World Bank calls for agricultural productivity drive to cut poverty

16 Sep 2019 World Bank calls for agricultural productivity drive to cut poverty

Posted at 13:50h in Climate change by Daniela Carosio

In order to cut extreme poverty and help farmers in facing the growing effects of climate change we do need to work urgently on agricultural productivity, according to research published by the World Bank on September 16, 2019.

Effects of climate change are tangible in agriculture and the United Nations estimate that for every 1 degree of rise in global temperatures, cereals yields will decrease from 3% to 10%.

Agriculture productivity is lower and is growing more slowly in poor countries, impeding their income convergence to the advanced economies. According to William Maloney, a World Bank economist and one of the author of the the report, two-thirds of the world’s most poor people live in rural areas and rely on small-scale farming, which is particularly affected by climate change.

According to the research, Governments should invest in R&D in agriculture, as well as allowing small-scale farmers overcome barriers and access innovations that will help them in gaining more productivity.