Beyond the City: the Rural Contribution to Development evaluates the effects of the rural sector on national growth, poverty reduction, and environmental degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year’s study concludes:

	contributions to public policy & services fail to adequately address the needs of rural communities;
	rural activities account for 12% of regional GDP but their effect on growth is nearly twice as large due to their high contribution to exports;
	the rural population is 42% of the total, almost double the official figure of 24%.