Katrina Shankle/Feb. 17, 2008/ 10:48 p.m./ Global Economics
For the first time in almost seventy-five years, the flagship of the World Bank's annual report on development has concentrated on agriculture and the productivity of third world farmers. Seventy-five percent of the poverty stricken still live in the countryside. This World Development Report is the first to concentrate on agriculture since 1982. Shortly before the report's release, an internal unit evaluation scolded the World Bank for neglecting agriculture and for the plummeting amount of financial support for Africa that have dwindled in the last fifteen years. Incidentally, this support did not begin growing until 2006.
The World Report sheds light on the consensus between the wealthy countries, philanthropists, and African governments. Funding for scientific research, irrigation, rural roads, credit, fertilizer, and seeds is essential to aiding the poor farmers of the countries of Africa in growing larger crops of sorghum, corn, millet, cassava, and rice.
Foreign aid has plummeted as governments, charities, and celebrities are pouring funds into AIDS research and prevention as well as treatment and prevention from other diseases. With more people suffering from these diseases surviving, there is a rapidly growing necessity to feed them and a lack of money and supplies to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/20/world/africa/20worldbank.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=Global+Economics&st=nyt&oref=slogin
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