The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s richest charity, joined the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a new development plan for sub-Saharan Africa that they said would change food production and reduce hunger and poverty for tens of millions of people.
Modeled on the Rockefeler-pioneered “green revolution” that transformed farming methods and eased widespread famine(饥荒)in much of the developing world nearly a half-century ago, the new plan coincides with a new round of Western concern about the long-intractable problems of the poorest continent.
Home to 16 of the 18 least developed countries, Africa is the only part of the world where food production has decreased in recent years. At the same time, political disorder and conflict there are seen as providing fertile ground for extremists. Widespread famine in Africa has encouraged high-profile relief efforts over the years, from United Nations’ programs to superstar fund-raising(募捐) concerts such as Lived Aid in the 1980s and Live 8 in 2005.
Sponsors of the new “Alliance for a Green Revolution” said they were looking for a more systematic, long-term solution to African hunger.
The alliance is the first Gates venture into poverty and development after years of focusing largely on global health and education. The effort follows a doubling of the foundation and reaches$30 billlion contribution, drawn largely from Bill Gates’ Microsoft Crop .fortune ,with investment leading figure Warren Buffett donating an additional $31 billion earlier this year. Gates has said he will step down from direct management of Microsoft in 2008 to work full-time on foundation activities.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s richest charity, joined the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a new development plan for sub-Saharan Africa that they said would change food production and reduce hunger and poverty for tens of millions of people.
世界上最富有的慈善组织－－比尔及梅林达-盖茨基金会加入了洛克菲勒基金会启动的一项新的发展计划，这个计划实施于撒哈拉以南的非洲地区。他们称这项计划会改变粮食产量并且改善这里数以百万计人民的饥饿和贫困问题。
Modeled on the Rockefeler-pioneered “green revolution” that transformed farming methods and eased widespread famine(饥荒)in much of the developing world nearly a half-century ago, the new plan coincides with a new round of Western concern about the long-intractable problems of the poorest continent.
这项计划类似于洛克菲勒基金会所倡导的“绿色革命”，绿色革命从半世纪前开始,它在大多数发展中国家推广农业技术和减轻饥荒。这项新的计划与西方新一轮的关注于解决最贫穷大洲的棘手问题相符合。
Home to 16 of the 18 least developed countries, Africa is the only part of the world where food production has decreased in recent years. At the same time, political disorder and conflict there are seen as providing fertile ground for extremists. Widespread famine in Africa has encouraged high-profile relief efforts over the years, from United Nations’ programs to superstar fund-raising(募捐) concerts such as Lived Aid in the 1980s and Live 8 in 2005.
对于16到18个最发达国家来说，非洲是近年来世界上仅有的粮食产量下滑的地区。与此同时，那里的政治危机和冲突导致了肥沃的农田成了极端主义者的地盘。非洲地区广泛的饥荒这些年得到了全面的救济，这些救济来自于从联合国的相关项目到超级明星慈善募捐音乐会比如1980年的Lived Aid和2005年的Live 8。
Sponsors of the new “Alliance for a Green Revolution” said they were looking for a more systematic, long-term solution to African hunger.
新的“绿色革命联盟”赞助商称他们正在寻找解决非洲饥荒更加系统和长效的办法。
The alliance is the first Gates venture into poverty and development after years of focusing largely on global health and education. The effort follows a doubling of the foundation and reaches$30 billlion contribution, drawn largely from Bill Gates’ Microsoft Crop .fortune ,with investment leading figure Warren Buffett donating an additional $31 billion earlier this year. Gates has said he will step down from direct management of Microsoft in 2008 to work full-time on foundation activities.
在近年来着重关注全球健康和教育问题的状况下，该联盟是第一个挺进饥饿和发展领域的机构。这项计划来自于两家基金会的努力和大部分来自比尔盖茨微软公司的300亿美元的捐助，同时还有今年早些时候投资领域巨头沃伦巴菲特捐赠的310亿美元的捐赠。盖茨已经决定2008年会淡出微软公司的直接管理而将全部精力转移到基金会的运作。