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Enhancing rural livelihoods depends on eliminating rural poverty. While rates of rural poverty have decreased in recent years, extreme poverty still poses a major challenge in rural areas, especially in countries such as South Sudan, Honduras, and Zambia, where over 50% of the rural population lives below the national poverty line. Reducing rural poverty is particularly important in the context of climate change, since climate-smart, resilient agriculture can require significant up-front investments, expensive inputs, and higher implementation costs – additional expenses that many farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, cannot afford without additional income or financial support. 

Enhancing rural livelihoods depends on eliminating rural poverty. While rates of rural poverty have decreased in recent years, extreme poverty still poses a major challenge in rural areas, especially in countries such as South Sudan, Honduras, and Zambia, where over 50% of the rural population lives below the national poverty line. Reducing rural poverty is particularly important in the context of climate change, since climate-smart, resilient agriculture can require significant up-front investments, expensive inputs, and higher implementation costs – additional expenses that many farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, cannot afford without additional income or financial support. 

Secure land rights play an essential role in enabling the restoration of ecosystems; defending lands that are under threat; supporting the development of profitable, sustainable agriculture; and reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In addition to formal documentation of land rights, communities and individuals need assurances that their land rights are secure and that they will accrue the benefits of, for example, improving cropland and pasture productivity, reestablishing trees, rewetting peatlands, or restoring mangroves. Without believing that they have long-term rights to land, they may have little incentive to devote their time, labor, and resources to such projects, particularly those that generate benefits over longer periods of time. Yet nearly one billion people worldwide believe they could lose part of their land or their right to use it within five years.  

Secure land rights play an essential role in enabling the restoration of ecosystems; defending lands that are under threat; supporting the development of profitable, sustainable agriculture; and reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. In addition to formal documentation of land rights, communities and individuals need assurances that their land rights are secure and that they will accrue the benefits of, for example, improving cropland and pasture productivity, reestablishing trees, rewetting peatlands, or restoring mangroves. Without believing that they have long-term rights to land, they may have little incentive to devote their time, labor, and resources to such projects, particularly those that generate benefits over longer periods of time. Yet nearly one billion people worldwide believe they could lose part of their land or their right to use it within five years.  

To support the development of profitable, sustainable agriculture, farmers around the world need greater access to financial services. Financial inclusion serves as an enabler for seven of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and is considered to be a key element for reducing poverty. As financial inclusion expands, more people can access financial services like banks and savings accounts, and can begin to use lending from public and private financial institutions. Improved access to financial services allows farmers to invest in adaptation strategies that can build their climate resilience – such as the use of new crop varieties or improved irrigation systems – that they may not have adopted before due to financial constraints or lack of a safety net. While excessive debt in a household or economy can be dangerous, the widespread use of lending services is a good indicator of financial options. According to the World Bank, 22% of adults worldwide borrowed from a financial institution in 2017. This number increased to 28% in 2021. 

To support the development of profitable, sustainable agriculture, farmers around the world need greater access to financial services. Financial inclusion serves as an enabler for seven of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and is considered to be a key element for reducing poverty. As financial inclusion expands, more people can access financial services like banks and savings accounts, and can begin to use lending from public and private financial institutions. Improved access to financial services allows farmers to invest in adaptation strategies that can build their climate resilience – such as the use of new crop varieties or improved irrigation systems – that they may not have adopted before due to financial constraints or lack of a safety net. While excessive debt in a household or economy can be dangerous, the widespread use of lending services is a good indicator of financial options. According to the World Bank, 22% of adults worldwide borrowed from a financial institution in 2017. This number increased to 28% in 2021.