Lavinia Gasperini FAO Senior Officer, Agricultural Education,

1. Education for Rural People (ERP). The role of Education, Training and Capacity Development in Food Security and Poverty Reduction. , Lavinia Gasperini FAO Senior Officer, Agricultural Education, Office of the Director of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension (OEKD) "Broadening coherence and collaboration for rural development through employment and decent work" Rome, 14 November 2011

2. Underlying Premise Investments in education, training, and capacity development are essential prerequisites to reducing poverty, increasing food security and RD.

3. The majority of the undernourished people are illiterate and vice versa.

4. ERP Objectives • Put ERP high in the national and international agenda to reach the MDGs. • Foster public private partnership to advocate for ERP to be included in the plan of action of Rio 2012 • Strengthening national capacity to implement education programs to address learning needs of rural people with the aim to overcome the urban-rural education gap.

5. MDGs Poverty Reduction Food Security Education ERP Gender Equity Environment

6. UNESCO Ministries of Education Ministries of Agriculture FAO Donors and Int’l. Orgs Civil Society NGOs

7. Presentation 10 Challenges 10 Cases

8. Effective Pro-rural Policies Challenge # 1 • Motivating policy and resource allocation to favor rural citizens • Capacity development for planning ERP at societal (macro), institutional and individual level.

9. Effective Pro-rural Policies Case # 1 11 African Countries (Rome, 29 November 2007) “Food security and poverty reduction strategies are directly dependent on our capacity to foster rural children's access to quality primary education.”

10. Organizational and Institutional Efficiency Coordination among MoE, MoAg, extension, schools, NGOs and the private sector is essential for optimal efficiency Challenge # 2

11. Organizational and Institutional Efficiency Kosovo National strategy for ERP developed through cooperation between agriculture and education ministries Local stakeholders involved: - School personnel - Farmers - Women’s associations Case # 2

12. Access to Education and Training Challenge # 3 • Removal of school fees • Mobile extension staff • School feeding programs • Expansion of the education network • School and training center construction • Satellite schools in remote areas for young children

13. Access to Education and Training Case # 3 • India • A private sector - government partners- to provide school meals to 800,000 children daily. • Meals increase school attendance, especially among girls and improved learning ability • Uses locally grown produce • Large centralized kitchens • - Meals distributed daily by truck

14. Quality of Education and Training Quality depends on: facilities teachers materials evaluation leadership curriculum community links Challenge # 4

15. Quality of Education and Training Uganda Quality and relevance are linked Agriculture is part of curriculum Garden produce helps supply school lunch program The link between quality and relevance, vital to increasing appeal and utility of education for rural people. Case # 4

16. Decentralization and Community Involvement Challenge # 5 Decentralization of authority and responsibility for education and training The importance of high levels of community involvement in determining appropriate education interventions

17. Decentralization and Community Involvement Cambodia Formation of school committees of parents, teachers and local leaders Village based satellite schools for young children who could not walk long distances Parents provided the labor to build the school Local residents trained as teachers Case # 5

18. Gender Responsive Learning Environments Girl friendly schools Safe accommodations for girls and women Flexible timetables Take-home food for girls Challenge # 6

19. Gender Responsive Learning Environments Burkina Faso A high percentage of girls do not finish primary school Girl friendly schools see enrolments soar in 132 communities - separate toilet facilities - girls who attend 90% or more of the time are given take home rations Case # 6

20. Accommodating Non-traditional Learners refugees and displaced persons people in inaccessible, remote areas nomadic and pastoral communities out-of-school youth disabled persons ethnic minorities retired child soldiers working children Challenge # 7

21. Accommodating Non-traditional Learners Case # 7 Kenya Non-traditional learning for children of pastoralist families Classes take place after animals are penned for the night allowing students to fulfill their duties managing the animals Curriculum developed in consultation with parents, local leaders and students Multi-grade classes

22. Redefining Agricultural Education Challenge # 8 Fundamental changes needed in how agricultural education is conceptualized Agricultural education has simply not kept up with the pace of our changing world

23. Redefining Agricultural Education Case # 8 Paraguay Teaching entrepreneurship through agricultural education • Self sufficient, fully organic farm school • Teaches value added processing • Teaches life skills, agro-tourism, reproductive health

24. Skills Training for Rural People Skills needed to succeed in global, knowledge economies Challenge # 9 • - Life skills • - Food production skills • Self-employment skills • Information Technology skills

25. Skills Training for Rural People Case # 9 Uganda Capacity development, life skills training, income generating activities Community-based health and nutrition education Use of trained volunteers to extend training throughout community

26. Recruitment and Retention of Extension and School Staff Challenge # 10 Difficulty in attracting and retaining extension and school staff to rural areas

27. Recruitment and Retention of Extension and School Staff Multiple countries More attractive deployment policies: Case # 10 • posting newly qualified staff in pairs • higher salaries • loan forgiveness • subsidized housing • better health care • access to land

28. What Will Success Look Like? • Rural people will have the capacities to be people: • engaged in knowledge-based economies • prepared to learn how to adapt and cope with to globalization and market forces, climate change, food crises and other shocks.

29. “We will work to increase public investments and encourage private investment in the country- developed plans for rural infrastructure and support services, including- but not limited- to roads, storage, irrigation, communication infrastructure, education, technical support and health.” (Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security, Rome, 2009)