Improving the skills of rural people will have a positive impact on livelihoods in rural areas of developing countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO) said here on Thursday.

"A broad perspective on livelihoods is required when it comes to education for rural people. Education, including skills development,should be a critical aspect of support interventions aiming at boosting economic activities and growth," said FAO expert in rural development Marcelino Avila.

"If teaching programmes are too narrowly oriented to agriculture,they may restrict rural people's opportunities for enterprise, and thus limit their possibilities for social and economic progress," added Avila.

The FAO expert highlighted the role of the non-farm rural economy, saying that "available data shows that non-farm employment and income are significant in rural areas".

"This trend suggests some re-thinking about the relevance and role of education and training in promoting and enhancing rural livelihoods," according to FAO.

The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals will depend also on ensuring the basic skills of rural people, keeping in mind the links between skills development and livelihoods, FAO said.

FAO is the lead agency for the global education for rural people initiative launched in Johannesburg, in 2002, in cooperation with UNESCO, to address the basic learning needs of rural people.

Source: Xinhua