News & Publications

Sasakawa-Global 2000 Agriculture Program - Stories From the Field  

11 Oct 2004
Ending Hunger Takes More Than Bumper Harvests: A Look at the Center's Agriculture Program
Farming is a precarious business anywhere in the world. Besides the supply/demand factors that affect any business, farmers face the fickleness of Mother Nature. In developing countries, farmers contend with even more daunting challenges. Because there are few farm supply stores in most of western and central Africa, farmers must travel a day or more to buy seed, fertilizer, and herbicides for weed control. Fertilizer costs three to four times more than in developed countries. Few farmers can get loans to buy these input supplies.