It takes my breath away when I see acres upon acres of wheat rolling like a sea of gold. It's a beautiful sight to see a large green patch growing in what used to be a desert. Tourists traveling the world where farming is a large part of the visual and economic landscape stare in awe at the sight of endless fields of corn, soybeans, peanuts, and wheat. What they probably don't stop and think is how all the water got there. During the planting and growing seasons you will see the many different methods of irrigation, as well as fertilizer and chemical application in use. Irrigation and fertilizer application has come a long way in the past century; they are used to help feed an-ever growing and developing world. With sophisticated electronics and computers controlling precise applications water and fertilizer use is efficient and accurate. In many irrigation and chemical application systems there is some pump operated by hydraulic, electric, "nature"-powered (wind or solar) or some other method. Unfortunately, sophisticated systems are not available everywhere they are needed.
Modern agricultural methods have been developed to obtain the highest crop yields possible and produce optimal profit. In parts of the world yield and profits play no part in agricultural development; the goal is to produce enough crops to sustain life. Much of that goal starts with simply moving water from underground or from a river to where it is needed, the field. It's hard to imagine a farm without the means to distribute water where it's needed but it's a big problem in third world counties. Think about how it would be if the only means of getting water to one's crop was through the simplest of pumps; the hand pump. You know, one that requires someone to stand and move a handle up and down until enough pressure is generated to force water from the source through a pipe. In many parts of the world the simple hand pump is still the only means for extracting water from the ground. From the pump, often, the water is placed into a smaller container and carried to the field. The process is being repeated over and over until as many of the crops as possible have been watered. Not the most efficient way to pump and transport water to the area of need.
This is, of course, how it was done in the past but this scenario is still being played out today in many parts of the world. The water source is available, either underground or some distance away from where it is needed, and it would only take a more modern pumping device to bring the water closer. Through the UN, charitable organizations, and many conservation groups, pumps are being made available to people throughout many third world countries. Proper equipment use and conservation methods are being taught daily. With better equipment available to move water from the source to the field the outcome is almost always the same: there is more food available, which means fewer people die of hunger.
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