Rural development, in terms of policy and practice, has been a matter of increasing concern in the Third World. Governments, international agencies and local organisations have attempted to raise the status of rural people through improvement and transformation strategies (Long, 1979). This concern arose because the development efforts pursued over several decades were failing to eradicate rural poverty and make meaningful improvements to the living conditions of the rural poor (Haque et al., 1975; Griffin, 1979; Lea and Chaudhri, 1983; Ferguson, 1990). Today rural people have, more than ever before, access to education, health facilities and occupational opportunities. But close examination of their living conditions indicates that although the aggregate level of production and consumption has increased, the distribution of benefits continues to show persistent inequalities (Hayami and Ruttan, 1971; Morrison et al., 1979). Malnutrition, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment remain common problems. Their persistence and the deterioration of the social conditions in rural communities are a major concern for many developing countries (ILO, 1977; World Bank, 1991a).