The aim of this Scoping Study is to develop a research agenda and from this, options for a research program, under the title ‘Productive strategies for poor rural households to participate successfully in global economic processes’. The study will aim to: identify policies, processes and institutions that will expand potential benefits of global economic processes to the rural poor; identify ways the rural poor can develop their own capacities and define their own productive strategies to improve their livelihoods; Prepare an agenda of priority research areas; Build a coherent programme of research; Highlight critical issues regarding methodologies; Identify on-going work in the research areas; and Identify potential partners.