part one - introduction
Poverty is a complex, multifaceted
problem. Policy debates tend to emphasize
the monetary aspect of poverty, whereas
many other factors – including access to
and control over natural resources and
land, employment, health, nutrition,
education, access to services, conflict,
political power and social inclusion – also
play crucial roles.
Poverty is thus as much a social,
political and environmental problem as it
is an economic one. According to the 1997
United Nations Development Report, “From a
human development perspective, poverty
means the denial of choices and
opportunities for a tolerable life.” In
this publication, we will focus on the
causes of rural poverty, and show how
communities are protecting their
livelihoods and their natural environments
by making their own choices and creating
opportunities for themselves.
As the case studies in this publication
show, poverty can mean anything from the
absence of a particular tree species, as in
the case of the Pehuenche of Chile (
see page 8
), to
restrictions on bushmeat hunting, as for
the Bagyeli “pygmies” of Cameroon (
see page 7
). Poverty
eradication solutions are similarly
diverse, and may include initiatives like
empowering women to become local
entrepreneurs in Ghana (
see page 40
) to
cultivating medicinal plants in Paraguay
and El Salvador (
see
page 36
,
page 34
).
International financial institutions and
governments are learning to “talk the talk”
when it comes to poverty alleviation, and
recent moves towards debt cancellation,
although not far reaching enough, are a
critical and long-overdue first step.
Nonetheless, the eradication of poverty and
hunger are at odds with the current
economic model that promotes growth and
development, and nothing short of a
structural overhaul is needed in order to
move towards equitable societies and allow
rural people to thrive in their local
environments.
