Giving Compass' Take:

• With the right tools, modern agriculture could potentially address sustainable development goals and put effort toward climate action. 

• What barriers currently stand in the way of advancing modern agriculture? 

• Read about the new partnerships and alliances that are potentially going to help progress the SDGs. 

Consider this: Since the dawn of agriculture over 11,000 years ago, human prosperity has been driven by success on the farm. Once farmers could produce enough food to take care of themselves and their families, they could provide for their communities, freeing rural economies to grow and flourish.

Agriculture makes a foundation that is sturdy and robust, and it helps build a more stable, prosperous and educated society, affording millions of people a better life.

While poverty and hunger (the focus of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Nos. 1 and 2) are clear threats to the lives and livelihoods of so many, climate change further compounds the challenge. With extreme weather events like droughts, intense heat and floods, farming becomes more difficult and food and economic security are threatened. That’s one of many reasons SDG 13 calls for immediate climate action.

“The concentration of global population growth in the poorest countries presents a considerable challenge to governments in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to end poverty and hunger, expand and update health and education systems, achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, reduce inequality and ensure that no one is left behind.”

All three of these goals underline how important – how crucial – the success and progress of modern agriculture has become. With the right tools and best practices, farmers can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, better adapt to the challenges presented by climate change, and help meet the challenges of our growing global community.

Read the full article on modern agriculture by Dion McBay at TriplePundit