A Green Economy is Central to Poverty Alleviation

Persistent poverty is the most visible form of social inequity, related as it is to unequal access to education, healthcare, credit availability, income opportunity and secure property rights. A key feature of a green economy is that it seeks to provide diverse opportunities for economic development and poverty alleviation without liquidating or eroding a country’s natural assets. This is particularly necessary in low-income countries, where ecosystem goods and services are a large component of the livelihoods of poor rural communities and ecosystems and their services provide a safety net against natural disasters and economic shocks.

Greening agriculture in developing countries, concentrating on smallholders, can reduce poverty while investing in the natural capital on which the poor depend. There are an estimated 525 million small farms in the world, 404 million of which operate on less than two hectares of land. Greening the small farm sector through promotion and dissemination of sustainable practices could be the most effective way to make more food available to the poor and hungry, reduce poverty, increase carbon sequestration and access growing international markets for green products…READ MORE