The session started of with an awakening keynote speech from FIAN President Dr. Flavio Luiz Schieck Valente. He asked researchers to use science to influence politics, because politicians have an impact on people’s lives. His presentation did not focus on the continuum as such, but rather on what actually happens to the people in the continuum? He raised the question, why people move to cities. Is it for better opportunities or because it is more attractive or are they rather forced to leave their places? FIAN documented more than 500 cases of Human Rights violations with regards to adequate food and nutrition. This is due to the inequalities in the distribution of wealth and food in the world. Although the agroindustrial food chain uses up most of the resources and receives enormous subsidies by governments, only 30% of the food consumed is produced by that chain. The other 70% consumed by people are produced by small scale farmers, who are often neglected by governmental policies. Overall he stressed that it is important for scientists to engage in political discourse and support those who are usually not heard! After this enlightening speech the differences between men and women were identified – not in general, but with regards to shocks and their affects on the assets of them, as well as regarding the gendered differences in climate change adaptation. The studies found not only disparities between men and women, but also between the different regions in the world – leading to the suggestion that rural development policies should be including these differences.