The majority of the world's poor live in rural areas.
Rural development is one of the five key sectors for investment in the Australian aid program.
The strategy focuses on reducing poverty by increasing opportunities for the poor to generate income. Increased income can provide the poor with the freedom to make choices about how to improve their lives. It allows them to build assets, reduce vulnerability to disasters and improve their food security. These include managing Australia's support for the international agricultural research centres and funding cooperative research projects involving Australian scientists and their counterparts in developing countries. The Australian Government places a high priority on assisting developing countries with food security as part of reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.