The launch of the FAO framework on rural extreme poverty will take place on 18 June in Rome. A panel discussion will take place addressing good practices and challenges ahead in eliminating rural poverty.

Concept note:

Today, about 783 million people live in extreme poverty. Primarily a rural phenomenon, the share of the population living in extreme poverty reaches 80 percent in rural areas, across greatly diverse rural landscapes. Despite great progress in poverty reduction, the standard of living of the poorest of the poor has remained almost unchanged in the past 35 years, signaling that a huge gap in policy making and programmatic approaches are leaving them behind.

FAO has established a Corporate Framework on Rural Extreme Poverty to orient and bring to bear the relevant work of the Organization towards reaching Target 1.1 of the SDGs. Eliminating extreme poverty is directly linked to eliminating hunger (SDG 2), as well as other SDGs.

When the extreme poor have means to a better life, they no longer suffer from hunger and can invest in a better future for their families and communities. The Framework reinforces the application of other Corporate Frameworks, particularly those related to gender equality, social protection, sustaining peace, and migration. This makes the Framework applicable to many areas of FAO’s work, accelerating efforts to eliminate extreme poverty in rural areas.

The Framework identifies four key areas to reach the rural extreme poor: ensuring food security and nutrition, promoting economic inclusion, fostering environmentally sustainable and resilient livelihoods and preventing and protecting the extreme poor against risks and shocks.

The Framework establishes five deliverables to help eliminate rural extreme poverty:

1. Better align the areas of FAO’s mandate into global and national actions to eradicate extreme poverty
2. Increased capacity to reach the extreme poor by undertaking poverty analysis
3. Develop dedicated and integrated approaches for the rural extreme poor.
4. Ensure that FAO’s actions do not create poverty.
5. Account for FAO’s contribution to SDG 1, and in particular, to Target 1.1.

Objectives of the event:

• Officially launch the Corporate Framework on Rural Extreme Poverty.
• Raise awareness on how the Framework enhances FAO’s relevant areas of work by focusing more on reducing rural extreme poverty.
• Discuss the five deliverables of the Framework, including challenges and opportunities toenabling the Organization to support countries more effectively to achieve Target 1.1