World Ark Magazine - March/April 2009 - (Page 10) asKed & answered Making a Difference planting Seeds for Self-Sufficiency dr. rajiv shah, director of agricultural development for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Program, oversees the foundation’s efforts to help small farmers in Africa and South Asia overcome hunger and poverty. Guided by the foundation’s belief that all lives have equal value, the agricultural development initiative works with a broad range of partners, including the World Food Programme, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and Heifer International, to provide millions of small farmers with tools and opportunities to build better lives. Interviewed by Donna Stokes, World Ark Managing Editor world arK: Can you please explain a bit about your cultural and educational background and what inspired you to pursue a career with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation? dr. rajiv shah: Before i went to medical school, i spent a year in a remote, extremely poor village in south india called B.r. hills. people were suffering from TB and leprosy and other diseases we didn’t have to face in the United States. it was a transformative experience for me, one that pushed me to think deeply about inequity. That year in the village has stayed with me. when i returned home to attend medical school and study economics, i kept thinking about the people i had met. i knew that someday i would like to try to focus my energy on helping the poor build better lives. and incomes so they can overcome hunger and poverty and improve their lives. There is no single, simple way to do this. it takes not only quality seeds and healthy soil, but good farm management practices, access to reliable markets and effective policies. we make investments and create partnerships in all of these areas, involving farmers throughout—from project design to evaluation—to ensure every effort addresses their needs. But we have been fortunate to find great partners like heifer that are able to work with farmers, understand the context in which they live, and help them help themselves. What specific projects are you working on now? With hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in agricultural development, how do you determine which causes deserve attention and assistance? Three-quarters of the world’s poorest people—those living on less than a dollar a day—live in rural areas, and most rely on agriculture for food and income. our approach begins with these small farmers, most of whom are women. we believe strong partnerships across sectors and smart, focused investments could help hundreds of millions of small farmers in africa and South asia boost their yields our priorities fall into four main areas: increasing farmer productivity; linking farmers to markets; exploring new technologies; and supporting data, research and policy analysis. we seek to identify and expand successful efforts, funding new technologies and farming practices that will help farmers grow more food with less land and water. for example, we are supporting the alliance for a green revolution in africa (agra). agra is a dynamic, africanled partnership that aims to bring about sustainable agricultural development across the continent. Through strong partnerships with african leaders, policymakers, scientists and others, agra will improve small farmers’ access to www.he i f e r .o r g 10 m a rch / ap r i l 2 00 9 | world ark PHotoS courtESy BIll & MElINDa GatES FouNDatIoN. http://www.heifer.org
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