Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Poverty Policy Brief

8 years of development aid through the Biodiversity Fund

The complexities of the new food and ecological crises call for new approaches to development assistance, those that go beyond traditional technical or financial help. Assistance to small-scale producers should address social, ecological and socio-economic issues and look at both rights and skills, preferably in an integrated, holistic approach. Policy interventions based on this approach would involve grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs) – notably farmers’, small-scale producers’ and women’s organisations – acting as change agents on the issues of: a) empowerment; and b) new standards and markets for biodiversity-friendly produce. More recommendations can be read in the policy brief.

This policy brief is based on a fuller lessons learned document: ‘Biodiversity, Livelihoods and Poverty’, available at www.hivos.nl/english/bdf