Approximately one billion people live in extreme poverty on $1 a day or less. A great majority relies on small-scale agriculture but many cannot produce enough food to eat, let alone generate a surplus.
Almost no country has achieved a rapid ascent from hunger and poverty without raising agricultural productivity. Working with partners, the foundation's Agricultural Development initiative is investing across the complete agricultural value chain, from improved seeds and crops to market access and related research. We focus on small farm households, mostly headed by women, and we seek to help protect their natural environment.
We believe these essential steps can, over time, lead to sustainable solutions that can help hundreds of millions of people move out of poverty and hunger.