Despite great efforts to reduce rural poverty at the national and global levels, many of the poorest groups remain difficult to reach through mainstream development programs. In particular, there is ample evidence that indigenous and tribal peoples and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented among the rural poor worldwide.
Several recent studies show that the poverty gap between these peoples and other rural populations is increasing in some parts of the world. In addition, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities generally score lower on the Human Development Index than majority groups in their countries, and this is particularly true of women. Better reaching out to these marginalised groups in poverty reduction efforts is an important policy challenge. Meeting this challenge requires, first, taking into account the heterogeneity of poverty and, second, building on the strengths and values of these peoples, including their capacity to act as stewards of biodiversity.
