Rural Poverty Report 2011. New Realities, New Challenges: New Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Generation

6 Dec 2010, IFAD



Helping the rural poor to overcome poverty
This report profiles the rural poor and their livelihoods. It explores challenges faced by rural people in overcoming poverty, and suggests policies and actions for governments and development practitioners to support poverty alleviation efforts of the poor.
The report is the result of collaborative efforts of IFAD poverty experts, external resource persons and the poor themselves. It includes first-hand accounts from the rural poor living in China, Egypt, Madagascar, Pakistan, Peru and Senegal. The report addresses the following areas:

• Agriculture as a key driver of development and poverty reduction;
• Current state of rural poverty around the world;
• Importance of addressing risks and shocks such as natural disasters, illnesses and market fluctuations;
• Paradigm shifts in agricultural markets, and measures to help small farmers and intermediaries establish sustainable market relations;
• Sustainable agricultural intensification;
• Creating opportunities in rural non-farm economic activities;
• Recommendations for poverty alleviation in the future.

Poverty alleviation efforts need to focus on improving the overall environment of rural areas, reducing risk and improving risk management capabilities of rural poor, advancing individual capabilities, and strengthening collective capabilities.