It is expected that by 2050, there will be around nine billion people living on our planet. In order to ensure that they all have enough food, it is vital that the economic development of rural areas is accomplished with good result.

Rural areas offer a great abundance of natural resources, both for the current generation and for future ones. Furthermore, they also offer great potential for development. For example, the spread of digital technologies and regional trade, and in particular the local processing of raw materials and agricultural products, can benefit rural areas.

The delegates from academia, civil society and the private sector invited to help draft the Berlin Charter have put down in writing how we can all work together to foster development and create prospects for the future in rural areas, in particular for young people.

The Charter is intended to motivate decision-makers to step up and do their utmost to support rural development. In fact, the Charter is to serve as a roadmap and an inspiration. And as a reminder of how important rural development is for achieving sustainable global development.

Join in the dialogue

BMZ invites all players who are interested in rural development to comment on this first draft of the Charter and suggest how it could be enhanced. Your comments and suggestions will be reflected in the amended draft. That version will then be fine-tuned with the help of an academic drafting committee, where after it will be presented to the public in Berlin on 27 and 28 April.

Click here to download the full draft (as at 16 March 2017, PDF, 123 KB).

You may post your comments on the BMZ website here or send your comments by email or post.See more info here. 

Submission deadline is 31.03.2017 (date by which your comments must be received).