93712 About the Agriculture Global Practice The world will need to produce at World Bank least 50 percent more food by 2050 to feed 9 billion people. Agriculture is critical for fighting hunger, boosting food security, tackling malnutrition, improving incomes, creating jobs, and protecting the environment. The numbers alone speak to the urgency of increasing food production in a sustainable way: 75 percent of the world’s poor are rural, and most are engaged in farming; over 842 million people go to bed hungry every day; 26 percent of all children under age five are stunted and 30 percent suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Although agriculture is vulner- In 2014, new Bank Group commitments able to climate change, it is also the largest to agriculture and related sectors contributor to greenhouse gases. A changing were $8.3 billion. climate means that in Africa alone, a warming scenario of 1.5°C to 2°C for the 2030s and 2040s will trigger a 40 to 80 percent reduction of area where maize, millet, and sorghum are currently grown. The World Bank Group’s Agriculture Global Practice solutions, collaborating across the World Bank Group, brings together a multidisciplinary team to tackle while capturing and leveraging knowledge effectively today’s complex development problems in food and for maximum development impact needed to end agriculture, especially those that require multi-sector, poverty and boost shared prosperity. The aim of the multi-stakeholder solutions. It defines strategic direc- new World Bank Global Practices is to bring together tion in the food and agriculture sectors and develops global experts from all areas of expertise to make the and deploys expertise globally. It delivers integrated World Bank Group a true solutions Bank. AGRICULTURE GLOBAL PRACTICE — OCTOBER 2014 World Bank Reducing Global Poverty and food and combating resource degradation brought on by unsustainable agricultural and land manage- Hunger ment practices. Agriculture accounts for one-third of Improving agricultural performance is the most power- gross-domestic product (GDP) and three-quarters of ful tool to end global poverty and hunger and boost employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Improvements in the agriculture sector can also be a source of job-led shared prosperity. Agriculture remains fundamental growth for middle-income countries. in the 21st century for economic growth—feeding the world’s growing population expected to reach Agricultural development is an especially pro-poor 9 billion by 2050—and tackling the interlinked source of economic growth—about two to four times challenges of food security, food safety, nutritional more effective in raising incomes among the poorest than growth in other sectors. “Boosting shared prosperity will The World Bank Group is committed to boosting be achieved by raising incomes, agriculture and agriculture-related investment. In 2014, new commitments to agriculture and related creating jobs, educating children, sectors were $8.3 billion. Funding from the World and providing all with access to Bank and International Development Association food, water, shelter, and health (IDA) for agriculture and related sectors rose to $4.3 billion in FY14, up from $3.6 billion in FY13. At $4 care. By doing so, we will grow billion, the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) our collective wealth and investments were at one of its highest levels ever. nurture our humanity.” Altogether, the commitments meet the Bank Group Agriculture Action Plan’s projection of between $8 Jim Yong Kim to $10 billion. Support from IDA for agricultural President, World Bank Group assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa was particularly Speech at Howard University strong, reaching $1.6 billion, a 59 percent increase October 1, 2014 over FY10–12. Some 75 percent of agricultural lending 2 | AGRICULTURE GLOBAL PRACTICE — OCTOBER 2014 goes to increasing productivity and 21 percent is yields by more than 25 percent. Worldwide, almost for improving access to markets. IFC’s agricultural 70 percent of freshwater is used for agriculture. lending goes to agribusiness value chains. Agriculture and land use change are also responsible The Agriculture GP also works on programs that for between 19–29 percent of global greenhouse gas allow communities to take charge of their own emissions. But agriculture can also help to stop a 4°C development, known as Community Driven Devel- warmer world as it is the only sector that can absorb opment. This approach gives community groups and carbon out of the atmosphere. To be sustainable, local governments control over planning decisions agriculture needs to produce more food on less land. and investment resources. These rural livelihoods It also needs to be resilient to extreme weather and projects promote inclusive growth and address rural minimize its negative impact on the environment. poverty by supporting representative institutions of To raise yields sustainably, climate-smart approaches the rural poor.  have the potential to increase productivity, enhance resilience, lower the carbon footprint, promote agri- The Bank Group’s work in agriculture emphasizes five cultural innovation through research and education, areas: raising agricultural productivity, linking farmers and facilitate responsible agricultural investment. to markets, reducing risk, vulnerability and gender inequality, improving rural employment, and making Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to agriculture more environmentally sustainable, as well managing landscapes—cropland, livestock, forests as a source of environmental services. and fisheries—sustainably in the face of climate change. It aims to: increase productivity by produc- ing more food to improve food and nutrition security Tackling Climate Change and boost the incomes of 75 percent of the world’s Agriculture is more vulnerable to climate change than poor, many of whom rely on agriculture for their any other sector. A warming climate could cut crop livelihoods; enhance resilience by reducing vulner- ability to drought, pests, disease and other shocks and improve capacity to adapt and grow in the face of longer-term stresses like shortened seasons and erratic weather patterns; and lower emissions and/ or emissions intensity by pursing lower emissions for each calorie or kilo of food produced and avoid deforestation from agriculture. The Agriculture GP works with its partners to increase support for CSA. Global Partnerships The evolving global context—with increased food price volatility and climate change—calls for stronger collective action to alleviate these impacts on the world’s poor. The Agriculture Global Practice will work with its partners across regions and sectors, offering both financing and knowledge products to address these issues. For example: O. Salenko / Shutterstock.com • The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is dedicated to reducing rural poverty, increasing food security, im- proving human health and nutrition, and ensuring AGRICULTURE GLOBAL PRACTICE — OCTOBER 2014 | 3 more sustainable management of natural resources agriculture systems. Launched in 2014, the aims of (approximately $1 billion per year). the Alliance are: sustainable and equitable increases • The Global Agriculture and Food Security in agricultural productivity and incomes; greater Program (GAFSP) supports country-led agricul- resilience of food systems and farming livelihoods; ture and food security plans and helps to promote and reduction and/or removal of greenhouse gas investments, especially for smallholder farmers. So emissions associated with agriculture (including the far, nine countries and the Gates Foundation have relationship between agriculture and ecosystems), pledged about $1.4 billion over three years, with where possible. $1.2 billion received (approximately $1.3 billion • The Global Food Safety Partnership is delivering a pledged over three years). five-year program for training and capacity develop- • Global Food Price Crisis Response Program ment, supported by both public and private sources. (GFRP), launched in 2008 in response to the Food   Crisis, provides relief to countries hit by high food World Bank Group clients are seeking integrated prices. The GFRP has reached nearly 70 million solutions that draw on the best available technical people in 49 countries—through $1.6 billion in knowledge available, backed by financing and the emergency funds for farming, seeds and fertilizer, power of partnership represented by the whole World and emergency school feeding programs. Bank Group. The Agriculture Global Practice is poised • The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agricul- and ready to help address the complex issues of global ture, is a voluntary, farmer-led, multi-stakeholder, agriculture in a different, more collaborative and effec- action-oriented coalition committed to the incorpo- tive way for maximum development impact needed to ration of climate-smart approaches within food and end poverty and boost shared prosperity. World Bank Internet: www.worldbank.org/agriculture worldbank.org/foodsecurity http://twitter.com/wb_agriculture