Education for Rural People (ERP):
The role of Education Training and Capacity Development in Poverty
Reduction and Food Security
David Acker
Lavinia Gasperini
IOWA State University, USA
Office of Knowledge Exchange,
Research and Extension- OEK
(FAO)
Seminar on Economics of Rural
Development
“Ca’ Foscari” University
Venice, 11 October 2011
UN Agencies: Rural Development
FAO Core activities
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations

FAO's mandate
1) Achieving food security for all (regular access to enough high-quality food to lead
active, healthy lives).
2) Raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural
populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy.

FAO's activities:
Putting information within reach/ Knowledge Network.
Sharing policy expertise.
Providing a meeting place for nations.
Bringing knowledge to the field.

Focus activities: Agriculture, Economic and Social, Fisheries and aquaculture,
Forestry, Natural resources, Techical cooperation
Source: http://www.fao.org
http://www.fao.org/employment/en/
Cont...
UN Agencies: Rural Development
World Food Programme (WFP)

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Prepare for, protect in and restore and
rebuild after emergency
Reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition
Strengthen national capacity to reduce
hunger
Cont...
Source: http://www.wfp.org
UN Agencies: Rural Development
Cont...
International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD)
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Improved natural resources management and conservation
Improved agricultural technologies and effective production
services
Financial services
Transparent markets for agricultural inputs and produce
Rural off-farm employment and enterprise development
Local and national policy and programming processes
Cont...
Source: http://www.ifad.org
UN Agencies: Rural Development
Cont...
Biodiversity International (IPGRI)
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Sustainable Agriculture
Nutrition
Conservation of species
Source: http://www.biodiversityinternational.org
UN agencies: human development

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) advocacy for change
and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help
people build a better life.
http://www.undp.org/

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO ) Dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples trough
commonly shared values. Observance of human rights, mutual respect and
the alleviation of poverty for sustainable development.
http://www.unesco.org

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Children's rights, their survival, development and protection; basic education
and gender equality, HIV/AIDS for children, child protection and policy
advocacy and partnerships for children rights.
http://www.unicef.org
Purpose of ERP
Share global synthesis of policy
lessons learned on human and
rural development through:
Education for
Rural
People
http://www.fao.org/erp/en/
Underlying Premise
Investments in education, training,
and capacity development are
essential prerequisites to reducing
poverty and increasing food security.
The gap between rural and
urban people
The population of the developing world is still
more rural than urban: some 3.1 billion people,
or 55 per cent of the total population, live in
rural areas. However between 2020 and 2025, the
total rural population will peak and then start to
decline, (...) in the Middle East and North Africa
and in South and Central Asia, and around 2045
in sub-Saharan Africa.
(cont...)
Source: IFAD, Rural Poverty Report 2011
(...cont)
Despite massive progress in reducing poverty in
some parts of the world, there are still about 1.4
billion people living on less than US$1.25 a day,
and close to 1 billion people suffering from
hunger. (FAOstat: 925 millions).
At least 70 per cent of the world’s very poor
people are rural, and a large proportion of the
poor and hungry are children and young people.
Neither of these facts is likely to change in the
immediate future, despite widespread
urbanization and demographic changes in all
regions.
IFAD, Rural Poverty Report 2011
Rural undernourished
Rural illiterates
70% of the 925 millions =
647 millions
70 % of the 863 millions=
604 millions
The majority of the
undernourished people are
illiterate and vice versa.
The education statistics

The number of children out of school is falling
too slowly. In 2008, 67 million children were out
of school.

About 17% of the world’s adults – 796 million
people – still lack basic literacy skills. Nearly
two-thirds are women.
Source: EFA GMR 2011
The numbers of success
Food Security is in direct ration to ERP.
For example, an investigation of the World Bank
shows that literate farmers are 8.7% more
productive than the illiterate ones. If
complementary inputs, like fertilizers, new
seeds and agriculture machines, are added, the
production increases by 13%.
ERP Objectives
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Put ERP high in the national and
international agenda to reach the MDGs.
Improving access to quality basic
education for rural people
Strengthening national capacity to
implement education programs to address
learning needs of rural people with the aim
to overcome the urban-rural education
gap.
ERP Contributes to MDGs:

ERP is critical to the achievement of all MDGs
and particularly:
 MDG 1: Eradicating extreme poverty & hunger
 MDG 2: Achieving universal primary education
 MDG 3: Gender equity, empowering women
 MDG 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability
MDGs
Food
Security
Poverty
Reduction
Education
ERP
Gender
Equity
Environment
UNESCO
Ministries
of
Education
Ministries
of
Agriculture
FAO
Donors
and
Int’l.
Orgs
Civil
Society
NGOs
Presentation
10 Challenges
10 Cases
Challenge # 1
Effective Pro-rural
Policies
• Motivating major changes in policy and
resource allocation to favor rural citizens
• Supporting capacity development for planning
ERP at societal, institutional and individual level.
Case # 1
Effective Prorural Policies
11 African Countries (Rome, 29 November 2007)
“Food security and poverty reduction strategies are
directly dependent on our capacity to foster rural
children's access to quality primary education.”
Challenge # 2

