These are summarised below:. Despite a multi-sectoral approach, current opinion is divided concerning the relative importance of different sectors and of agriculture in particular.
On the one hand, there is the view that agricultural development, driven by growth in the small farm sector , is a pre-requisite for the wider development of the rural economy; that, in the poorest parts of the world, it needs to be the driving force in efforts to reduce poverty; and that rural development policies should focus on making small farmers more productive through improved access to technology and markets.
A contrasting view is that excessive focus on agriculture fails to take account of the complexity and increasing diversity of rural livelihoods, and the importance of income-generating activities located outside agriculture. Whilst not denying the role of agriculture in the development process, this view gives agriculture, and particularly small scale agriculture, less emphasis and calls for policies that are more tailored to individual circumstances within a very varied rural environment.
A third view plays down the importance of agriculture in local development processes and argues that while access to cheap food is important, this may be best obtained from imports or from large-scale agriculture rather than small-scale agriculture.
Superimposed upon this debate are questions about global food security and whether we are now moving into an era of food shortages. The optimism of recent decades is giving way to greater pessimism about the ability of supply to keep pace with demand, especially given the uncertainties surrounding climate change.
We return to these issues later, but for now it is worth noting that this has reinvigorated the debate about the role of agriculture in development. Another central concern in rural development is environmental sustainability. Although Harriss' definition does not make any mention of the environment, the subject is clearly of particular importance in rural development, since so much economic activity, notably agriculture , is both dependent on natural resources, as well as having a very direct impact upon them, through for example deforestation, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity.
One of the biggest challenges, both now and into the future, relates to climate change. Global climate change is likely to have a major impact upon the climate and natural resources of rural areas, affecting both the productivity of rural resources as well as the livelihoods of people who are dependent upon them. Agriculture is also a major contributor to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change and may well be affected by future efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
We shall examine these issues further in the final section of this unit. Most approaches to rural development, at least in terms of stated goals, have had, and continue to have a strong poverty focus. Many people, including Harriss in , viewed this concern as a distinctive feature of the study and pursuit of rural development, setting it apart from traditional approaches to development - the latter were mostly concerned with macroeconomic growth and how to stimulate output in the productive sectors of the economy; they assumed that poverty would fall automatically once these issues had been addressed.
Interventions in rural development have often focused more directly on the problem of poverty - eg by addressing the basic needs of the poor in terms of food, health and education etc and looking to improve the productivity of the activities that the poor themselves are engaged in.
The attention given to poverty in the field of rural development has much to do with the high prevalence of poverty in rural areas. Most of the world's poor live in rural areas and it is in the rural areas that poverty and associated deprivations are typically at their most extreme. However, the world, and poverty itself, is becoming increasingly urbanised. Indeed, the problem of urban poverty is now high on the international development agenda, so it would be wrong to say that poverty concerns are exclusive to the field of rural development.
The Millennium Development Goal objective of halving the number of people living in poverty by highlights the mainstreaming of poverty as a focus of policy. Nevertheless, the incidence and severity of poverty will for some time continue to be higher in rural areas as compared with urban areas, so that even though the number of urban people in the world overtook the number of rural people sometime in , the number of poor rural people remained higher than the number of poor urban people IFAD Furthermore, many of the urban poor originate from, and retain close links with, rural areas; and the ranks of the urban poor are often swelled by migration that is precipitated by a lack of opportunity in rural areas.
What happens in rural areas is therefore important both for both rural and urban poverty. Gender issues feature prominently in the field of rural development. Women are often the poorest and most vulnerable members of the rural community and female children are often subject to greater neglect than their male siblings. Like poverty, gender concerns are not exclusive to rural development; however, gender-related poverty is often hardest to tackle in rural areas.
Firstly, the cultural norms governing the division of labour and resources between men and women which often disadvantage women are usually more deeply entrenched in rural areas. Secondly, the wider difficulties of rural transport and communications keep women isolated from the support that they might get from each other or outside agencies were they to live in a town or city.
Because of the broad concerns and multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral, nature of rural development, the study and practice of rural development requires skills and insights from a wide range of disciplines.
However, in rural areas where a diverse rural economy exists, employment and other rural development initiatives should examine all the alternatives to assess the most appropriate and durable options. Society may demand that farmers should manage their agricultural activities in ways which also provide environmental services to the community as a whole, such as minimising the risk of certain natural disasters, or cultural services, such as conservation of rural heritage.
These points are discussed further in the European Commission's paper, "Agriculture's contribution to environmentally and culturally related non-trade concerns".
Policies designed to promote the viability of the farm sector can include encouraging investment, training, applied research and appropriate technology, and policies to manage structural adjustment such as land reform and generational change. Rural development initiatives should bring together all those with a legitimate interest in proposals, including where appropriate partnership between the public and private sectors.
The farming sector will require ancillary industries to service and support the production activities. These enterprises are also a source for employment and economic development, although many are not located in rural areas. In peripheral areas, the quality of provision of essential services, such as health care and education, will depend on the level of economic activity and size of local population. These factors may be dependent on the relative prosperity of the farm sector, particularly in areas having few alternative sources of employment.
Increased economic stability can be provided to the farm-based rural economy by encouraging the development of activities to add value to their production, such as processing of consumer products on-farm or in the rural areas. Farmers can also take greater control of their economic position through co-operative ventures or by selling to consumers directly through farm shops and markets. The farm buildings and land represent assets to farmers which can be used in diverse ways to develop non-farm income.
Projects frequently cited in economically developed countries include educational initiatives to provide visitors to the farm with learning experiences and farm tourism. Improvements in infrastructure, notably communications networks, may increase the competitivity of the farm and other sectors of the rural economy. Infrastructural investments can also facilitate the installation of new enterprises on farm sites, although such developments are not dependent on farming.
The right of countries to pursue rural development policies in which agriculture plays a key role must be recognised. In regions of the world where farming represents a dominant rural economic activity, countries should have the means at their disposal to avert disruptive and potentially catastrophic social and political upheavals caused by a rapid decline in the economic condition of the farm sector.
In other rural areas, where farm employment accounts for a small portion of the workforce, a broader approach to rural development and the role of farming in the process, including policies to diversify income sources, may be needed.
In peripheral regions, the continued viability of rural areas depends to a large extent on policies to maintain the farming sector. Rural development policies which affect the agricultural sector should follow the principle of being no more than minimally trade-distorting and allow structural changes to occur.
In the context of agricultural reform, WTO rules should contain sufficient flexibility to allow countries to promote rural development and preserve social and political stability. Our advisers help optimise value chains and establish global standards for internationally traded products. We secure opportunities for life in rural areas, offering long-term success through sustainable strategies. Agricultural-based economic development A strong agricultural economy brings social progress by increasing productivity, employment and income.
Agricultural trade and standards Increasing consumer demands must not become a trade barrier for agricultural producers in developing countries. Agricultural innovations Increasing demands need new agricultural methods and concepts.
GIZ promotes innovation through the exchange of expertise. Fishing Unsustainable fishing is an increasing threat to developing countries. GIZ is committed to the conservation of wild stocks and thus to securing income, food and economic growth. Agricultural policy and rural development Rural development and a strong agricultural sector reduce poverty and form the basis for sustainable economic development at all levels. Food and nutrition security To ensure food security for the world's growing population and effectively combat all forms of malnutrition, the GIZ combines measures from different sectors and addresses all dimensions of food security: availability, access, use, recovery and stability.
Responsible land policy Reliable access to land is a basis for rural development.
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