The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) represent the consensus of the global community on the basic conditions needed to improve the lives and prospects of the world’s poorest people.
Many developing countries are making progress towards achieving the MDGs. However, some face significant challenges because of starting conditions, weak institutions, conflict and environmental degradation.
Increasing agricultural productivity is especially important for countries that are facing the most difficult development challenges, including poor starting conditions, weak governance and institutions, conflict and instability, and environmental degradation.Rural development strongly determines whether a developing country is likely to achieve broad-based economic growth and the Millennium Development Goals.
Developed countries need to follow through on their commitments to increase development assistance to help achieve the MDGs and to ensure that their domestic policies support rather than undermine development efforts.A commitment to development depends on more than just the amount of foreign assistance a country provides; it includes policies and programs across multiple sectors of government that support global development.
