Increased access to assets and technology by the rural poor is effective, efficient, and equitable. The rural poor often lack access to physical assets, especially land, and human assets such as health, education and nutrition. Lack of human assets stops children from learning, compels parents to send them to work, and perpetuates poverty. Furthermore, a lack of access to technology creates obstacles for the poor to utilize their assets efficiently such that they can compete within the marketplace. Access to assets and technology is effective in bringing quick relief from poverty.
Assets most help rural poverty reduction when they are divisible into small low-cost units.
Technology access can alleviate poverty through increasing agricultural output and other income sources. Pro-poor technologies can be adopted easily at relatively low cost and risk. They also increase production and efficiency, use labor-intensive means, and contribute to the economic stability of poor households. Improving the assets and technologies of the rural poor promotes efficiency by stimulating higher productivity and economic growth. Access to different types of assets is beneficial as they strongly reinforce one another.