GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION: THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE

This work covers the growth and poverty reduction: the role of agriculture, a case study of Gboko local government area in Benue state, Nigeria. On the course of this work three research questions and objectives were formulated and the descriptive/survey research design were used in this study. Agriculture is a key part of DFID’s efforts to reduce global poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It extends into many other areas of development policy and complements our work on issues such as fisheries, forestry, food security, social protection, governance and trade. Building on our understanding of livelihoods (DFID, 2002), this works shows why we believe agriculture should be placed at the heart of efforts to reduce poverty. There is a mass of evidence that increasing agricultural productivity has benefited millions through higher incomes, more plentiful and cheaper food, and by generating patterns of development that are employment-intensive and benefit both rural and urban areas. More importantly, it has provided the spur to economic development outside agriculture where growth and job creation are faster and wages higher.