Well put Scott.

As an expert in Agroforestry and Rural Development in with over 4 years of experience , interacting directly both with the small scale  farmerand policy makers, i can testify that great rifts exist in the value chain that would see us through the dream of referring to Agriculture as the backbone of our economy/society. A review of potential solutions still navigates us to first boosting the very high potential production of the subsistence farmer families into a self reliant food secure families . The approach many take may not be good enough to serve even midterm let alone long term solution , since many offer only what these heal the wounds of this group of people as a result of the consequences of the failures in their own hard labored farm work . It's common to see relief foods, government crisis aids, NGOs trips in these rural areas only after media highlights on the death tolls resultant from these sad mistakes .  Some say and i believe , "...better train one how to fish than keep giving him fish. . . "  The technical, financial and moral support that would warrant a sustainable food secure farmer households in our society is by every obvious reason a cheaper investment into rejoining the missing links in the agricultural value chain thus such a hub as the brilliant idea birthed and championed by Scott and the team would go a long way into not only saving lives but also transforming the living both today and in the future .  Good work Scott