ABSTRACT
Agriculture and rural development concepts and create solutions not only in business terms, but also at the population level. NTU's operations also support in improvingtheproductivityintheagriculturalandruralcontextandinpromotingcivilrightsandequality Themainissuesapproachedare,amongothers,accessto rural transport infrastructure, access to water and irrigation, poverty reduction, food security and nutrition for vulnerable rural households, strengthening of water supply and sanitation management and planning capacities, development of sustainable aquaculture, and improvement of living conditions in rural areas. Rural developmentpoliciesshouldexploitthecontributionoffarming,bothintermsofimprovingon-farmactivitiesandsupportingancillaryservices,tosecuresustainable developmentforruralareas.Inthecontextofagriculturalreform,WTOrulesshouldcontainsufficientflexibilitytoallowcountriestopromoteruraldevelopment, especiallytopreservesocialandpoliticalstability
KEYWORDS:Agricultureandruraldevelopment,contributionoffarming,promoteruraldevelopment,accesstoruraltransportinfrastructure,accesstowaterand irrigation,povertyreduction,etc.,
INTRODUCTION:
Agricultureandruraldevelopmentconceptsandcreatesolutionsnotonlyinbusiness terms, but also at the population level. NTU's operations also support in improvingtheproductivityintheagriculturalandruralcontextandinpromoting civilrightsandequality Themainissuesapproachedare,amongothers,accessto rural transport infrastructure, access to water and irrigation, poverty reduction, food security and nutrition for vulnerable rural households, strengthening of watersupplyandsanitationmanagementandplanningcapacities,development ofsustainableaquaculture,andimprovementoflivingconditionsinruralareas. Agriculture and rural development comprise of: data collection and situational analysisoftheagricultureandruraldevelopmentsector;reviewandsharingof bestpracticesinthefield;developmentandimplementationofsustainableagricultureandruraldevelopmentstrategies,policies,andprogrammes;ruraldevelopment planning and coordination; support in rural investments; capacity strengthening of agriculture and rural development institutions; capacity strengtheningoflocalcommunitiesinruraldevelopmentandimprovedagriculturalproduction;supportinintegratingthenotionofgenderinfoodandnutrition security;procurement,constructionandsupervisionofirrigationschemes;support in infrastructure design, construction, supervision, maintenance and rehabilitationforinputsupplies,agriculturalproductionandgeneralruralaccessibility;etc.
IMPORTANCEOFFARMING:
1. Inruralareasthroughouttheworld,agriculturerepresentsthepredominant landuseandamajorcomponentoftheviabilityofruralareas.Farmingand relatedactivitiesmakeupthebasicfabricofrurallife,contributingsignificantlytotheoverallstateofruralregionsintermsofemploymentandbusinessopportunities,infrastructureandqualityoftheenvironment.
2. The degree to which farming represents a share of the rural economy, and henceitsrelativeimportanceasasector,determinesitspotentialeconomic contributiontoruraldevelopment.Insomecountries,farmingmaybetheprimaryeconomicactivityofaregionandsupportthevastmajorityofthepopulationinemployment.Insuchregions,itisclearthatoverallsocialandpoliticalstabilityisinextricablylinkedwiththeconditionoftheagriculturesector
3. However,inmosteconomicallydevelopedcountries,farmingaccountsfora relativelysmallpartofadiversifiedruraleconomy,andinadditionthesignificance of agriculture in terms of the proportion of national wealth and employmentis,inmostregions,indecline.Thisdoesnotlessenthepotential roleoffarminginruraldevelopmentinthosecountries,butthecontribution of alternative economic activities, which may offer durable prospects for employmentandeconomicprogress,shouldalsobeincluded.
4. Sincethecontributionoffarmingtoruraldevelopmentindifferentcountries variestoagreatextent,policyresponsesneedtobecorrespondinglydistinguished,withtheaimofmaximizingbenefitstosociety
CONTRIBUTIONSTORURALDEVELOPMENT:
Ruraldevelopmentisunderstoodprimarilyintheeconomicsenseoftheprocess of assuring a progressive improvement in economic security of people in rural
areas.Ruralareasareusuallydefinedintermsofmaximumpopulationdensity, withfiguresvaryingfrom150to500inhabitantspersquarekilometer,depending onthestructureofsociety Whileanyeconomicactivityinruralareaswillhave thepotentialtocontributetoruraldevelopment,theparticularrolesfarmingmay playfallintofourbroadcategories:
1. Employment:Incountrieswhoseshareofoverallemploymentinagricultureisathighlevels,forexamplewherefarmersrepresentover50%ofthe workforce,farmingislikelytobethekeyeconomicactivitydeterminingthe progress of rural development. With such a substantial proportion of the labourforceengagedinagriculture,anypolicywhichledtoaswiftandartificialreductioninemploymentcouldhavedisastrousconsequencesforthe labour-forceanddependants,leadingtosocialandpoliticalinstability
2. Related economy: The farm sector in every country supports a range of ancillaryandserviceindustries,generatingeconomicactivityinsupplyand distributionchainsaswellasprocessingindustries.Wherefarmingistheprimaryeconomicactivity,theentireruraleconomy,includingservicessuchas health care, education and basic infrastructure, may depend on the profitabilityofthesector
3. Inremoteandperipheralareas:wheresocietyhasidentifiedalegitimate priority to prevent depopulation, farming is likely to be one of a limited rangeofeconomicactivitiespossibletomaintaintheeconomicviabilityof theregion.
