During the last three to four years, the issue of rural development has come back on the agenda of German development aid and is being taken more seriously. It has recently become one of the key pillars of Germany's development aid. 

The World Food Crisis was the decisive motor to get the priority back to Germany's development agenda. The share of German Official Development Assistance (ODA) for this area has risen from less than four percent in 2005 to over 7 percent in 2010. During the last few years, money promised has been spent, while the share of additional money is limited to one third. Germany has become one of the strong supporters of the right to adequate food. 

The new concept paper for rural development contains a lot of different proposals on how to structure the new key priority of development aid. Nevertheless, priorities still have to be set regarding the choice of activities and should be guided by the right to food

Michael Windfuhr
Deputy Director
German Institute for Human Rights
Berlin, Germany
windfuhr@institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de