Why the future is bright for the world’s poorest farmers

I have probably learned more about farming in Africa from Sam Dryden than from any other person. Sam has spent decades working in agriculture, including a stint at the Gates Foundation, and he is passionate about improving the lives of the poorest. So when he asked me to contribute to a series of articles in Foreign Affairs on the future of farming and its role in fighting poverty, I was happy to do it. My essay is below. You can download the whole series—which includes authors like Kofi Annan and Sir Gordon Conway

One thing I’ve learned in my work with Microsoft is that the process of innovation tends to take longer than many people expect, but it also tends to be more revolutionary than they imagine. We are seeing this dynamic play out right now in the way digital technology is fundamentally reorganizing life for the poorest people in the world.

Many farmers are trying to adapt to changing climate conditions

 “In view of the rapidly changing weather and upheaval in it, growing a six-month rice crop that requires huge irrigation and care was not a viable option compared to growing vegetables,” he said.

Many of Pakistan’s farmers are trying to adapt to changing climate conditions – a process that can prove difficult for those with little in the way of education or savings to help them make the required switches.

Richer farmers, with more land, money and education, meanwhile, are finding the switch easier. That reality suggests Pakistan may face a future where an uncertain climate forces the poor – who cultivate over 80% of the country’s agricultural land - out of farming unless they get help, experts say.

Unlike rich, Pakistan’s poor farmers face uphill battle with climate extremes

 BAKRANI, LARKANA:

Since his father died in 2011, Moeez Assadullah has been looking after his family’s farm alone.

The 21-year-old tends the 3 hectares of land without the help of his two brothers, who lost interest in farming when they realised that more erratic weather was making agriculture an unreliable source of income.

Pakistan passes climate change act, reviving hopes and scepticism

They now work at a brick kiln in the nearby town of Larkana. But Assadullah has taken a risk, and come up with his own plan to adapt to shifting weather patterns.

Three years ago he stopped growing rice on the farm in Bakrani, a village a few miles from Larkana. The crop was too labour intensive, and took too long to get to harvest, he said. Now he squeezes out a living for his family cultivating vegetables that grow more quickly and require less water.

Why are Pakistan’s wheat farmers protesting against the government?

Why are Pakistan’s wheat farmers protesting against the government?Islamabad, Pakistan – Tens of thousands of farmers in Pakistan are holding protests in several cities over the government’s decision not to buy their wheat, causing them huge losses in income.

The farmers in Punjab, the country’s largest province and often called the “bread basket” of Pakistan, are demanding that the government stop wheat imports that have flooded the market at a time when they expect bumper crops.