The Rockefeller Foundation published an article on the African-led Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) which is a dynamic partnership working across the continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger.
Africa has the singular and tragic distinction of being the only place in the world where overall food security and livelihoods are deteriorating. Over the last 15 years, the number of Africans living below the poverty line ($1/day) has increased by 50 percent, and it is estimated that one-third of the continent’s population suffers from hunger. In the past five years alone, the number of underweight children in Africa has risen by about 12 percent. A root cause of this entrenched and deepening poverty is the fact that millions of small-scale farmers—the majority of them women working farms smaller than one hectare—cannot grow and sell enough food to sustain their families, their communities, or their countries.
The challenges confronting Africa’s small-scale farmers start in the field and extend across the entire agricultural value chain. Most African farmers can neither access nor afford basic farm inputs such as high-yielding seeds, organic and mineral fertilizers needed to replenish depleted soils, or simple water management systems to allow farmers to deal with erratic rains. In addition, good roads are scarce. Also lacking are strong market, extension, and finance systems. Small-scale farmers today also need the support of government policies that promote sustainable and productive African agriculture, and that ensure that farmers can get access to markets.
One of the possible solutions for increasing productivity of small-scale farmers in Africa is to have a utility vehicle designed for the rural geography of developing countries like BUV. Designed for rugged African terrain, this vehicle is able to serve local communities by connecting remote small farms with urban marketplace. This in turn will help small-scale farmers to increase revenues and to re-invest proceeds into the business.
