The rural face of poverty
Worldwide, poverty generally has a rural face. Three quarters of the world's poor live in rural regions, often in extreme poverty and without adequate means to achieve food security for themselves and their families. To bring about an improvement in people’s living conditions in the long term, it is necessary to secure access to land and water and put in place an adequate infrastructure. This includes health care and educational opportunities, as well as access to markets, which is essential for economic activity. Agricultural development contributes to better nutritional security and health in developing countries and to the sustainable management of natural resources. It also helps generate income and jobs, and is therefore a fundamental prerequisite for successful economic development. Another important precondition is gender equality, because it is essentially women and girls that have restricted opportunities to participate in political decision-making.

GIZ addresses these issues in the following areas:

• agricultural policy and rural areas
• agricultural trade and standards
• sustainable management of natural resources