Ethiopian Farming Village Revived

With the help of the World Food Programme’s “Managing Environmental Resources to Enable Transitions to More Sustainable Livelihoods” program (MERET), Ethiopian farmers in the village Goro Wagilo have witnessed a radical transformation. Fifteen years ago the hillsides were bare from deforestation and every time it rained, the water washed away the fertile top soil. In 1995, villagers signed on to the MERET program, a joint venture between the WFP and Ethiopian government. The intent of MERET was to feed people while they worked on projects to reclaim environmentally degraded land.

During the program, farmers built dams, cleared roads and terraced the hillsides. Eight years after signing on to MERET, nearly all of the farmers in Goro Wagilo were growing enough to support themselves and no longer needed food assistance. Another added bonus is that MERET provided some families with new cook-stoves that are safer to use. This type of stove burns three times less wood than the types that Ethiopians traditionally use, and doesn’t emit tons of smoke into the household.

Goro Wagilo’s struggle to revive its agricultural economy is a reminder of how important environmental sustainability is for development. Due to environmental degradation and deforestation, people’s livelihoods were being affected by the weather and poor soil conditions. Consequently, crop yields were too low or inadequate for families to sell as a means of support. Protecting the environment cannot be an afterthought if we are to achieve better living conditions for the world’s poor. Furthermore, Goro Wagilo’s story is an example of why environmental sustainability is a Millennium Development Goal.

-Clare O.

SOURCE: World Food Programme

Agricultural Revolution in a Nutshell

Jock Brandis, Director of Research and Development at The Full Belly Project, made a promise to women in Mali which turned him into a social entrepreneur. It was a simple promise; one he thought would be easy to keep. He saw that the women had to shell their peanut crop by hand, a tedious and painful task. He promised to send them a peanut sheller. As it turns out, a small-scale peanut sheller did not exist.

In order to keep his promise, Brandis decided to build his own. Universal Peanut Shellers are now in 17 countries. This invention has helped improve the quality of life and incomes of many villagers. He does not give them away – he believes that development comes through investment. He sells the design of his peanut sheller for $28 apiece, and the farmers put it together themselves. Brandis uses development workers who are already over there to make sure everything works according to plan. This lack of overseas infrastructure saves the organization from wasting money which is better used on more inventions.

-Corey Cox and Kelli Hanson

SOURCE: NPR

The Maize Craze

Millions of people benefit from, and are nourished by maize at every meal. This has not always been the case. The impacts of climate change and severe drought in recent years have parched millions of hectares of maize across the continent forcing families into hunger and poverty.

This is better known as "Drought-Tolerant Maize". In Africa, there are new varieties of maize that can withstand drought. Even when there is no rain, this is not a problem.

Goal: To help farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa living in drought-susceptible areas increase their maize productivity by more than 30 percent.

"Developed by the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), with the support of the foundation and a broad range of other partners, these drought-tolerant maize varieties are giving African farmers powerful tools to adapt to the changing climate"(gatesfoundation.org).

The improved maize varieties are not only helping people fight hunger and malnutrition, but it helps farmers improve their income and allows them to better provide for their family. This did not happen over night. It took two decades of research and involved many governments and NGO's including seed dealers and farmers to help this materialize. This brings hope for years to come.

Progress: More than 2 million smallholder farmers in Africa are already realizing the benefits of higher yields and incomes from these new maize varieties. By 2016, the drought-tolerant maize program is expected to boost yields by as much as 30 percent, benefiting up to 40 million people.
More than 2 million smallholder farmers in Africa are already realizing the benefits of higher yields and incomes from these new maize varieties. By 2016, the drought-tolerant maize program is expected to boost yields by as much as 30 percent, benefitting up to 40 million people.

-Shereen Alibhai

SOURCE: gatesfoundation.org