Organizational and
Institutional Efficiency
Coordination among MoE, MoAg, extension,
schools, NGOs and the private sector is essential
for optimal efficiency
Case # 2
Organizational and
Institutional Efficiency
Kosovo
National strategy for ERP developed through
cooperation between agriculture and education
ministries
Local stakeholders involved:
- School personnel
- Farmers
- Women’s associations
Challenge # 3
Access to Education
and Training
• Removal of school fees
• Mobile extension staff
• School feeding programs
• Expansion of the education network
• School and training center construction
• Satellite schools in remote areas for young children
Case # 3
Access to Education
and Training
India
A private sector – government partnership to provide school meals
to 800,000 children daily.
Link: education - child’s health
Meals increase school attendance, especially among girls and
improved learning ability
- Uses locally grown produce
- Large centralized kitchens
- Meals distributed daily by truck
Challenge # 4

Quality of Education
and Training
Quality depends on:
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facilities
teachers
materials
evaluation
leadership
curriculum
community links
Case # 4
Quality of Education
and Training
Uganda
Quality and relevance are linked
Agriculture is part of curriculum
Garden produce helps supply school lunch program
Important link between quality and relevance, vital to
increasing appeal and utility of education for rural people.
Challenge # 5
Decentralization and
Community Involvement
Decentralization of authority and responsibility for
education and training
The importance of high levels of community
involvement
in determining appropriate education interventions
Case # 5
Decentralization and
Community Involvement
Cambodia
Formation of school committees of parents, teachers and local
leaders
Construction of village based satellite schools for young
children who could not walk long distances
Parents provided the labor to build the school
Local residents trained as teachers
Challenge # 6
Gender Responsive
Learning Environments
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Girl friendly schools
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Safe
accommodations
for girls and women
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Flexible timetables
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Take-home food for
girls
Case # 6
Burkina Faso
Gender Responsive
Learning Environments
A high percentage of girls do not finish
primary school
Girl friendly schools see enrolments soar in
132 communities
- separate toilet facilities
- girls who attend 90% or more of the time
are given take home rations
Challenge # 7
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Accommodating
Non-traditional Learners
refugees and displaced
persons
people in inaccessible, remote
areas
nomadic and pastoral
communities
out-of-school youth
disabled persons
ethnic minorities
retired child soldiers
working children
Case # 7
Accommodating
Non-traditional Learners
Kenya
Non-traditional learning for children of pastoralist families
Classes take place after animals
are penned for the night allowing
students to fulfill their duties managing the animals
Curriculum developed in consultation with parents, local
leaders and students
Multi-grade classes
Challenge # 8
Redefining
Agricultural Education
Fundamental changes needed in how
agricultural education is conceptualized
Agricultural education has simply not kept
up with the pace of our changing world
Case # 8
Redefining
Agricultural Education
Paraguay
Teaching entrepreneurship through agricultural
education
Self sufficient, fully organic farm school
Teaches value added processing
Teaches life skills, agro-tourism, reproductive
health
Challenge # 9
Skills Training for
Rural People
Skills needed to succeed in global, knowledge
economies
- Life skills
- Food production skills
- Self-employment skills
Case # 9
Skills Training for
Rural People
Uganda
Capacity development, life skills training, income
generating activities
Community-based health and nutrition education
Use of trained volunteers to extend training
throughout community
Challenge # 10
Recruitment and
Retention of Extension
and School Staff
Difficulty in attracting and retaining
extension and school staff to rural areas.
Case # 10
Recruitment and
Retention of Extension
and School Staff
Multiple countries
More attractive deployment policies:
•
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posting newly qualified staff in pairs
higher salaries
loan forgiveness
subsidized housing
better health care
access to land
What Will Success Look Like?

Expanded access and improved quality for
all rural children, youth and adults to
education and training (including extension)

Rural people:
engaged in knowledge-based economies
 prepared to learn in order to adapt and cope
with to globalization and market forces, climate
change, food crises and other shocks

What Will Success Look Like?
• Adults:
Will benefit from agricultural extension, skills training, literacy
training and basic education.
• Children and Youth:
Will benefit from quality education and training opportunities to
ensure their livelihoods are improved relative to those of their
parents.
“We will work to increase public investments and
encourage private investment in the countrydeveloped plans for rural infrastructure and
support services, including- but not limited- to
roads, storage, irrigation, communication
infrastructure, education, technical support and
health.”
(Declaration of the World Summit on Food
Security, Rome, 2009)