المعرفة

FAO, IFAD and WFP are accelerating their efforts to help countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). More than 1 billion people live in extreme poverty, suffering hunger or undernourishment. The vast majority – about 810 million women, men and children – live in rural areas, where they depend on agriculture and related activities for their survival. The three Rome-based agencies agree that none of the Goals can be achieved unless extremely poor people, especially those living in rural areas, are supported in their struggle to emerge from poverty and hunger. Consequently, the agencies are focusing their efforts on the targets of the first Goal, to reduce by half by 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and hunger.

Good communication is vital to small farmers who
need better access to markets and to reliable information about
prices, product quality and market conditions. Can new
information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially
the Internet, help? The First Mile is a two-year pilot project
supported by the Government of Switzerland. It is
implemented in collaboration with the Agricultural Marketing
Systems Development Programme of the Government of the
United Republic of Tanzania. Technical assistance is being
provided by the International Support Group.