KickStart International Interview
Only 4 percent of Sub-Saharan African farmland is irrigated. This makes most farming families incredibly vulnerable to low seasonal rainfall.
KickStart aims to change this. Working with local partners, they train farmers to use simple irrigation technology that greatly increases crop yields and alleviates agricultural poverty.
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April 15, 2021
How to Equip African Farmers with the Tools to Beat Poverty
#183 Great.com Talks With... KickStart International
Twenty percent of the world’s farmland is irrigated, producing a hefty forty percent of the world’s food. In this episode we talked with Dr. Martin Fisher from KickStart about lifting Sub-Saharan African farmers out of poverty by teaching them to use cost-effective irrigation technology.
Saturated Markets Drive Down Prices and Keep Farmers Poor
Irrigation allows farmers to harvest crops and generate income year-round. It’s much more lucrative than traditional rainfed agriculture because farmers aren’t limited to crowded seasonal markets for their goods. Instead, they can sell in the dry season, when their food will fetch a much higher price.
Martin explains that empowering farmers to make more money is the most effective way of beating the poverty trap. Helping them generate capital through irrigation is shown to improve their lives much more sustainably than giving short-term handouts or building infrastructure like water wells, which break without constant maintenance.
KickStart has seen its work produce some excellent results. 18 months after farmers learn how to use irrigation pumps, 80 percent are already taking major steps out of poverty.
Listen to the whole interview to find out how a virtuous circle allows farmers to use new, more effective farming technology as they become richer. You can find out how many farmers KickStart has helped here. KickStart also welcomes donations to help them continue changing lives.
Want to learn more about KickStart? You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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