Reaching the Rural Poor A Rural Development Strategy for the Latin America and Caribbean Region

This paper is a contribution to the draft rural development strategy for the World Bank, which is currently pending approval by the Board of Executive Directors. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions are the author's own and should not be attributed to the World Bank, its management, its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. Some of the numbers quoted are estimates or approximations, and may be revised at a later stage. The Latin America and Caribbean Region would like to dedicate this report to the memory of Thomas B. Wiens, LCSES Sector Manager, who passed away on July 14, 2000. His contributions and professional commitment to this initiative as well as his passion for rural development issues will continue to remain present among us for a long time.