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Chapter 7 What needs to be done, and how? 219
We have argued that this is an appropriate moment to address this challenge.
Environmental conditions are changing, and this brings increased risks for rural
economies and people; however, there is also a new appreciation of the services and
goods that natural resource-based livelihoods can provide. The market context is
changing and urbanization is proceeding apace, bringing a host of new opportunities
for poor rural women and men to engage with markets, as well as new risks around
them. Today, a very large proportion of poor rural people are children and youth, and
it is they who will have to live and deal with the impact of today’s transformations.
It is also tomorrow’s rural generations who most need to see rural areas as places
where they can fulfil their aspirations. Already today, more and more youth are
unwilling farmers or livestock producers and reluctant residents in rural areas.
Environmental degradation and climate change, combined with persisting policy
neglect of agriculture and of rural areas, can only accentuate this process. For this to
change, robust action is needed now. This action must address the many factors that
perpetuate the historic marginalization of rural economies, mitigate and develop
ways to better deal with new risk factors, and enable poor rural people to harness
that there would be a radio
station in this area? There
are even people who have
television sets in the village.”
Oumar Diédhiou,
male, 22 years, Senegal
“If I am given charge…
I would also try for a middle
school. Women cannot
study beyond primary as we
only have up to primary
school in our village. Women
are not allowed to go out of
the village… I will try for a
middle or high school for
girls so that girls do not go
outside the village.”
Muhammad Naveed,
male, 22 years, Pakistan
“I would love to move away,
because, as you see, people
suffer a lot here… In my
opinion, [my siblings in
the city] have better
conditions… they are living
in a good place, they have
their jobs, and you don’t
need to kill yourself working
to make progress, as is
the case here. Here we
suffer a lot if we want to get
something to improve our
living condition.”
Williams Serafin Novoa Lizardo,
male, 20 years, Peru
“I really hope to have
improved [in the future], with
some livestock, and my
family all healthy. I hope that
my position then will be
different from my position
now – that I’d have
possessions… I mean that
I’d have a few head of
cattle, sheep, goats and
chickens, many chickens.
Then my life would have
changed. And then I’d feel
better about myself…
I always believe that it will
be different; I do believe
that it will be better.”
Manantane Babay,
male, 19 years, Madagascar