Problem

Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where agricultural productivity continues to decline. African rice farmers harvest only 1-2 tons/ha, compared to 4-5 tons/ha of their Asian counterparts. Various challenges African farmers face in their farming includes drought, pests and diseases, wars and inadequate technology. A farmer’s harvest is usually just enough to feed the family for few months after harvest and can hardly last for a year supply of food.

The Gift

Your donation will help farmers get connected to scientists or technology developers. Farmers will be able to access the required technology to increase their productivity, fight the rampant pests and diseases, and drought. With your donation, research scientists can listen to farmers to develop required technology and they would encourage farmers to improve their harvest. An increased harvest can enable farmers to store more food to feed the family the whole year or sell the extra harvest to buy more food. Hunger period occurs when farmers run out of their stored harvest and are waiting for the next harvest. This occurs almost every year in some parts of Africa and a good example was the hunger in Niger in March 2005. Farmers had abundant harvest which was still not enough to last the whole year.