The majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas. Agriculture is a source of livelihood for 86 percent of rural people. Farming systems often consist of a range of interdependent gathering, production and post-harvest processes, so that, besides farming, rural household livelihoods can encompass various activities in other key agricultural sub-sectors including livestock, agro-forestry and fishing and aquaculture.

Through greater access to decent work opportunities, FAO aims to ensure that poor rural men and women are able to reap the benefits of a sustained and inclusive agricultural growth. To achieve this, it aims to capture the specific nature and scope, as well as the causes and consequences of decent work deficits in major sub-sectors of agriculture. FAO also endeavours to overcome gaps in the current evidence base by undertaking sector-specific studies that shed light on key aspects of decent work, including child labour in agriculture. Finally, FAO works with a wide range of relevant stakeholders to establish priorities and deliver tailored interventions for each agricultural sub-sector.