Eradicating poverty: Role of agriculture

Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed Arab News

Poverty is a global phenomenon. In Scandinavian countries two percent of the population live below poverty line. In some African countries this is as high as 35 percent. Throughout the world more than 35,000 people die of poverty a day.

As for Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah’s visit to a number of poor districts of the Riyadh city in Ramadan 1423 represented an official recognition for the first time of the existence of poverty in the Kingdom. That tour had a positive outcome as it led to the establishment of a charitable fund to help the poor. It also gave rise to an anti-poverty strategy. Before that, there was hardly any talk of poverty in this country.

The relevant World Bank studies stress that agriculture is the key to developing rural areas and eradicating poverty. In fact, the development of rural areas is the best means to achieve a fair distribution of income among the people of the Kingdom. It is proved that agriculture has more effect on anti-poverty strategy than any other activity because it provides basic food to the people. Development of rural areas and small villages is vital as it creates more employment opportunities and thereby curbs exodus of people to the big cities and towns in search of jobs.

After practical experience extending to three decades in the field of agriculture, this writer joined a doctorate program to prepare a research on the role of agriculture in fighting poverty, developing rural areas and maintaining security in the Kingdom.

This was due to a firm conviction that agricultural reform and rural development encourage sustainable development. This ensures food security, eliminates acute poverty and hunger, helps spread primary education, boosts equality and social justice.

The government has to assume responsibility for agricultural reform as well as other efforts that assist in eradicating poverty in rural areas and contribute to preservation of lands, water and other natural resources for the sake of securing the needs of ordinary people such as owners of cattle, herdsmen and nomad population. These efforts may also result in preventing or discouraging migration from rural areas to towns and cities that has an adverse impact on security. Some 75 percent of the Kingdom’s population lives in towns and cities. So the influx of people from rural areas puts too much pressure on services in the cities and an increase in the rate of crime.

So we must start with a sound agricultural strategy taking into consideration the relative advantage of achieving sustainable agricultural development depending on renewable water resources. Farmers’ efforts must be directed to remote areas that cry for development.
It may be pertinent to mention here that in some studies conducted on wheat, scientists have discovered that genetically modified (GMO) wheat consumes 30 percent of the water needed by nongenetically modified wheat while producing the same or more quantity.

The government now extends subsidies for soybeans, Guinea corns, maize, corn and barley, but the subsidy must be limited to breeders of cattle, camels, sheep and cows, particularly those who live in rural areas. It is also a must to reach the poor rural areas. The areas which are badly in need of development housing are eight in number, namely Makkah which includes 12 locations belonging to Al-Qunfudah, Al-Laith, Khulais, Al-Jamoum and Al-Kamel provinces, Madinah with five locations in Yanbu and Tabuk which has six locations belonging to Umluj, Al-Wajh, Dhubaa, Al-Bidaa and Haql provinces. There are three locations in each of Al-Baha, Asir and Jizan.

In the Eastern region, there are four locations in Al-Ahsa and Al-Qateef considered as among the most in need of development housing, while in Qassim region, there are six locations. In addition there are shantytowns in the Northern borders, Hail and Al-Jouf.

In this context, the findings of a Saudi are instructive. According to this study, the working children in the Kingdom amounts to 1.54 percent of the total number of children. The Eastern region accounts for highest number of working children (2.3 percent), followed by Makkah, Madinah, Asir and Riyadh. The study found that there are two types of working children. In the first category are children who work in the farms of their families and are unpaid. The other group includes children who work so they can contribute to the their families income.

For the development programs to be successful, we must design programs suited for each region. Regions have separate needs and resources. International organizations such as FAO may help in achieving these objectives.

— Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed is a Saudi Writer.
He can be contacted at: tfrasheed@goldengrass.com