Economic growth is a key driver for poverty reduction and development. Innovative sources of growth and competitiveness need to be identified to help unleash the full potential of countries to generate further opportunities for economic and social well-being and transformation. But the benefits of growth do not automatically trickle down and generate more equal societies. Economic growth also needs to be diversified and sustainable over time and take into account environmental and social dimensions.
Incorporating inclusive green growth into development policies as part of efforts to promote sustainable development is an important element of the OECD Strategy on Development. Specific attention will be paid to the issues of multi-level governance, greening cities, and integrating sustainable development into urban and regional planning, and greening infrastructure investment.
Innovation can make a difference in addressing urgent developmental challenges such as providing access to drinking water, eradicating neglected diseases or reducing hunger. Innovation is not just about high-technology products: rather, innovation capacity has to be built early in the development process in order to possess the learning capacities that will allow “catch up” to happen. Moreover, different types of innovation play different roles at various stages.
The OECD Strategy on Development will address the multisectoral aspects of food security. The long-term objective of this work is to improve coherence and synergies across policies in inter-related areas that are conducive to food security, such as agriculture, trade, investment, innovation, environment, energy, and development co-operation.