Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of these.
Agricultural improvements have yielded tremendous results, decreasing the number of undernourished people by 167 million in the last ten years alone. However, these improvements have often been made by increasing the amount of land under cultivation – a practice that cannot continue indefinitely. Agricultural expansion has also come at a price: soil erosion, deforestation and water pollution – compounded by higher and more volatile global temperatures – have already begun to reduce agricultural productivity. For this reason, Mercy Corps works to ensure agro-systems around the world are economically productive, nutritionally diverse and efficient – both today and in the future. 
They help smallholder farmers – farmers with less than 1 hectare of land – and pastoralists develop their production capacity so they can increase productivity and decrease weather environmental shocks and stresses. They also focus on improving agriculture-related products and services by working with traders, input suppliers, processors and government bodies. And their holistic approach extends further – to improving the nutrition of people who consume agricultural products. This might mean increasing a crop's nutritional value by improving how crops are harvested, stored and transported. They also work with families to help them diversify the crops they grow and educating communities about the benefits and conditions of good nutrition. The world’s 450 million small farms — two hectares or less — are home to about 2 billion people, many of whom are among the poorest on Earth. In the countries where Mercy Corps works, agriculture provides the main source of household income and is the primary means of food security for 57 percent of the population. These people face incredible obstacles: soaring prices for food, seeds and other supplies; outdated technology; unfavorable or limited access to markets and financial services; and poor soil and water resource management. 
However, with the right investments and development assistance, these small farmers hold the potential not only to improve their lives but also to contribute to a safer, healthier and more secure food and agriculture system for everyone.