Per Pinstrup-Andersen
Per Pinstrup-Andersen,
Director-General, IFPRI
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Per Pinstrup-AndersenPer Pinstrup-Andersen,
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PerspectiveMore research and better policies are essential for achieving the World Food Summit goalPoverty and hunger are now the world's most serious public health problems. Since the great majority of the world's poor and malnourished people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods, one might say that agriculture is letting them down. It would be more accurate, however, to say that governments around the world are letting agriculture down. In their current circumstances, the rural poor simply do not have access to enough food or income to keep them healthy and productive. If we are to achieve the goal set by the World Food Summit, it is essential that small farmers in developing countries become more productive. But it is no use going about our business as usual while telling poor farmers they must produce more. These farmers are doing as well as they can without better technologies and better policies. And both developing and developed countries must play their part in bringing about these improvements. Agriculture, when it is highly productive, has the potential to lift up whole economies. IFPRI research shows that for every new dollar of income earned by farmers in poor developing countries, income in the economy as a whole rises by up to US$2.60. As farmers begin to earn more money, they demand more goods and services, thereby generating jobs, income and growth throughout the economy. Many farmers in developing countries are struggling to produce in poor environmental conditions with few tools for coping with drought, pests and disease. Agricultural research is needed to help these farmers reduce their risks, improve their productivity, and protect their natural resources. Yet the kind of agricultural research that will benefit small farmers in developing countries is severely underfunded. The private sector does not undertake such research because the expected financial gains do not cover the costs. The gains to society and to poor people, however, are high. Social rates of return to most past investments in agricultural research have exceeded 20 percent a year. For developing-country governments this is a most worthwhile investment. Yet low-income developing countries invest less than 0.5 percent of the value of farm production in agricultural research, compared with 2-5 percent in higher-income countries. Besides the technological tools for producing more agricultural goods, farmers also require sound and supportive public policies. Trade, macroeconomic and sectoral policies must not discriminate against agriculture and must favour poverty reduction and food security. Policies must also provide incentives for sustainable natural resource management, such as secure property rights for small farmers and fishers. Above all, poor people must participate in making decisions and implementing programmes that affect them. Developed country policies also make a difference. We know, for instance, that developed countries must replace their trade distorting policies with policies prompting free and fair trade for developing countries. At present both developing and developed countries are forgoing the substantial returns that could come from greater investments in agriculture. On average, developing countries devote just 7.5 percent of government expenditures to agriculture. In sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture contributes 30-80 percent of gross domestic output, the figure is even lower. Developed countries can also benefit from greater aid to developing-country agriculture. According to IFPRI research, every dollar invested in agricultural research for developing countries increases their imports of goods and services by more than US$4, with US$1 going to agriculture imports. Developed-country farmers even make use of crop varieties bred for use in developing countries. For example, every dollar the United States has invested in international wheat research has led to US$190 in benefits for U.S. consumers and farmers. The World Food Summit goal dovetails with IFPRI's 2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture and the Environment, which is a vision of a world free of hunger and malnutrition by 2020. The 2020 Vision Initiative attempts to identify the actions needed through consultations, policy analysis, and an understanding of the major future driving forces in the world. Specific policy measures must naturally be tailored to each country, but this initiative has shown that governments in all countries must focus on generating public goods such as education, health care, agricultural research, infrastructure and appropriate institutions and on creating an environment that will enable other actors to be effective in overcoming hunger, poverty, and malnutrition. Where national governments have made such commitments, their progress has been substantial. New Agriculturist is grateful to IFPRI for allowing the
publication of this article. It has been adapted from the speech given by
IFPRI's Director General, Per Pinstrup-Andersen, at the World Food Summit:
Five Years Later, in Rome, Italy. June 2002. |
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