book

Millions Fed

Proven successes in agricultural development

David J. Spielman, Rajul Pandya-Lorch

2009

Pages:

166

international food policy research institute (ifpri)

Learning from successes in agricultural development is now more urgent than ever. Progress in feeding the world’s billions has slowed, while the challenge of meeting future food needs remains enormous and is subject to new uncertainties in the global food and agricultural systems. In the late 1950s around a billion people were estimated to go hungry every day. Scientists, policymakers, farmers, and ordinary people initiated a concerted push to boost agricultural production and productivity in developing countries. Great strides were also made in improving the quality of food and the ability of vulnerable people to access food needed for survival. All these efforts have done more than just feed millions. They have also demonstrated that agriculture can be a key driver of growth and development for many of the world’s poorest countries.

This book examines how policies, programs, and investments in pro-poor agricultural development have helped to substantially reduce hunger across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The 20 success stories presented here provide both lessons and inspiration for continued efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition among the one billion people still facing this scourge.

Front Matter
Chapter 1 - Fifty Years of Progress
Chapter 2 - Fighting a “Shifty Enemy”: The international collaboration to contain wheat rusts
Chapter 3 - Transforming Agriculture: The Green Revolution in Asia
Chapter 4 - Breeding an “Amaizing” Crop: Improved maize in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Chapter 5 - Resisting Viruses and Bugs: Cassava in Sub-Saharan Africa
Chapter 6 - Seeing the Forest Through the Trees: Community forestry in Nepal
Chapter 7 - Re-Greening the Sahel: Farmer-led innovation in Burkina Faso and Niger
Chapter 8 - Innovating in the Pampas: Zero-tillage soybean cultivation in Argentina
Chapter 9 - Leaving the Plow Behind: Zero-tillage rice-wheat cultivation in the Indo-Gangetic Plains
Chapter 10 - Pumping up Production: Shallow tubewells and rice in Bangladesh
Chapter 11 - Pushing the Yield Frontier: Hybrid rice in China
Chapter 12 - Improving Crops for Arid Lands: Pearl millet and sorghum in India
Chapter 13 - Navigating through Reforms: Cotton reforms in Burkina Faso
Chapter 14 - Unlocking the Market: Fertilizer and maize in Kenya
Chapter 15 - Counting on Beans: Mungbean improvement in Asia
Chapter 16 - Conquering the Cattle Plague: The global effort to eradicate rinderpest
Chapter 17 - Connecting the Milk Grid: Smallholder dairy in India
Chapter 18 - Farming the Aquatic Chicken: Improved tilapia in the Philippines
Chapter 19 - Crossing the River While Feeling the Rocks: Land-tenure reform in China
Chapter 20 - Exiting from Collective Agriculture: Land-tenure reform in Vietnam
Chapter 21 - Diversifying into Healthy Diets: Homestead food production in Bangladesh
Annex A - Map of Case Studies
Annex B - Methodology
Annex C - Improving the Proof: Impact Assessment in Agricultural Development
Annex D - Advisory Committee Members and IFPRI Project Team
Annex E - List of Contributors
Annex F -Discussion Papers