Fostering inclusive rural transformation in fragile states and situations

This paper seeks to answer three main questions: (i) What are fragile states and situations and how do they relate to issues of inclusive
structural and rural transformation? (ii) In three selected case studies of diverse fragile situations (in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Haiti and the Republic of the Sudan – drawing on IFAD financed programme and country experience), what have been the key elements of structural and rural transformation and to what extent has rural transformation been inclusive? (iii) In these cases, how does fragility affect the inclusiveness of rural transformation? Which policies and approaches can successfully promote inclusive rural transformation in
fragile situations?

This paper focuses on the relationships between fragile states and situations and structural and rural transformation in different contexts, and the degree to which inclusive rural transformation can be observed, understood and fostered in such situations. It provides an overview of the relationship between fragility and structural and rural transformation, and then proposes a focus on fragile situations rather than on fragile states. It identifies key issues that affect inclusive rural transformation in a diversity of fragile situations, considering short-term and long-term dynamics.