A recent report by the Agriculture and Fisheries department of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) titled the ‘Agricultural Progress and Poverty Reduction Synthesis Report’ claims that achieving the Millennium Development Goal of halving global poverty by 2015 looks increasingly likely.

The report’s authors found that increases in income earned from farming contributed more to poverty reduction than increased earnings from non-farm occupations.

The report also found that agricultural growth was pro-poor for all the variants of data used, but that this uniformity of growth was not present in non-agricultural sectors – in fact, the report’s findings show that isolated growth in a non-agricultural sector could have no effect, or even increase net poverty. The report’s authors noted that within poorer countries, estimated poverty elasticity for agriculture was significantly higher.

The report saw the countries posting the fastest progress in reducing poverty also reporting the greatest improvements in basic aspects of human development, particularly in education.

Lastly, the report argued that agricultural progress in the study countries seems in most part to the success of macroeconomic, trade and socioeconomic policies in fostering balanced economic growth.

The report’s authors conclude that in general when economies grow, incomes earned by those who farm for a living rise faster than other sectors.

To find out more or to read the report in full, please go to:

http://www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3746,en_2649_37401_48473309_1_1_1_37401,00.html