Rural Institutions, Services and Empowerment

Why Rural Institutions?

Institutions and organizations shape the rules that govern social and economic exchange, regulate access to resources, and determine control over decisions and change processes. Effective and equitable resources are essential for promoting inclusive agricultural and economic growth. Collective actions by communities and producer organizations, participatory governance and enabling policy environments are the pillars for transforming rural institutions and achieving inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.

FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

FAO’s Strategic Framework seeks to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.  

The work of RISE is closely aligned with the Four Betters and makes a significant contribution to various Programme Priority Areas (PPAs): 

Better Production (BP): RISE contributes to BP4 (Small-scale producers’ equitable access to resources) through its work on community empowerment and small-scale producers, producer organizations’ collective action, pluralistic services systems, inclusive rural finance and territorial development, and to BP5 (Digital agriculture) through its work on inclusive digital finance and inclusive digital services. Furthermore, RISE also contributes to BP1 (Innovation for sustainable agriculture production) and BP2 (Blue transformation). 

Better Nutrition (BN): RISE contributes to BN2 (Nutrition for the most vulnerable) through its work on community engagement, healthy diets and territorial food systems, as well as BN1 (Healthy diets for all).

Better Environment (BE): RISE contributes to BE1 (Climate change mitigating and adapted agrifood systems) through its work on community engagement on adaptation, mitigation and resilience; green finance; and territorial development approaches, as well as to BE3 (Biodiversity and ecosystem services for food and agriculture); and BE4 (Achieving sustainable urban food system).

Better Life (BL): RISE contributes to BL1 (Gender equality and rural women’s empowerment) through its work on gender transformative community empowerment, women’s access to rural finance and women’s participation on territorial development; BL2 (Inclusive rural transformation) through its work on territorial development, community empowerment, inclusive rural finance and rural services; BL3 (Agriculture and food emergencies) and BL4 (Resilient agrifood systems) through its work on community empowerment in emergencies and resilience; BL5 (Hand-in-Hand Initiative) through its work on territorial diagnosis and planning for inclusive investments; and BL6 (Scaling up investment).

Furthermore, RISE also contributes towards several Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Goal 1 (No Poverty); Goal 2 (Zero Hunger); Goal 5 (Gender Equality); Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities); Goal 13 (Climate Action); Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions); and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).