Program for Improving Market Participation of the Poor

In collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Evans School is evaluating the program and conducting research as to the effectiveness of the new activities and new findings about the rural poor and their interactions with markets.

Individuals in poor rural communities engaged in tenuous agriculturally based livelihoods have narrow margins for error. Expanding on activities, and managing risks through diversifying or building a cushion of security, is limited by poorly functioning land, labor, commodity and credit markets. In response to these problems, and the chronic poverty and insecurity they portend, IFAD's "Program for Improving Market Participation of the Poor in Ha Tinh and Tra Vinh Provinces" (IMPP) is designed to build infrastructure, invest in skills training, and offer financial services to diversify livelihood strategies.

Research papers