Rural Development from a Territorial Perspective: Case Studies in Asia and Latin America

Abstract

The contribution of agriculture and rural development to poverty reduction is studied by examining the transformation of five territories in four countries in Asia (Malaysia and People's Republic of China) and Latin America (Brazil and Peru) which have experienced substantial reductions in poverty. The study analyzed: 1) the transformation of the five territories, focusing mainly on identifying the dominant strategies that rural households implemented to exit out of poverty; 2i) the relative importance of different assets (human, physical, financial, natural, and social capital) in the successful adoption of exit roads from poverty; 3) analyzed the role of agriculture and other economic activities in rural poor households to exit from poverty; and 4) the role of government interventions.