At the 29th FAO Regional Conference it was stated that rural development should tend to reach food security, emphasizing its harmonic relationship with the environment and rescuing the ways of life of rural populations. This development model incorporates the premise of respect for the systems, natural and cultural processes, making it necessary, among others: i) to protect biological diversity, since the scale and acceleration of the rate of human impacts on ecosystems is threatening biological diversity through erosion and loss of ecosystems, species, populations within the species and genetic diversity within the populations; ii) to use renewable energy sources; iii) to use technologies with a minimum environmental impact; iv) to avoid non-sustainable consumption patterns; and, v) to support participation in decision-making. Framed in the Millenium Development Goals, in particular Goal 7 “Ensure environmental sustainability”, FAO states that hunger and poverty force poor people to over-exploit the resources on which depend their own livelihoods and food. Nonetheless, the array of goods and services provided by ecosystems (clean water, fertile soils, landscapes, biological diversity and carbon sequestration, among others) must be managed in such a way as to sustain the population, not only meeting their food requirements but also another series of economical, social and environmental needs. According to Goal 1 “Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty”, the strategies to reduce poverty must include elements to enhance understanding on the ways in which natural ecosystems sustain agriculture and rural production, operate as food security networks and increase income derived from their resources in inputs and genetic (goods and services). These strategies must contemplate furthermore, minimum risks and sensitizing on the beneficial impact of natural resources protection, the rehabilitation of degraded areas and sustainable management of natural resources (forestry, fisheries, and others), in order to reduce the vulnerability of rural populations due to natural and anthropic disasters (forest fires, erosion, floods, climatic changes, and others). In order to assure environmental sustainability and protect biological diversity, FAO RLC is promoting actions to improve and strengthen sustainable management of forests, responsible use of fishing and aquaculture resources, territorial zoning, water conservation, biological diversity protection in different ecosystems and financial mechanisms that facilitate sustainable management of resources, such as, payment for environmental services.
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