Nearly one billion people around the world suffer from chronic food insecurity. Global demand for food is expected to increase dramatically, while the growing world population and climate change are already affecting farming practices and productivity.

To ensure that agricultural investments are sustainable and country-led, USAID is supporting agricultural capacity development on farms and in the private sector, producer organizations, research and extension institutions, government agencies, rural financial institutions, and civil society. USAID capacity development programs support a process of change in which people, organizations, and societies can improve their performance over time. These programs create, strengthen, and maintain capacity in critical areas ranging from agricultural research and policy analysis to essential skills needed to create and run farmer associations and agribusinesses. Feed the Future’s Borlaug 21st Century Leadership Program is a major new platform for capacity development investments launched in 2011 to promote innovation in the agricultural sector. 

Some examples of USAID-supported agricultural capacity development activities include:

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Two women and a man in a market place.
Supporting Ag Capacity Development – Agribusiness students learn a lesson in effective marketing from a vendor in Maliana, Timor-Leste.
Michael Parr/Land O'Lakes, USAID BACET