lnclusivity is an approach to ensure that everyone, regardless of their sociaI, economic or politicaI status and identities (including race, ethnicity, gender, age, beliefs, geographical location, health status, migrant status, etc.), is fully and actively involved in and benefitting from development processes.

Exclusion manifests itself in multiple ways, with the majority of people who experience higher levels of marginalization and vulnerability living in rural areas and having livelihoods based in agrifood systems. Exclusion affects all areas of their lives, including their productivity and their livelihoods. Many cannot express their rights fully and face limited access to resources and services. Most often, they are not part of decision­ making processes and their ability to play an active role in their communities is diminished.

However, these actors have enormous potential to support the shift towards more sustainable agrifood systems. Inclusive structural changes would help to address inequalities, delivering quality services and decent institutions, facilitating access to productive and natural resources, and ensuring everyone's human rights are respected.

Who is left behind?

FAO combats discrimination and inequalities (often multiple and intersecting) that undermine the agency of people as holders of rights, with a focus on the below groups:

FAO and inclusivity

In a world at risk from climate change and extreme events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, conflicts and pandemics, and where economic crises and rising food prices, persistent poverty, and inequalities are affecting the lives of billions, business as usual will not be sufficient to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.   

FAO recognizes that an inclusive approach to rural transformation is crucial to enhance the participation of vulnerable and marginalized groups in processes and unlock opportunities for their engagement. As part of the Organization’s commitment to poverty reduction, FAO is mainstreaming inclusivity and supporting member countries and partners to address unequal social, economic, and political relations, by:

• Transforming agrifood systems to ensure food security and nutrition for the poorest and marginalized.
• Promoting a rights-based approach to multi-sectoral policy development and territorial approaches to reduce inequality and exclusion.
• Investing in sustainable and inclusive livelihoods, income diversification, and decent employment to generate greater opportunities for all.
• Enhancing excluded people’s access to natural and productive resources, services, assets, and technologies to foster their contribution to rural and agricultural development.
• Expanding social protection to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable groups.
• Securing inclusive and equitable land and water tenure to improve the livelihoods of the poorest.
• Promoting inclusive policy dialogue and platforms to stimulate participation, consultation, and free prior informed consent (FPIC).
• Ensuring that climate change adaptation strategies are inclusive, based on evidence, and designed to improve the resilience of rural communities.
• Supporting data collection and analysis, including tools and knowledge dissemination, on drivers of exclusion to guide policy choices and investments to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Resources

Web story: Returning to make rural areas in Tunisia flourish

E-learning series on Rural Poverty Reduction

Key documents

FAO framework on rural extreme poverty

Rural Poverty Analysis

Applying an inclusive and equitable approach to anticipatory action

Other documents

• FAO policy on gender equality
• FAO Migration Framework­­
• Social Protection and Resilience
• Managing climate risks through social protection
• Addressing the climate change and poverty nexus
• FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
• Voluntary Guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security
• Voluntary Guidelines on the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security
• Data snapshot using sex-disaggregated data to better understand gender gaps in agriculture
• Measuring rural poverty with a multidimensional approach: The Rural Multidimensional Poverty Index