This week, Bill Gates released his annual letter that made the argument that we must keep investing in agriculture research to continue to help extremely poor people build self-sufficiency. The new FAO chief, José Graziano da Silva,  was part of a program in Brazil called "Zero Hunger," which helped lift 24 million Brazilians out of hunger. With both of these influential leaders dedicated to helping end hunger, is this the year that we will come closer to ending hunger and poverty by working together?
Still need more ideas on how we can end hunger this year? Think about going halfsies:
 
Halfsies: Connecting the Dots from Go Halfsies on Vimeo.

Photo by Dave Anderson Isaya and Restituta Mlewa at their Tanzanian organic farm.

Bill Gates' 2012 annual letter "is an argument for making the choice to keep on helping extremely poor people build self-sufficiency."

In an interview with the U.K.'s MSN news, Gates explains that his hope for the letter is that it "helps people connect to the choice we all have to make. Relatively small investments changed the future for hundreds of millions of small farm families. The choice now is this: Do we continue those investments so that the 1 billion people who remain poor benefit? Or do we tolerate a world in which one in seven people is undernourished, stunted and in danger of starving to death?

"In times of tight budgets, we have to pick our priorities," Gates continues. "It's clear that in this particular time, we're in danger of deciding that aid to the poorest is not one of them. I am confident, however, that if people understand what their aid has already accomplished—and its potential to accomplish so much more—they'll insist on doing more, not less. That is why I wrote my letter."

At Heifer, our supporters, donors, staff members and participants around the world say Amen! and pass the tomatoes to spreading the gospel on how small investments (in our case heifers, goats, bees or tree seedlings), can stop hunger in the short-term and create sustainable income in the long-term. Every day we see investments in small farm families empower them beyond subsistence to create a chain of self-sufficiency that lifts up entire communities.

Heifer works with the Gates Foundation on the East Africa Dairy Development project that not only connects dairy farmers to markets, but links public and private interests including banks and investors, to create a growing local economy based on agriculture.

In his letter, Gates emphasizes not only innovations in agricultural production, but also in creative partnerships to better feed the world. "I am excited because innovative partnerships that capitalize on the comparative advantages of all these players can accelerate progress, speeding the transition beyond aid for many poor countries."

Heifer shares similar goals with the Gates Foundation, including a focus on investing in women, preserving land for future generations and developing innovations in the field that engage the people we are trying to help in making the best decisions for their land, culture, sustainability and environment.

Isaya and Restituta Mlewa, shown above, and featured in this World Ark magazine article, are proof that participants have innovations of their own to add. From the gift of one dairy cow and Heifer training in dairy and organic farming, the couple came up with their own systems using animal and plant waste that are now an example for the thousands of farmers they have trained across Africa.

In Nepal, the Heifer project community of Shaktikhor, through a Farmer Field School, did their own research into feed varieties and care that improved the health and increased the weight of goats throughout the community. Their innovations were shared and picked up by other Heifer project communities in Nepal.

At a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland today, Gates said "innovations in crop science, access to information for farmers and new models of cooperation between governments and private enterprises are some of the developments that can improve global food security," he said. "I believe the opportunity to double or even triple (food) productivity is there."

Join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Heifer International in promoting the value of investments in agriculture around the world to end hunger and poverty.

José Graziano da Silva, Director-General Elect of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization helped form the "Zero Hunger" Program in Brazil in 2001. This program has helped lift 24 million Brazilians out of extreme poverty and reduce undernourishment by 25 percent. In this edition of Inside Story (I know, it's long), complex issues of global hunger, the FAO's role, and da Silva's experience and capacities are discussed. Da Silva's outlined vision includes 1) gaining political commitment from wealthy countries to ending world hunger, 2) mobilizing the national resources of poor countries, and 3) setting absolute goals that go beyond the UN's Millenium Development Goals. 



Read more from da Silva here.

Check out these easy ways you can begin to make more sustainable food choices:

1. Make a list before going shopping so you don't buy excess.  Why buy what you won't use?

2. If you do buy more than you need, share with a friend. Check out this blog post on how one day I bought too many carrots and shared it with Brooke.

3. Buy foods that are seasonal. This also helps out on your wallet and food budget.

4. Buy local. When you purchase local food it not only helps your local community, but it also uses less resources to travel to your location.

5. Know when the foods you are buying are being harvested. If you do this, you can better plan for what you will buy and save money!

6. Cook more at home. By cooking at home you can control what goes into your foods and know exactly what ingredients are being used.

7. Grow a garden. Try growing organic tomatoes, herbs or even a fun vegetable in your backyard.

8. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Even if you're shopping locally and knowing what you're buying, it's always a good idea to use reusable bags that also help protect the Earth.

9. Skip the drive-through take out restaurants where the food is heavily processed.

10.  Try new things. See a new type of fruit or vegetable at the farmers market or local grocery store? Buy it, try it and you might find something new you enjoy!

Jirnani Bedrijo displays worms she uses in her compost pile at her home in Los Arcos, Philippines. "Before we didn't have much knowledge or skill, but after Heifer's trainings we have more knowledge of animal management and feed formulation," said Nakue. The Bedrijo's received seven goats, vegetable seeds, fruit trees, farm tool and African night crawlers from Heifer International.

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

While "Spirituality" is one of Heifer's 12 Cornerstones, we're not a church organization. And in our halls, you'll find people who exercise spirituality in any number of ways. And of course, the project participants we work with around the world practice many different forms of spirituality. But a common theme among all these forms seems to be that of giving.

Through their participation in a Heifer India project, Milli and her fellow self-help group members learned new concepts like Heifer's 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. As a result, these self-reliant entrepreneurs are involved in many activities and have tripled their savings. Milli says Heifer gave her wings to fly.