4. Throughoutruralareas,farmingmaycontributetoruraldevelopmentbyprovidingenvironmentalandculturalservicestosociety
5. Theseactionsincludesupportforruraldevelopmentbymeansbothofonfarmandnon-farmingactivitiesforwhichthestateofagricultureisneverthelessacriticalfactor
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE INCREASINGLY CONFRONTED TOTHEFOLLOWINGCHALLENGESRELATEDTOAGRICULTURE ANDRURALDEVELOPMENT:
Reducingpovertythrough ruraldevelopmentstrategiesandsupportingthe main driving forces for economic growth and social development in rural areas.
foodsecurity
Enhancingagriculturalproductivityandfarmer'sincomes.
Developinginfrastructureandaccesstowater
Improvingsustainableaccesstounconnectedareasandmarkets.
Implementingefficientagrarianreforms. Ÿ
Establishingearlywarningsystemsformonitoringfoodsupplyandweather insuranceschemesforfarmers.
Ÿ
Diversifyingagriculturalproductionsystems.
Ÿ Promotingsustainableagriculture.
Ÿ Reducingtheenvironmentalimpactofagriculturalproduction.
Thus,itisextremelyimportanttoimprovetheefficiencyofresourceuse,develop infrastructurethatfostersstrongerlinksbetweenfarmersandmarkets,promote R&Dinthesector,andreducetheenvironmentalimpactofagricultureactivities.
AGRICULTURE&RURALDEVELOPMENTFACTS:
1. Mostfarmersinthedevelopingworldaresmallholders.
2. Agriculturaldevelopmentisoneofthemostpowerfultoolstoendextreme povertyandtofeedaprojected9.7billionpeopleby2050:growthintheagriculturesectoristwotofourtimesmoreeffectiveinraisingincomesamong thepoorestcomparedtoothersectors.
3. Thecurrentfoodsystemthreatensthehealthofpeopleandtheplant;agricultureaccountsfor70percentofwateruseandgeneratesunsustainablelevels ofpollutionandwaste.1/3offoodproducedgloballyiseitherlostorwasted.
THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENDINGPOVERTYANDBOOSTINGSHAREDPROSPERITY:
Three-quartersoftheworld'spoorliveinruralareasandmostearntheirliving fromfarming.Enhancingagriculturalproductivityisthusessentialtoachieving poverty reduction. Productivity growth in agriculture is also the driving force behindstructuraltransformation.
Hispurposeofthisresearchprogramistwofold:
Ÿ Provide guidance on productivity enhancing investments in, and policies toward,theagriculturesector
Ÿ Understand the transformation of the sector that is already underway and howthishascontributedtoendingextremepovertyandboostingsharedprosperity
SUMMARY:
Farmingisthefabricofruralsocietyand,inmanycountriesoftheworld;itisthe maineconomicactivity Anysuddenandprofoundchangeswhichimpactedon thefarmsectorcouldhavesevereconsequencesintermsofsocialandpolitical stabilityineconomicallydevelopingcountries.Agriculturealsoplaysanimportantpartinruraldevelopment,especiallyduetolanduse,incountrieswherethe sectorisoflesseconomicsignificance.Themainpotentialcontributionsoffarmingtoruraldevelopmentareintermsofsupportingemployment,ancillarybusinesses,andenvironmentalservices.Inperipheralregions,farmingmaybenecessarytosupporttheeconomicandsocialinfrastructure.Ruraldevelopmentpoliciesshouldexploitthecontributionoffarming,bothintermsofimprovingonfarmactivitiesandsupportingancillaryservices,tosecuresustainabledevelopmentforruralareas.Inthecontextofagriculturalreform,WTOrulesshouldcontainsufficientflexibilitytoallowcountriestopromoteruraldevelopment,especiallytopreservesocialandpoliticalstability
CONCLUSIONS:
Therightofcountriestopursueruraldevelopmentpoliciesinwhichagriculture playsakeyrolemustberecognized.Inregionsoftheworldwherefarmingrepresents a dominant rural economic activity, countries should have the means at theirdisposaltoavertdisruptiveandpotentiallycatastrophicsocialandpolitical upheavalscausedbyarapiddeclineintheeconomicconditionofthefarmsector Inotherruralareas,wherefarmemploymentaccountsforasmallportionofthe workforce, a broader approach to rural development and the role of farming in the process, including policies to diversify income sources, may be needed. In peripheralregions,thecontinuedviabilityofruralareasdependstoalargeextent on policies to maintain the farming sector Rural development policies which affect the agricultural sector should follow the principle of being no more than minimallytrade-distortingandallowstructuralchangestooccur Inthecontext ofagriculturalreform,WTOrulesshouldcontainsufficientflexibilitytoallow countriestopromoteruraldevelopmentandpreservesocialandpoliticalstability
REFERENCES:
I. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climate-smart-agriculture
II. https://agrifarmingtips.com/what-is-the-role-of-agriculture-in-rural-development/
III. https://wwwiatp org/sites/default/files/Agricultures Contribution to Rural Development.htm
IV https://wwwiatp org/sites/default/files/Agricultures Contribution to Rural Development.htm
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VI. https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e//agric_e/ngw36r1_e.doc
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