Rural Growth & Livelihoods Security

theIDLgroup is committed to working with governments to deliver inclusive rural growth.  We have a long track record in the development of pro-poor rural livelihoods. We support rural economic growth strategies that are broad based and include opportunities for the poorest, the vulnerable and the excluded. We also help fast growing economies with the policies and research that will underpin sustained - and sustainable - rural growth.   We assist with national agriculture strategies, plans and budgets, with multi-country agricultural research partnerships, and with innovative international mechanisms (e.g. new instruments for research financing).

The way we work

In all our work theIDLgroup brings a context-specific approach. Every country and region is unique with its own opportunities and challenges.  We invest effort to understand the goals of governments, and work with development partners who are helping to realise those goals.   We have a particular commitment to livelihood and food security programmes in drought prone regions.  In post-conflict regions, we bring a multi-disciplinary perspective with inputs from our governance and fragile state teams. In fast-growing states in Africa and Asia, our skills and knowledge of rural growth processes are complemented by our social and environmental consultants who can help ensure that investments and initiatives will not alienate large groups of citizens, nor threaten the environment.

Our Clients

Our clients include international development agencies, non-governmental organisations, developing country governments, and community development agencies.  We advise in a wide range of sub-sectors, including livestock, pastoral systems, staples crops, and export commodities.

Core Competencies

Our core competencies include facilitation of policy development for inclusive rural growth, development of pro-poor strategies for agriculture and land management, poverty, social impact, wealth and conflict mapping and analysis, design and management of large-scale livelihoods programmes, food security and disaster risk reduction, rural social safety net programmes, capacity building and strengthening of national and regional agricultural research agencies, qualitative and quantitative research and analysis skills and sectoral public expenditure reviews and economic/trade policy analysis

Recent examples of theIDLgroup's Rural Growth & Livelihoods security work include:

• agriculture sector planning / policy  / public expenditure review (Nepal, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda)
• design and review of rural livelihoods and agriculture programmes (India, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Guyana, Belize)
• change management, training and capacity development (Laos, Pakistan, Indonesia, Senegal, Nepal)
• facilitating reviews of disaster reduction, food security and rural safety net strategies (Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola)
• multi-donor strategies for sector budget support for agriculture (IFAD, DFID, FAO, others)
• strategic planning and change management of sub-regional and national agricultural research systems, including CORAF (West Africa 22 countries) and Nepal
• livestock policy reviews, Mozambique and Ghana, Indonesia
• fisheries research and coastal livelihood studies (Bangladesh, South Africa, Vietnam).