Agricultural Resources Information System (AgRIS): An e ...

14.1 The rural poor are not a homogeneous group. Poverty has
multiple and complex causes, which are mutually reinforcing. If
poverty is to be reduced, a flourishing agricultural sector is
essential in most developing countries. “Reaching the Rural Poor”
makes broad-based economic growth its primary objective, and
treats agriculture as the leading productive sector within the
rural economy and closely linked to non-farm activities. Non-farm
activities, often with linkages to agriculture and natural
resources, have important multiplier effects. Rural poverty
reduction requires multifaceted policy efforts that recognize
the linkages among household asset access portfolios, household
income strategies and macro-structural changes. Poverty
reduction is associated with Social Development and
Infrastructure Development.
14.2 There have been both national and international efforts
(DOT Force of the UN, the UN/ESCAP Committee on Poverty
Reduction, the Millennium Development Goals, PovertyNet of the
World Bank, etc) to improve information flows and communication
services to eliminate poverty (ICT for Poverty Reduction), which
are a necessary but not sufficient condition. In poor rural areas,
where agricultural productivity is low and unreliable and there is
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