Green agricultural policies and poverty reduction

Green agricultural policies in developing countries must be carefully designed to reduce poverty, according to a new report published by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics and Political Science. The study of 24 projects in 17 countries shows that poorly designed projects offering no choice for farmers can conflict with efforts to reduce poverty. Some green agricultural projects are even shown to have increased levels of poverty. The authors of the report, Dr Stefania Lovo, Dr Mintewab Bezabiah and Gregor Singer, find that poorer households are more likely to adopt green agricultural policies if they are able to choose those policies best suited to their personal circumstances. The report outlines how green agricultural policies can be designed to help developing countries shift to low-carbon economies and also reduce poverty. It identifies a number of barriers that prevent poor farmers from participating in green initiatives.

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