28 February 2011

Growing Innovations ~ Small Farmer Productivity

I moderated a very compelling MIT panel tonight 28 February 2011 on the theme Growing Innovations ~ Improving Agricultural Productivity among Small-Acreage Farmers featuring scholars and practitioners of agricultural innovation and poverty alleviation, including...
This event was a joint venture between the MIT Food+Agriculture Collaborative, the MIT Technology & Culture Forum, and the MIT International Development Initiative in support of this year's Yunus Innovation Challenge -- Improved Agricultural Processes for Better Livelihoods...
"Around the world, 550 million smallholder farmers lack access to mechanized agricultural technology. Many important food staples like maize (corn) and grains (e.g., rice or wheat) are harvested and processed by hand, which is both labor intensive and time consuming. This year's Yunus Challenge calls for locally and environmentally sustainable innovations to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The 2011 Yunus Challenge will be awarded to participants who create an innovative solution that has the most potential to increase adoption of beneficial agricultural technologies, financial systems, or market access among smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods"

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