A preliminary study of vulnerable groups in the rural population was completed by RUTA and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This represents a first step towards learning more about the population groups that are the most vulnerable, in socioeconomic terms, in the rural areas of Central America. This study focuses on three groups that are considered vulnerable, namely, migrants, indigenous peoples and farm workers.

The study shows that these group are highly susceptible to different types of external or internal impacts (economic, financial, environmental, social, political, legal) and that they have little access to social and economic assets that might mitigate that impact. Among the assets they lack are jobs (formal employment), remittances, rural financial services, other sources of income, markets to sell their products, education, basic services such as water, electricity for economic activities, infrastructure, pensions, social security, health insurance, health centers and others.

These vulnerable groups also find it very difficult to change their situation with the means available to them; in particular, the lack of skills and opportunities limits their ability to participate in making decisions that affect them directly or indirectly. They also suffer social exclusion (cultural, political and/or economic), and this limits their opportunities to rise above poverty.

The study confirms that, in order to help these groups overcome their circumstances, investments in education are needed to promote greater mobility and adaptability to changing economic situations, as well as to improve rural financial markets and thus promote entrepreneurial development.

Investments are also needed in infrastructure and transport to improve market access for labor and products, reduce transaction costs and enhance the profitability of enterprises. The available economic information (on matters such as prices, trends, changes in the market) must also be improved so as to promote investment and economic planning on the part of individuals, households and enterprises.

RUTA will pursue the dialogue on these issues and will share the findings of the aforementioned research study with cooperating agencies, governments and civil society.

For more information, click here to see the study entitled La Población Migrante Rural en Centroamérica and the document on Análisis y Estrategias para Poblaciones Rurales con Mayor Vulnerabilidad Socio-económica en Centroamérica

Work begins on study of poverty in Costa Rica

The World Bank, with the participation of RUTA, will provide support to the Government of Costa Rica in conducting a full study of poverty in the country, to be conducted in 2006. The purpose of the study is to develop a detailed description of the situation of poor people in Costa Rica, what they do and what they do not do, with a view to generating or recommending government interventions to reduce poverty.

As part of the study, technical support will be provided on survey design, development of the questionnaire, selection of the sample, collection of data, analysis of the information gathered and subsequent dissemination of findings.