Agriculture is an engine of growth for rural communities, particularly in the developing world. It has also proven to be an especially viable tool for women to lift themselves out of poverty. Women in developing countries rely heavily on the income they earn from agriculture-related activities to provide for their families and as a source of increased autonomy. In least developed countries, 79 percent of economically active women report that agriculture is the primary source of their incomes and agriculture is the single most important source of employment for women in Africa and South Asia.