The document discusses the changing dynamics of poverty and the role of agricultural research in poverty alleviation. It notes that while increasing yields of staple crops can improve food security, higher incomes are needed to afford a healthy life. Globalization, urbanization, migration, and technical change are reshaping poverty and rural livelihoods. Most poor now live in middle-income countries. Agricultural research must adapt to help the different types of rural households, including those with entrepreneurial skills operating in markets and those without who need help integrating into networks. New interdisciplinary and partnership-based research approaches are needed.