Abstract
This introductory chapter utilizes a framework of inquiry on why people are poor based on sustainable livelihood and poverty reduction. A livelihood is sustainable when it copes with and can recover from stress and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next generation. This book examines the core issues, namely (1) the links between sustainable rural livelihoods and why people are poor; (2) the multilateral policy contexts of poverty; (3) poverty reduction within the context of globalizing world economy; (4) the economic and moral interdependence of humans and nature; and (5) the assessment of poverty among vulnerable groups, for instance, the elderly, the young, the ill, and the disabled. The themes of this volume orbit around characteristics and challenges of sustainable development, marginalization, social empowerment, social development theory, and poverty reduction strategies advocated by the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals worldwide.