A key objective of Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) is reducing global poverty. Although poverty is also increasing in towns, the bulk of the underprivileged population lives in rural regions. As a rule, rural populations are excluded from political decision-making processes, earn little income and have meagre employment opportunities. They also suffer from hunger and malnutrition and are deprived of basic services such as health and education. They lack clean water and social and economic infrastructure.

Conserving resources, harnessing potential

In many of Austria's key regions and partner countries, agriculture still provides the main livelihood and frequently the sole source of food and income for the population. Many programmes and projects of Austrian Development Cooperation therefore concentrate on promoting agricultural production and small-scale farming. Ecological agriculture makes the best use of natural resources while preserving the environment and biodiversity. Assistance here includes making use of local knowledge, developing appropriate technologies and methods, conducting applied research and imparting information and advice.

Full participation

Measures in rural development call for the involvement of all local actors - representatives of the public and private sector and civil society - in political processes and decision-making. Capacity building and empowerment, of underprivileged people above all, are major ADC fields of activity.

Equal access to land

Securing access to land and equal rights to natural resources for all is essential for a sustainable improvement in the conditions of life in partner country regions, most of them remote and underprivileged. This includes adaptable and innovative savings and lending facilities, measures for making provisions and storage, but also forms of social security for the local population to safeguard against the effects of external, economic and environmental factors.

Austria's measures are always aligned with the national strategies and local plans of the partner countries and are based on precise knowledge of the prevailing development constraints and prospects.