The 2016 edition of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) report on rural development focuses on inclusive rural transformation as a central element of global efforts to eliminate poverty and hunger, to build inclusive and sustainable societies for all.

The report looks at global, regional, and national pathways of rural transformation and suggests four categories that most countries and regions fall into, each with different objectives for rural development strategies to promote inclusive rural transformation: to adapt, to amplify, to accelerate, and a combination of these.

The report presents programs and policies for various regions, as well as thematic areas of intervention, based on both a rigorous analysis of IFAD, with almost 40 years of experience, to invest in the rural population and allow the inclusive and sustainable transformation of rural areas.