Boosting agricultural yields in food-scarce areas has been at the centre of the Aga Khan Foundation’s activities since it began. Agriculture remains the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 percent of today’s global population. The world’s 500 million small farms worldwide provide up to 80 percent of the food consumed.

However, 800 million people worldwide still lack regular access to adequate amounts of food. Adding to the traditional challenges is a changing climate that is impacting many farmers: global emissions of carbon dioxide have increased by almost 50 percent since 1990; and Himalayan snow and ice are expected to decline 20 percent by 2030.

In organising AKF’s activities in the following categories, AKF aims to provide enduring solutions to chronic or emerging issues. For example, it is mindful of how the gender gap affects agriculture and food security. It is estimated that the elimination of the gender gap would lower the number of undernourished people in the world by 150 million.