BANR Reports

Emerging Technologies to Benefit Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (2008) Report in Brief Increased agricultural productivity is a major stepping stone on the path out of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, but farmers there face tremendous challenges improving production. Poor soil, inefficient water use, and a lack of access to plant and animal breeding resources, nutritious animal feeds, high quality seed, and fuel and electricity--combined with some of the most extreme environmental conditions on Earth--have made yields in crop and animal production far lower in these regions than world averages. At the request of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Research Council convened an expert committee to identify emerging innovations in science and technology that have the potential to improve agricultural productivity in the two regions. This report identifies sixty technologies that could significantly help farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia; eighteen are recommended for immediate development and further exploration. More...