Rapid Synthesis Evaluation of the Agriculture and Rural Sector

Agricultural development is regarded as one of the fundamental means to eradicate extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity and provide food security to a projected 9.7 billion people around the globe by 2050 (FAO, 2004). Anecdotal evidence posits that growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising sustainable incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors. The history of agriculture dates back thousands of years, and its development has been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies. The Agriculture sector comprises of establishments primarily engaged in growing crops (agronomy), raising animals (animal husbandry), agriculture engineering, agriculture economics and harvesting fish (fisheries) and other animals from a farm, ranch, or their natural habitats. It is undisputable that the agriculture sector is crucial to economic growth ,as in 2014 alone, it accounted for one-third of the global gross-domestic product (GDP). Conversely, agriculture-driven growth, poverty reduction, and food security are at risk due to climate change that reduces crop yields, especially in the world’s most food insecure regions. Nhamo etal (2015) contents that despite the positive aspects of agriculture, forestry and land use change are responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. They further argue that that the current food system likewise threatens the health of people and the planet as agriculture accounts for 70% of water usage and generates unsustainable levels of pollution and waste.