At a conference of the FAO-led Education for Rural People (ERP) partnership, which brings together key figures from agricultural, rural development and the education sectors to help achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals, He Changchui, who represents the organisation in Asia and the Pacific, said priority should be given to developing primary schooling, literacy and skills training in farming, fishing and livestock communities, as well as those living in mountain, forest and desert areas.

Mr He said: "Failure to educate children in rural areas perpetuates needless hunger. Attending primary education is one of the surest ways out of the cycle of poverty and hunger for children and their families."

About 75% of the world's poor live in rural areas, but because they often do not have a strong political voice or leadership, government priorities for allocating money tend to be heavily skewed in favour of towns and cities.

The FAO said poorer people needed to be empowered and called on governments and stakeholders to change their policies to address their needs.

The conference, held in Beijing, heard that recent research had shown basic education "immediately and positively" affected the productivity and the livelihoods of smallhold farmers and played a part in reducing malnutrition. But education needed to be free and charges for meals and books needed to be scrapped if more children were to attend.

"Children attending schools offering free meals are 30% more likely to complete primary education," Mr He told delegates.

The Millennium Development Goals were set five years ago to reduce poverty and improve healthcare and education by 2015. One of the goals is to ensure all children have access to good primary education. Another is that girls and boys have equal rights to go to school (in some areas, boys are sent to school while girls have to stay at home to help with domestic tasks).

A preliminary deadline to achieve gender parity by 2005 has already been missed, and charities and aid agencies have warned that all eight goals will not be achieved in 10 years unless governments significantly step up their efforts.

Lavinia Gasperini, the FAO's senior officer for agricultural extension, said targeted investment in rural communities was essential to meet the deadline.