Population ageing and rural development: a view from the Population and Development Service of FAO

This statement was prepared for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002

FAO views rural ageing as a key component of population change in developing regions. Depending on socio-economic circumstances, ageing can have both negative and positive effects on agriculture and rural development. In some settings, ageing can intensify labour shortages in agriculture and aggravate existing rural problems. Yet the shift to older age structures can also open up new options for rural development. Policy-makers need to be alerted to the opportunities and challenges brought about by rural ageing. Development strategies can only succeed if they take advantage of the resource that older people represent and if they provide the elderly with adequate support. A list of FAO papers on various aspects of rural ageing is attached.

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