{"id":27190,"date":"2025-10-10T07:03:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futural-project.eu\/?p=27190"},"modified":"2025-10-10T07:17:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T07:17:36","slug":"the-strength-of-the-world-grows-from-rural-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futural-project.eu\/it\/the-strength-of-the-world-grows-from-rural-roots\/","title":{"rendered":"The strength of the world grows from rural roots"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rural communities are not remnants of the past; they are the foundation of our future.<\/em><\/span><\/p>

At the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, <\/span>\u00c1lvaro Lario<\/b>, President of the <\/span>International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)<\/span><\/i>, shared a message that speaks to the heart of today\u2019s global challenges: <\/span>\u201cGlobal stability and security take root when we unlock a path to a brighter future for rural people and deliver quality of life and job opportunities.\u201d<\/em><\/div>
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His words remind us that real progress begins from the ground up. In a world facing economic uncertainty, climate risks, and social divides, <\/span>rural communities hold the key<\/b> to food security, environmental balance, and global peace. Supporting them is not only the right thing to do, it is a smart and strategic investment in our shared future.<\/span><\/p>

Why Rural Development Matters<\/b><\/h4>

Across the world, <\/span>eight out of ten people living in poverty are in rural areas<\/b>. Yet these regions also hold enormous potential. Investing in rural communities means more food security, fairer economies, and greater climate resilience.<\/span><\/p>

IFAD\u2019s work shows what this can look like in practice. In <\/span>Senegal<\/b>, one of its programmes helped <\/span>10,000 young people<\/b> return to rural life, earning up to <\/span>seven times the national minimum wage<\/b>. When people have access to opportunities close to home, they choose to stay, build businesses, and strengthen local communities.<\/span><\/p>

As IFAD President \u00c1lvaro Lario noted, <\/span>\u201cthe future of development finance lies in smart partnerships that combine public and private resources.\u201d<\/span><\/i> This thinking also guides many initiatives in Europe that seek to connect innovation with inclusion, including the <\/span>FUTURAL Project<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>

FUTURAL: Bringing Global Vision to Life in Rural Europe<\/b><\/h4>

Funded by the <\/span>European Union\u2019s Horizon Europe programme<\/b>, <\/span>FUTURAL<\/b> contributes to the same vision of resilience and opportunity for rural territories.<\/span><\/p>

Through its <\/span>Multi-Actor Pilots (MAPs)<\/b>, FUTURAL brings together rural communities and technology providers to design and test new solutions that respond to local needs. From <\/span>Amorebieta-Etxano (Spain)<\/b> and <\/span>Kythera (Greece)<\/b> to <\/span>Romania<\/b> (Birba)<\/b> and beyond, these MAPs serve as collaboration hubs where new ideas take root and communities shape their own paths toward sustainability.<\/span><\/p>

These efforts focus on <\/span>smart solutions tailored to rural communities\u2019 needs<\/b>, addressing key areas: <\/span>climate adaptation and mitigation, circular bioeconomy and ecosystem management, resilience to shocks, lifelong education and training, and citizen engagement and quality of life.<\/b><\/p>

Each MAP focuses on practical local actions, improving farming through digital tools, supporting circular economy models, or developing new community services. Together, they show that effective solutions emerge when the people who understand rural challenges are also the ones driving change.<\/span><\/p>