective. It's the

responsibility of governments, farmers, and citizens -- informed by excellent science -- to choose the best and

safest way to help feed their countries," Gates will say.


    Gates will also pay tribute to Dr. Norman Borlaug, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his

pioneering work in expanding agricultural production in the developing world, who died on September 12 of

this year.


    "His passing is cause for sadness, but his life should make us optimistic," Gates will say. "He not only

showed humanity how to get more food from the earth -- he proved that farming has the power to lift up the

lives of the poor. It's a lesson the world is thankfully relearning today."


    Note to Editors: Video clips and other media materials will be available following the speech at:



          Username: GatesFoundationII

          Password: WorldFoodPrizeII


    This announcement includes the following grants:


    Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

    The AGRA Policy Program: US$15 million

    To develop a strong policy support system in Africa that will raise incomes, and assure household and

national food security. The program focuses on policies to speed adoption of approaches to improve farmer

    productivity, market and trade policies to stimulate expanded markets for staple crops, and land and

property rights policies to stimulate equitable agricultural growth for the poor.


    Press Contacts

    Preeti Singh, +1-301-652-1558, ext. 5722, psingh@burnesscommunications.com

    Stella Kihara, +254-735380199, skihara@agra-alliance.org


    American Institutes for Research (AIR)

    Farmer Voice Radio: US$10 million

    To create a network of radio broadcasters, farmer groups, universities, research institutes, non-

governmental organizations, ministries of  agriculture, and African media organizations to generate quality

content and facilitate impact-driven and sustainable broadcasting to small-holder

    farmers to enhance their livelihoods. The project aims to reach 1.6 million small-holder farmers in Kenya,

Malawi, Zambia, Mali, Ghana, and Tanzania in its first four years.


    Press Contact

    Larry McQuillan, +1-202-403-5119 or +1-202-641-7747, lmcquillan@air.org


    Grameen Foundation

    Building a Network of Community Knowledge Workers: US$4.7 million    

To develop a network of 4,000 community knowledge workers in Uganda who use mobile devices to increase

the reach and relevance of agricultural information, leading to improved productivity and livelihoods for    

small-holder farmers. The project aims to reach up to 280,000 small-holder farmers, reduce the cost of

adoption of new and improved practices by 25 percent to 50 percent, and ultimately provide a model that can

be scaled to reach millions of small-holder farmers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.


    Press Contact

    Liselle York, +1-202-628-3560, ext. 128 or +1-202-549-3400,

    lyorke@grameenfoundation.org


    International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Harnessing Opportunities for

Productivity Enhancement (HOPE) of Sorghum and Millets: US$18 million 

    To help small-holder farmers in moisture-deficient areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia increase

their yields of sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet to improve food security and increase the income of

farmers. The project aims to benefit 200,000 households by increasing yields of sorghum and millet by 35 to

40 percent over four years.


    Press Contact

    Rex L. Navarro, +91-40-3071-3223, rex.navarro@cgiar.org


    International Potato Center (CIP)

    Sweet Potato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA):

    US$21.25 million

    To produce high-yielding, stress-tolerant varieties of sweet potato to help farming families in Sub-Saharan

Africa improve their productivity, incomes, and nutrition. The project aims to benefit 150,000 families directly

from the initial seed systems work, and up to 1 million families indirectly from the first set of improved varieties

in five years.



    Press Contact

    Valerie Gwinner, +1-202-468-7486, v.gwinner@cgiar.org


    New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and Michigan State

    University (MSU)

    African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE): US$10.4 million 

    To create a center in Africa that provides training, education, and technical support to African regulators to

develop regulatory systems for biotechnology, ensuring countries can make informed decisions on how to    

use these advances while protecting farmers, consumers, and the environment.


    Press Contacts

    Aggrey Ambali, +27-12-841-3688, aggrey@nepadst.org

    Karim Maredia, +1-517-353-5262 or +1-517-775-6627, kmaredia@msu.edu

    Stephanie Motschenbacher, +1-517-884-2135, motsche3@msu.edu


    Partnership for Child Development (PCD)

    Home-grown School Feeding: US$12 million

    To support the delivery of cost-effective school feeding programs that promote local agriculture and benefit

small-holder farmers. The project aims to increase the income and improve the nutritional status of

    approximately 200,000 small farmers; improve the education, health, and nutrition of school-age children;

and provide opportunities to those involved in the transportation, processing, and preparation of food along

    the school-feeding value chain.


    Press Contact

    Lucy Goodchild, +44(0)20-7594-6702, lucy.goodchild@imperial.ac.uk


    Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)

People Feature Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 3 image

    Developing Farm-based Livelihoods in Endemically Poor Regions of India:

    US$9.7 million

    To create sustainable farm-based livelihoods for rural families in endemically poor regions of India by

training women farmers in land and water management and modern farming practices, establishing village

    extension services, and building effective market linkages. The project aims to mobilize 120,000 women into

self-help groups to assist them in   improving their farm productivity and food security, enhancing their

    household income.


    Press Contact

    Souparno Chatterjee, +91-11-26518619 or +91-4164-0611, ext. 21


    Wageningen University, The Netherlands

    Putting Nitrogen Fixation to Work for Small-holder Farmers in Africa

    (NforAfrica): US$19 million

    To increase legume productivity, family nutrition, soil health, cropping systems, and farm income for small

farmers in Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Malawi by expanding the use of selected

legumes, proven tools of biological nitrogen fixation, and sound agronomic principles. The project aims to

benefit 225,000 farmers.


    Press Contact

    Erik Toussaint, +31-(0)-317-48-08-67 or +31-(0)-6-51-56-59-49,

    erik.toussaint@wur.nl


    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

    Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all

people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and

giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to

ensure that all people -- especially those with the fewest resources -- have access to the opportunities they

need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes

and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Learn

more about the foundation at www.gatesfoundation.org.


SOURCE: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation


    CONTACT: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 

             +1-206-709-3400,

             media@gatesfoundation.org


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