The aim of this paper is to show how the means to reduce poverty lies in: (a) the socio-economic conditions that irrigated agriculture can change; and (b) the way irrigation development is pursued. It is hoped that the paper will promote debate and act as a stimulant for new action to reach the poor through irrigated agriculture. This is the first of a series of issues papers to be prepared by the International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) aimed at promoting debate, research, innovation and investment in irrigated agriculture.