FORUM: "Shine a lasting light on the deep challenges of rural poverty." World Rural Development Day 2026. An estimated 80% of the world's poorest people live in rural areas and earn less than $2.15 per day. More than one billion people face severe multidimensional poverty, with more than half of them children. Half of the rural population does not have health insurance (compared to 22% in urban areas). Family farmers produce 80% of the world's food. Women make up 43% of the agricultural workforce but have limited access to land, credit, and technology. Rural areas are on the climate frontline, suffering from droughts, floods, and extreme heat. By 2024, 83% of urban residents had internet access, compared to less than 50% of rural residents. The challenge of resilience for rural communities—particularly women, indigenous peoples, and youth, who face the disproportionate burden of poverty, hunger, and marginalization—is too often overlooked. Let's highlight the important role these groups play in agricultural development, food security, and ecosystem management, and call for their empowerment through access to land, decent work, and inclusion in decision-making. By supporting an integrated approach to rural development that embraces traditional knowledge, gender equality, and digital inclusion, the resolution envisions a future where rural prosperity is no longer an elusive ideal but a global shared outcome. Rural development is not just about geography. It is about poverty, equity, food security, and sustainability. To address these challenges, investments in rural areas and in the the future of rural non-farm economies are needed to ensure no one is left behind. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #developmentpartners #Ruralareas, #Ruraleconomies, #Familyfarming, #RuralDevelopment, #Ruralcommunities, #6July, #SDGs, #worldruraldevelopmentday.
