Over the years, agriculture has undergone a unique transformation. For instance, the green revolution that swept through Latin America and Asia (between the 1960s and the 1980s) helped to improve the production of staple crops and farming methods. However, increase in inflation, population growth, climate changes, and gradual reduction in available natural resources has strained agricultural productivity worldwide. This has led to an increase in the number of people who are affected by poverty and severe hunger. Remarkably however, governments and organizations (such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) have risen to the challenge.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been able to observe that “helping farming families increase production in a sustainable way, and sell more crops, is the most effective way to reduce hunger and poverty over the long term” (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2013). This is why they have developed strategies to finding out what the specific needs of farmers are and meeting them so as to increase their productivity, foster sustainable practices and achieve lasting impacts with other partners.
Agricultural development projects such as those embarked upon by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other organizations, are critical to the improvement of health in the sense that they stimulate agricultural growth which is associated with improved practices that help to increase food value and availability. This typically results in increased food and nutrient intake. With time, there is an improvement in the nutritional status of the population. Also, agriculture projects help to increase productivity and in the long run, increased income. This makes it easy to improve household practices that have health implications and also invest in health services that benefit both individuals and families. In addition, there is investment in education and healthcare which has attendant implications on the overall status and wellbeing of the population (Hawkes et al, 2012).
References
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2013). Agricultural development: Strategy overview. Retrieved from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Agricultural-Development
Hawkes, C., Turner, R., & Waage, J. (2012). Current and planned research on agriculture for improved nutrition: A mapping and gap analysis. A Report for DFID. London: LCIRAH.
