Knowledge

When women are economically and socially empowered, they become a potent force for change. In rural areas of the developing world, women play a key role in running households and make major
contributions to agricultural production. But the inequalities that exist between women and men make it difficult for women to fulfil their potential.

El programa de encadenamientos empresariales de AGEXPORT tiene como objectivo principal la generación de empleo e ingresos en comunidades en condiciones  de pobreza de Guatemala por medio de la creación de negocios exitosos basados en la asistencia técnica especializada, inteligencia de mercados, promoción comercial, capacitación e inovación tecnológica, una visión de manejo sostenible de los recursos naturales.

On previously barren land in the Egyptian desert, Ahmad Abdelmunem Al-Far and his fellow farmers are showing how market-oriented agriculture can transform lives and move people out of poverty.

Today’s generation of young people – defined by the United Nations as those aged 15 to 24 – is the largest in history. In the developing world as a whole, they make up on average 20 per cent of the population.
Young people have power and persistence. In the right conditions, a substantial young generation offers countries a priceless resource for economic development and social progress. However, in the current climate and for differing reasons, many developed and developing countries are struggling to provide their young people with a future, either in cities or in rural areas.

The global population is projected to rise from its present level of 6.9 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050. An estimated 1 billion people already are going hungry, and young rural people are increasingly disillusioned about working in the agricultural sector, which in many countries is stagnant and unproductive. So the question must be asked: Who is going to feed this growing world population?

Nearly 1.4 billion people live on less than US$1.25 a day. Seventy per cent live in rural areas where they depend on agriculture, but where they are also at risk from recurrent natural disasters such as drought and flooding. Natural disasters have a devastating impact on the food security and overall social and economic development of poor rural households. 

According to data from Munich Re’s NatCatSERVICE, natural disasters account for losses, on average, of US$51 billion in developing countries every year. Unless well managed, weather risks in agriculture slow development and hinder poverty reduction, ultimately resulting in humanitarian crises. Poor farmers have few options for coping with significant losses, and in order to reduce their exposure to risk, they often forgo opportunities to increase their productivity. 

 

Pursuant to the adoption by the Executive Board in December 2005 of the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Activities and Operations (EB 2005/85/R.5/Rev.1, paragraph 26) (the anticorruption policy), the Investigation Section of the Office of Audit and Oversight (AUO/IS) has a mandate to investigate alleged irregular practices, namely: (i) fraud and corruption, in relation to entities, contractors and non-staff individuals applying for or participating in an IFAD-financed project or headquarters-related contract; and (ii) staff misconduct. Implementation of this policy and the subsequent establishment of a Sanctions Committee have aligned IFAD with best practices applied by other United Nations agencies and the major multilateral development banks in this area.

In 2010 there were some indicators that the proactive anticorruption awarenessraising activities undertaken by AUO/IS in past years were bearing fruit. An increase in complaints received by AUO/IS in 2010, discussed in more detail below, could reasonably be attributed, at least in part, to training and anticorruption presentations given by staff of the Investigation Section. AUO/IS also noted the excellent response in 2010 from Programme Management Department (PMD) staff with regard to reporting allegations and in terms of cooperation afforded to the Section.

Young women and men who live in rural areas are the world’s future farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders. The challenges of meeting future food demand, developing vibrant rural centres and promoting broad-based economic growth in developing countries depend on them. These are compelling reasons to place rural young people and smallholder agriculture at the forefront of global strategies for food security, poverty reduction and income growth.

“The problem today is that no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough to feed the family…” “For about a year, perhaps more, there have been no rains… That is why people are suffering…” “Without education a person can do nothing…” “The men have left to work outside the village. The main labour force here is women…” These are first-hand accounts of just a few of the men, women and young people who were interviewed for this report. Their stories give us vital insight into what it is like to live in today’s changing reality of rural poverty. Listening to their experiences – and learning from them – is essential if we are to comprehend that reality. And it is the first step in identifying appropriate and effective solutions to turn rural areas from backwaters into places where the young people of today can find opportunities to work their way out of poverty, and where they will want to live and to raise their own children. We need a clear understanding of what the face of poverty looks like now, a basket of practical solutions to today’s myriad challenges and a coherent approach for tackling the evolving challenges of the future. This report provides all three. IFAD’s Rural Poverty Report 2011 – New realities, new challenges: new opportunities for tomorrow’s generation, is an in-depth study of rural poverty. The findings in the report come from a collaboration among dozens of experts in the field of poverty reduction – both inside and outside IFAD. They also come from the poor rural people themselves.