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Overseas Aid
Man holding rice plant in field

Rural Development

The majority of the world's poor live in rural areas, and are disproportionately dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, especially resources such as forests and fisheries.

The sustainable management of these resources is essential for improving living standards today while ensuring future generations also benefit.

Aid activities undertaken in the area of rural development are designed to promote sustainable resource management in partner countries.

A strong rural economy, built on improved agricultural productivity and accompanied by the right policy settings will boost national economic growth and reduce poverty.

Policy framework

Australia works with governments to promote an enabling policy and institutional environment for rural development, private investment and business development. A central feature of the assistance are partnerships with the private sector as core collaborators and implementers. Activities include:

  • Agricultural research and development. Advances in agricultural technology offer great potential to increase farm productivity. Through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Australia provides leadership and fosters important regional collaboration.
  • Community-driven, small-scale rural infrastructure. Infrastructure support at the village level provides market access and generates employment.
  • Safeguards for the rural sector. Activities include the development of plans, veterinary infrastructure and skilled staff to build capacity for early detection and control of and response to livestock and crop diseases. Of particular concern are those livestock diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
  • Asia-Pacific small and medium enterprise development program. A vigorous small-to-medium enterprise sector is a vital component of sustainable growth and development. This new program will initially run on a pilot basis. Australia will assist with agribusiness development and management, improvements to policy and regulatory frameworks, strengthening rural and agricultural financial systems, processing and production technologies, marketing and trade development, quarantine, sanitary standards and quality control. Support will be considered for private sector-led enterprise development activities in Pacific island countries that have the potential for delivering strong returns.

The following policy documents provide more information on rural development and Australia's aid program.

Food security

The Australian Government places a high priority on assisting developing countries with food security as part of reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Food security means that 'food is available at all times, that all persons have means of access to it, that it is nutritionally adequate in terms of quantity, quality and variety and that it is acceptable with the given culture' (World Food Summit, 1996). Freeing up markets through trade liberalisation is part of the process to achieve long-term food security.

AusAID provides food aid, information and coordination support in accordance with the Food Aid Convention. This convention aims to contribute to world food security and to improve the international community's response to emergency food situations and other food needs of developing countries. Australian wheat and rice farmers produce most of Australia's food aid.

Agricultural research

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) plays an important role in this sector of the aid program.

ACIAR develops international agricultural research partnerships that reduce poverty, improve food security and promote sustainable natural resource management in developing countries. These include managing Australia's support for the international agricultural research centres and funding cooperative research projects involving Australian scientists and their counterparts in developing countries.

ACIAR supports around 200 bilateral projects in developing countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Through close collaboration with partnering research institutions, the projects will promote capacity building, knowledge and technology exchange, and policy initiatives.

Increasingly, delivery of benefits to farmers, policy makers and natural resource managers will be achieved by utilising pilot delivery of research outcomes, through research partners and through appropriate NGOs and other dissemination agencies.

Aid stories and people

Examples of Australia's aid program in action:

Related websites

These websites provide further information on rural development and its role in international development:

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