A.1: Livelihoods and Resources

Sustainable rural livelihoods and more equitable access to resources

Other Information:

Poverty is a major cause of food insecurity. Efforts to increase food supplies and accelerate economic growth will bring overall benefits to the country and society but, unless accompanied by complementary targeted measures, they are unlikely to completely eliminate poverty and food insecurity among rural populations. People living in economically and environmentally marginal areas are at the greatest risk of being left behind, but poverty and food insecurity also exist among the resource-poor in more favourably endowed areas. More sustainable livelihoods and food security can be ensured for these populations only through efforts to increase individuals' opportunities and choices and improve resource productivity, thereby resulting in higher rural incomes and improved access to food. The promotion of equitable access to natural and economic resources and social services is crucial and may require specific action to address gender disparities. The challenge is to improve rural livelihoods, farm incomes and food security, both in food-deficit and economically marginal areas and among the resource-poor in more favourably endowed areas. Strategy components The components include: improving the opportunities available to the rural poor to strengthen, diversify and sustain their livelihoods by taking advantage of the potential synergies between farming, fishing, forestry and animal husbandry, including through pre- and post-production income-generating enterprises (e.g. through the TCP and the SPFS); supporting efforts to strengthen local institutions and to enact policies and legislation that will provide for more equitable access by both women and men to natural resources (particularly land, water, fisheries and forest) and related economic and social resources; improving the efficiency and effectiveness by which the public and private sectors respond to the multiple and differing needs of disadvantaged rural populations, notably of women and youth; promoting gender-sensitive, participatory and sustainable strategies and approaches, based on self-help, capacity building and empowerment, to improve the skills of the rural poor and local, civil society and rural people's organizations; and assisting in the targeting of investment in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors - from public and private, domestic and international sources - that contributes to food security and poverty eradication. Comparative advantages and partnerships In the sphere of integrated rural development, FAO has competence in major areas (food and nutrition, crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry) that are basic to improving rural incomes and employment opportunities. It is the only international agency that deals with all aspects of rural land tenure. It has developed specific capabilities for capacity building and institutional strengthening, developing and applying participatory processes and methods to help the rural poor capture available opportunities and have access to the necessary resources. Particularly innovative approaches have been developed, through the SPFS, for the identification of constraints and the testing, demonstration and replication of strategies for rural livelihood improvements. FAO also has proven expertise in mobilizing investment in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. Considering that poverty eradication is a major goal of Members, and that it has stimulated a UN system-wide response, FAO's contributions focused on the rural sector are not provided in isolation but are an integral part of the broader effort. Critical to the attainment of better rural living standards will be investment in improved access to safe water and sanitation, power supplies, health services and education. From this vantage point, FAO will seek further integration of its action within the UN system (notably with WFP, IFAD, WHO, ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UNEP, UNDCP and UNIFEM). The ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security will be an important means to promote this at both the headquarters and field levels. Partnerships will also be reinforced with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system and academic and national research institutions. New alliances, based on shared objectives and complementarity of action, will be sought with organizations operating in the sphere of rural development and poverty alleviation, including specialized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (particularly those of farmers, rural people, women and youth), as well as with the private sector. Building on the longstanding cooperation with the World Bank, regional development banks and IFAD, attempts will be made to stimulate increased official development assistance (ODA) flows in support of food security.

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Indicator:1

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