The fertilizer industry's contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

What's new

• Four IFA members had attended
  the UN Private Sector Forum on
  the MDGs on 22 September 2010 in New York
  > Submission to the UN on the fertilizer industry's contribution to the MDGs
  > Download the Press Release: A more productive and sustainable agriculture is needed to halve hunger by 2015

• IFA's President Ajay Shriram spoke at the UN Interactive Hearings with Civil Society on the MDGs on 15 June 2010
  > Download the Full Speech
  > Download the Press Release: Farming has to come first to achieve the MDGs

• Farming First Press Release : Agriculture Underpins Millennium Development Goal
  > Download Farming First’s Press Release

UN campaign on the Millennium Developments Goals

A necessary component of meeting the MDGs by 2015 in many parts of the world is a more productive, profitable and sustainable agricultural sector.

• 
  MDG 1: Halving the proportion of those suffering from extreme poverty and hunger. Better and more profitable farming systems lead to higher incomes, more food and better diets. Fertilizers are central to protect and improve food security by increasing yields and farming revenues.
• MDGs 2, 4, 5: Achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health. When farming families manage to increase production, they can sell their surplus and raise extra income to pay for school fees, hospital visits, medicines and more nutritious food.
• MDG 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability. Farmers are the stewards of our soils, water and plants.

In low-income countries, agriculture-led economic growth is the only means by which the poor can satisfy their needs sustainably.The fertilizer industry is committed to building alliances and partnerships that will enable farmer’s worldwide access to knowledge, technologies and capacities, thus empowering them to improve their livelihoods.