Rural Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth: Report of the Working Group on Rural Poverty

Abstract

A Working Group on Rural Poverty (the Working Group) was established based on the recommendations made by ADB’s Development Effectiveness Committee (DEC) at its meeting of 14 June 2006, to follow up on the findings of an OED May 2006 Special Evaluation Study (SES) on Pathways out of Rural Poverty and the Effectiveness of Poverty Targeting. The President approved the establishment of the Working Group on 11 July 2006. It was formally constituted on 4 September 2006 and it held its first meeting on 15 September 2006. As assigned, the Working Group: (i) reviewed the findings of the SES; (ii) examined alternative approaches for ADB to support its Developing Member Countries (DMCs) in the fight against rural poverty; (iii) examined the need to redefine the role of agriculture in poverty reduction; and finally, (iv) crafted a strategy statement on ADB’s approach to rural poverty reduction that could be used in the preparation of ADB’s Long Term Strategic Framework (LTSF). Preparation of the new LTSF makes the analysis of the most effective ways for ADB to contribute to rural poverty reduction extremely timely.