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 final report to the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel (HLP) on Women’s Economic Empowerment has now been published, stressing that building women’s economic empowerment must be done in ways that leaves nobody behind, particularly the most marginalized women at the bottom of the pyramid. 

The report, entitled “Leave No One Behind: Taking Action for Transformational Change on Women’s Economic Empowerment”, also acknowledges that gender inequalities remain persistent across the world, but they can be overcome if barriers are removed.

The future of agriculture depends on attracting young, talented people who are prepared to balance risk and reward in order to deliver the healthy food we need in a way that gives them sufficient return for their labor and capital. 

One of the biggest obstacles to financing smallholder farmers has been understanding who they are and – by extension – what their needs are. Without detailed data, it has sometimes been difficult for people sitting far away in donor programs to see the ways in which farmers are a heterogeneous and varied group.

One-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted from farm to fork. This level of inefficiency in the food system has tremendous economic, social, and environmental consequences. In September 2015, a historic window of opportunity opened to elevate the issue of food loss and waste reduction on the global agenda. At the United Nations General Assembly, countries of the world formally adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 12 seeks to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.”