Educating rural = people is essential for achieving the Millennium Goals

Educating rural people is essential for achieving the = Millennium=20 Goals

A new online education tool kit on agriculture, forestry = and=20 fisheries

26 April 2005, Rome - For the first time, a tool = kit=20 including a wide range of teaching and learning tools for = the=20 education of rural people is available on the Internet. It = will=20 provide governments, NGOs, international organizations, = rural school=20 teachers, extension agents and the public at large with the = latest=20 knowledge on how to help rural communities ameliorate their=20 livelihoods.

The Education for Rural People Tool Kit = Web=20 page was launched today by the UN Food and Agriculture = Organization.=20

The tool kit is a valuable resource for all those = whose=20 daily work consists in training the rural poor in the fields = of food=20 and nutrition, local knowledge systems, agrobiodiversity, = food=20 quality and safety, rural finance, marketing, forestry, = fisheries,=20 communication and other related issues.

"The tool = kit will=20 help policy-makers to implement education programmes and = improve the=20 quality level of education in rural areas," said Lavinia = Gasperini,=20 an FAO expert who works in close collaboration with UNESCO = and=20 several other organizations on the Education for Rural = People=20 initiative, launched at the Johannesburg World Summit on = Sustainable=20 Development in 2002.

Illiteracy and hunger=20

"You cannot promote agriculture if you fail to = educate rural=20 people," stressed Ms Gasperini. "The first Millennium = Development=20 Goal - reducing hunger and poverty - will not be achieved = unless we=20 give a higher priority to improving education in rural = areas, where=20 the majority of the people live."

Hunger, = malnutrition and=20 food insecurity reduce school attendance and erode cognitive = abilities. Conversely, illiteracy and lack of education = reduce=20 earning capacity and contribute to hunger and poverty.=20

Education plays a fundamental role in improving the = food=20 security, incomes and productivity of rural people. It also = helps to=20 promote new technologies, as literate people are more = inclined to=20 adopt these technologies and to protect their environment.=20

According to latest estimates, "in the so-called = global=20 village, about 130 million children, the majority of whom = are rural,=20 do not have a pencil or a pen, nor a book, nor a teacher, = and do not=20 go to school," Ms Gasperini said. These children will become = illiterate adults who will join the 880 million illiterates = in the=20 world, the majority of whom are rural adults.

Contact:
Pierre Antonios
Media Relations = Officer,=20 FAO
pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+39) 06 570 53473

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Contact

Pierre Antonios
Media Relations = Officer,=20 FAO
pierre.antonios@fao.org
(+= 39)=20 06 570=20 = 53473

Educating rural people should be = given top=20 priority.

Related links
	The=20 Education for Rural People Tool Kit
	Education = partnership for=20 rural people

Educating rural people is essential for achieving the Millennium = Goals

A new online education tool kit on agriculture, forestry = and fisheries

26 April 2005, Rome - For the first time, a = tool kit including a wide range of teaching and learning tools for the = education of rural people is available on the Internet. It will provide = governments, NGOs, international organizations, rural school teachers, = extension agents and the public at large with the latest knowledge on = how to help rural communities ameliorate their livelihoods. =0D
= =0D
The Education for Rural People Tool Kit Web page was launched = today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. =0D
=0D
The = tool kit is a valuable resource for all those whose daily work consists = in training the rural poor in the fields of food and nutrition, local = knowledge systems, agrobiodiversity, food quality and safety, rural = finance, marketing, forestry, fisheries, communication and other related = issues. =0D
=0D
"The tool kit will help policy-makers to = implement education programmes and improve the quality level of = education in rural areas," said Lavinia Gasperini, an FAO expert = who works in close collaboration with UNESCO and several other = organizations on the Education for Rural People initiative, launched at = the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. = =0D
=0D
Illiteracy and hunger =0D
=0D
"You = cannot promote agriculture if you fail to educate rural people," = stressed Ms Gasperini. "The first Millennium Development Goal - = reducing hunger and poverty - will not be achieved unless we give a = higher priority to improving education in rural areas, where the = majority of the people live." =0D
=0D
Hunger, malnutrition = and food insecurity reduce school attendance and erode cognitive = abilities. Conversely, illiteracy and lack of education reduce earning = capacity and contribute to hunger and poverty. =0D
= =0D
Education plays a fundamental role in improving the food = security, incomes and productivity of rural people. It also helps to = promote new technologies, as literate people are more inclined to adopt = these technologies and to protect their environment. =0D
= =0D
According to latest estimates, "in the so-called global = village, about 130 million children, the majority of whom are rural, do = not have a pencil or a pen, nor a book, nor a teacher, and do not go to = school," Ms Gasperini said. These children will become illiterate = adults who will join the 880 million illiterates in the world, the = majority of whom are rural adults.

Contact: