Set up an Integrated Country Approach
The main rationale behind this module is that a more employment-enhancing approach to agricultural and rural development is needed. For this to happen, policy makers and planners, as well as FAO staff supporting them, should adopt an integrated approach for decent employment from the outset. This includes assessing the enabling environment for decent rural employment promotion and identifying the most relevant national and local institutions to engage with. The ultimate objective is to reduce rural poverty by creating better job prospects in rural areas and food systems for the unemployed, the underemployed, the working poor and all those who are in vulnerable employment situations.
This Module offers a quick overview of FAO's applied definition of decent rural employment and on the main tools available for setting up an Integrated Country Approach. Significant emphasis is placed on promoting capacity development and the involvement of multiple stakeholders, including the employment and agricultural sectors, and both public and private actors.
FAO's applied definition of DRE:

Core dimensions of an Integrated Country Approach
Core dimensions of an Integrated Country Approach
To be successful, an approach to promote decent rural employment at country level should aim to build synergies across capacity development, institutional support, knowledge generation and partnership creation. For example, providing skills development for youth without facilitating their access to markets and credit may result in a failure. Each intervention will reflect national and local circumstances and take due consideration of different levels of development and national capacity. A successful approach should nevertheless include all of the following core activities to varying degrees:
- DRE assessments, focusing - when appropriate - on a specific DRE subtopic (e.g. child labour) or value chain.
- DRE-related capacity development activities, relating to:
- both quantitative and qualitative aspects of work;
- both the public and the private sector (including producer organizations (POs) and local government authorities (LGAs); and
- both employment stakeholders (e.g. ministry of labour, labour inspectors) and agricultural stakeholders (e.g. ministry of agriculture, extension services). - Specific activities to support youth engagement in agricultural development (e.g. skills development; entrepreneurship support; access to finance, land, productive tools and markets; group cooperation).
- Specific activities to support women’s economic empowerment and reduce gender inequalities (e.g. skills development; entrepreneurship support; access to finance, land, productive tools, markets and support services [child care] and group cooperation).
- Specific activities to improve labour conditions in the agricultural sector, prioritizing child labour and forced labour prevention and elimination, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), the situation of migrants, and the conditions of casual and seasonal workers.
- Specific activities to improve the institutional and policy environment for decent work promotion in agriculture (e.g. development of OSH regulations, integration of a decent work section in an agricultural policy under review).
Resources:
Knowledge materials
Knowledge materials
The resources in this section will enhance the knowledge base of FAO staff to effectively promote decent rural employment, by providing clarifications on definitions and approaches (see DRE e-Learning Course) or on existing policies and strategies in a specific country context (see DRE Policy Database).
Guidance tools
Guidance tools
These tools can assist planners and practitioners to set up an Integrated Country Approach to promote decent rural employment. The applied definition can be used to frame the approach at country level and set priorities. Specific tools are available to assist with conducting a context analysis or a capacity needs assessment, and to support DRE mainstreaming in agricultural strategic planning.
- FAO's infographic on Understanding Decent Rural Employment
- Technical note on FAO’s applied definition of decent rural employment
- Tool to conduct a context analysis on decent rural employment at country level
- Tool to conduct a capacity needs assessment on decent rural employment
- Incorporating decent rural employment in the strategic planning for agricultural development
- The right to adequate food and the right to decent work joint work in rural areas
Additional links
Additional links
Web page:
Info briefs:
- FAO's Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for promoting decent rural employment Results and stories from the field
- FAO's Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for promoting decent rural employment
- FAO's Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for promoting decent rural employment in Uganda
- Enfoque Integrado de País de la FAO para la promoción del empleo juvenil rural decente en Guatemala
Cases: