Growing a Better Future - Oxfam International

Figure 23a: Who is investing in agriculture?Donor country agricultural ODAAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing as % of Total Bilateral Aid To All Sectors (2009)16002009 ODA to agriculture, forestry, fishing ($ millions)14001200100080060040020004.6 2 7.7 6.8 5.87.8 5.3 3.7 1.3 8 16.74.93.55 3.3 3.7 6.81.53.82.53.51.75United StatesJapanFranceGermanyCanadaNorwayItalyNetherlandsSpainBelgiumUnited KingdomDenmarkAustraliaFinlandSwedenSwitzerlandIrelandKoreaLuxembourgAustriaNew ZealandPortugalGreeceSource: calculated from OECD, http://stats.oecd.org/qwids/A new agricultural investment agendaThe case for a massive, government-led investment insmallholder farming and supporting infrastructure isclear. The 500 million small farms in developingcountries support almost two billion people, nearlyone-third of humanity, 148 and do so without the access tomarkets, land, finance, infrastructure and technologiesenjoyed by large farms. Addressing this gaping inequityoffers a crucial opportunity to address the challenges ofsustainable production, resilience, and equity.There are now signs that the disastrous neglect ofdeveloping country farming may finally be coming to anend. Agriculture’s share of ODA looks to be headingupwards, having bottomed out in 2006, although it still isunder 7 per cent of all aid. 149 And in many countries this isbeing matched by new commitments from governments– most notably the Maputo Declaration, which saw allmember countries of the African Union commit toincrease the share of agriculture in national budgets to atleast 10 per cent in 2003, 150 bringing clear benefits to thecontinent, where food production per head is now risingagain for the first time in decades. 151There are also signs that the private sector is taking thechallenge seriously. In 2011 at the World EconomicForum in Davos, 17 major companies launched a NewVision for Agriculture committing to increase productionby 20 per cent while decreasing emissions by 20 percent and reducing the prevalence of rural poverty by 20per cent every decade. 152 Meanwhile, some inputcompanies have entered into partnerships withgovernments, non-profit organisations and researchinstitutions to produce seeds suitable for developingcountry contexts. 15356