Three billion people live in rural areas in developing countries. Conditions for them are worse than for their urban counterparts when measured by almost any development indicator, from extreme poverty, to child mortality and access to electricity and sanitation.

Three billion people live in rural areas in developing countries. Conditions for them are worse than for their urban counterparts when measured by almost any development indicator, from extreme poverty, to child mortality and access to electricity and sanitation. And the gulf is widening, contributing to large-scale migration to urban areas. This situation exists despite half a century of rural development theories and approaches, and despite the global momentum built around the Millennium Development Goals between 2000 and 2015. Without greater progress on rural development, it is unlikely that the new Sustainable Development Goals will be met. This book calls for a new paradigm for rural development that is equipped to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities of the 21st century - including climate change, demographic shifts, international competition and fast-moving technological change.

This edited volume analyzes the experiences learned in practice especially among small holder farmers to eradicate poverty. In other words, it discusses practical solutions which small scale farmers can use to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. This addresses the issue of inclusive and sustainability of projects leading to the notion of not leaving anyone behind. The book provides insights that can be translated into policy with potential to inform practice. It also has the potential to address the issue of rural urban migration by providing knowledge that is usable by small scale farmers, policy makers and entrepreneurs alike. The volume is written by authors from different countries, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, indicating the commonality of the problems of poverty and inequality. It contains insights from all these countries assembled together into an amalgam of practices ready to use and implement informed by evidence from the field as most of the chapters are based on empirical data.

Rural youth constitute over half of the youth population in developing countries and will continue to increase in the next 35 years. Without rural transformation and green industrialisation happening fast enough to create more wage employment in a sustainable manner, the vast majority of rural ...

Rural Development in the Digital Age explores current theoretical and policy developments in EU rural policy during the 4.0 period. The book offers an analysis of the contradictory and complex drivers and multiple impacts of Period 4.0 policy within the specific territorial context of its implementation. It is commonly agreed within academic and policy circles that the contexts, trends, drivers and impacts which are currently morphing have the potential to determine the nature and boundaries of rural areas in the longer-term. The authors examine inconsistencies in the design and implementation of EU rural development policy driven largely by intensifying neo-productivist pressures. The importance and novelty of the book lie in defining and critically examining the territorial impacts of neo-productivism as an ideology, a practice and a set of policy imperatives during the EU’s 2014-2020 programming period. The authors argue that such a paradigm shift in EU rural policy may reduce its effectiveness and ability to meet its goals of balanced territorial development and cohesion. This book will be of interest to advanced students, researchers and policymakers in rural policy, regional studies, economic geography and EU policy.

Food insecurity and malnutrition are major concerns, especially in rural areas. Globally, they have received considerable attention, but results have been mixed. To provide effective long-term solutions, policy responses must be tailored to the specific challenges of each territory.

This report presents the continent’s current state of affairs and forecasts its situation for the coming two years. It examines Africa’s performance in crucial areas: macroeconomics, financing, trade policies and regional integration, human development, and governance.