Falling Aid to Agriculture Leaves Two-Thirds of Rural Poor Behind

Persistent and growing hunger can be linked to a 75% drop in development aid to agriculture since 1980, according to a new report, 'Investing in Poor Farmers Pays, by international agency Oxfam. The report reveals that the investments that were made failed to reach the two-thirds of the world's rural poor who are female or live in remote areas or harsh environments.

'Oxfam's report is a blueprint for how CIDA's new focus on food security can help sustainably feed the billion people who will go to bed hungry tonight, said Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada. 'Investing more wisely in agriculture, especially in women farmers, is a crucial part of the long-term solution.

Oxfam called on world leaders, particularly those meeting at the G8 Summit in Italy next week, to raise agricultural development assistance to at least 1980-levels of US$20 billion from the paltry US$5 billion currently invested.

'We cannot continue to chase hunger-related disasters, said report author Emily Alpert. 'We need to deal with the underlying causes of hunger, vulnerability and poverty. The report urges donors, national governments and private sector investors to target investments towards small-scale producers, particularly women, to enable them to adopt environmentally sustainable farming methods.

Women are the key to food security, Fox said. 'CIDA's focus on food security must invest equitably in women's needs and build their capacity to produce food.

Oxfam's report cautions that special attention must be paid to farmers and herders on marginalized land, who often work in harsh and remote environments with fewer off-farm sources of employment. Such farmers and herders shoulder the burden of conserving crop biodiversity and managing some of the world's most fragile soils, and could be critical allies in the fight against climate change.

'Despite perceived low returns on investments in marginalized areas, it will pay for itself by reducing poverty, said Alpert. 'A healthy agricultural sector acts as a multiplier in local economies, leading eventually to higher wages and vibrant rural markets where farmers and workers spend their earnings.