Agriculture and Rural Development

The rapid expansion of the global population has sharpened focus on food security issues worldwide. Global issues such as increasing world food demand, increasing urbanisation and technological developments in food production have all heightened the need for policy approaches that guarantee sustainable and efficient rural-based economic activity.

GDSI has more than 20 years experience in the design and development of programmes for agricultural and rural development. We have prepared several evaluations of the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy and have helped local community groups prepare LEADER plans since that programme’s inception in the early 1990s. Internationally, we have helped establish farm outreach services in more than 10 countries, helped create farmers co-operatives, developed distribution and marketing channels for farm products and supported processing industries in a variety of developing and emerging economies.

Specifically, we can provide expert services in agriculture and rural development in the following areas:

• Rural development planning exercises
• Evaluation and impact analysis of agricultural and fisheries policy
• Developing outreach institutions for farmers
• Food security and nutrition issues in developing countries
• Sustainability of agricultural production practices
• The creation and development of agricultural co-operatives
• Developing food processing industries in rural areas

PROJECT EXPERIENCE