The challenge: Boosting agricultural yields in food-scarce areas has been at the centre of the Aga Khan Foundation’s activities since it began. Agriculture remains the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 percent of today’s global population. The world’s 500 million small farms worldwide provide up to 80 percent of the food consumed.
However, 800 million people worldwide still lack regular access to adequate amounts of food. Adding to the traditional challenges is a changing climate that is impacting many farmers: global emissions of carbon dioxide have increased by almost 50 percent since 1990, and Himalayan snow and ice are expected to decline 20 percent by 2030.
Our solution: We invest in tangible food security and good nutrition, to ensure that everyone has enough nutritious food, every day of the year. We work with farmers to diversify the crops they produce, provide training on nutrition using local ingredients, and collaborate with governments, businesses, and communities to develop sustainable, reliable, and resilient food systems – from field to market to table.
Duration: 2017-2020 Location: Afghanistan, Tajikistan Reach: 51,175 people Budget: $2.2 million (International Development Research Centre: $1.5 million; AKFC: $500,000; Ministry of
Duration: 2018-2019 Location: Global Reach: This is a research project with no direct beneficiaries. Budget: $560,000 (International Development Research Centre: $280,000;
We were all once children. We were all once young, full of hope and potential.
Lal and Samantha live worlds apart, but their lives are more similar than it seems at first glance.
For vulnerable communities in remote, high mountain valleys across Central Asia, lives are changing.
When most of your workdays are spent in front of a computer, it’s easy to forget where the food on your plate comes from. I marvel at the mountains of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market arranged like rainbows, but I overlook the time, dedication, and energy of harvesting crops from the field, especially in an environment that dictates what and how much you will eat.
This is not your typical African safari.
