Agricultural Support and Technological Development

Agriculture is the main source of income for several hundred million people around the world who struggle with poverty and hunger, most of whom are connected to small-scale, or smallholder, farms—plots of land roughly the size of a soccer pitch or American football field.

We invest in agriculture across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia because research shows that growth in the agricultural sector is the most effective way to reduce poverty and hunger.

Smallholder farmers in these regions, who collectively supply most of the population’s food, are incredibly resourceful in the face of challenges but need new options for sustainably producing and selling a wide array of crop and livestock products, especially as climate change rapidly intensifies the stresses they face.

Evidence shows that with the right kinds of support, smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia can tap the power of food production to create a better life for their families and improve their communities while providing local consumers with reliable access to healthy, affordable food.

Our investments in agriculture play an important role in the foundation’s broader effort to empower women and girls with economic opportunities.

We support inclusive agricultural development with three main types of investments:

1. We invest in tools and technologies that target the specific needs of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

We support innovations that are informed by the unique diversity of crops and livestock they produce and the wide range of soil and climate conditions they encounter. We ensure that the innovations our partners produce—such as climate-smart crop varieties, livestock vaccines, and digital soil maps—are delivered as “global public goods.” This means they are affordable and accessible to all who need them.

2. We invest in developing and scaling up innovative support structures for smallholder food producers that provide new options for sustainably earning a reliable income from their hard work.

We fund public- and private-sector initiatives such as community self-help groups that assist local farmers and livestock keepers in rural India and farmer cooperatives and village-based advisors that assist farmers in West Africa.

3. We invest in public- and private-sector efforts to develop more effective systems for delivering products and services to smallholder farmers.

We fund government endeavors to develop and implement detailed agricultural development strategies that include clear milestones for progress. In the private sector, we partner with agricultural enterprises, such as socially conscious financial and livestock service providers, that help smallholder farmers operate their farms as sustainable businesses.