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Approaching markets in rapidly growing cities: What makes them different?

Markets are not especially rural, but market systems approaches have tended to be. Is there something about cities that makes a market systems approach less suitable?

Gordon McGranahan
20 Jul 2017
Rural delivery of disease vaccines in Nigeria: A two-pronged approach to poverty reduction

The poultry sector in Nigeria is vital to the livelihoods of the rural poor and for women in particular. Over 60% of the country’s poultry population is reared as free range chickens (village chickens) in the backyards of rural households. The flock sizes of these households typically range between 16-18 chickens per household, and are vital assets to rural smallholder farmers and their families, serving as a good source of protein and money to meet varying household needs which include food, medicine and schools fees. The rural smallholder poultry farmer is inundated with a variety of problems, many of which are linked to the inaccessibility of veterinary products and services. Companies which should reach these farmers with vital goods and services do not understand the needs of these farmers or how to reach them. The companies also underestimate the revenue potential which lays in targeting this farmer demographic. The exclusion of this market segment is demonstrated in the unavailability of suitable products (pack and bottle sizes), absence of rural delivery/distribution channels to rural communities, and the absence of veterinarians and other trained personnel to provide vaccination services to their poultry. Whereas diseases are the singular most important cause of poultry deaths in rural communities, Newcastle disease is known to have the most devastating effect on rural flock (chicken owners lose 50 – 100% of their flock annually) and on the economic capacity of rural households (Propcom Mai-karfi’s Household Assessment, 2013). According to a 2006 FAO report, Newcastle disease alone accounts for over 60% of all disease induced loses in Nigeria. There is a huge body of evidence establishing that the sustainable control of Newcastle disease is hinged on the commercialization of vaccine and vaccination services (Alders et al, 2010, Sonaiya, 2009), combined with appropriate distribution and extension service providers to farmers. Yet, rural distribution channels for vaccines and vaccinations in Nigeria remain underdeveloped. Veterinary shops are only found in urban or peri-urban areas or in poultry markets which are typically also only located in peri-urban areas. A key barrier to controlling Newcastle disease in rural poultry is that veterinary companies do not consider rural poultry farmers as a viable demographic for their goods and services, and as such suitable products are not available (in affordable pack sizes and thermo-tolerant to withstand being transported across distances to rural communities), rural delivery channels for veterinary products are absent, and veterinary service providers are almost non-existent.

Ogheneovo Ugbebor
18 Jul 2017
How do we bring economics into the humanitarian space?

The global wave of refugees and displaced persons presents an overwhelming challenge to agencies, NGOs and supporting services driven by conflicts and environmental crises. Traditional donor dependency and relief models look less and less sustainable in a world of economic downturns and donor fatigue. There has to be a new way forward backed by the private sector and civil society, where refugees become economic actors with rights, instead of helpless dependents.

Terry Lacey
14 Jun 2017
Financial market development in protracted crisis: Beyond the humanitarian response

Inclusive financial market development faces new and growing challenges, especially in fragility-affected regions and in protracted crisis.

Thea Anderson
06 Jun 2017
Market systems approaches and informal norms in the context of Bangladesh

In the context of Bangladesh, two of the most influential informal norms are family loyalty and social hierarchy, and these norms permeate many layers of social interaction and structure, including market systems and businesses.

Sabrina Haque
26 May 2017
Pros and cons of market systems approaches

The LEAD project has successfully used market systems development to bring increased incomes to more than 105,000 maize and poultry farmers in Tanzania. Reflecting on the project, there is much to say about the approach’s limitations and successes.

Kester Clark
24 May 2017
Bringing a behavioural, market-based approach to humanitarian response design and resilience thinking

There is a movement catalysing within the humanitarian community calling for increased consideration of local market systems when preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies. The movement is towards market-based programming.

Katie Whitehouse
12 May 2017
Market facilitation: play the game to see how good you are!

Test your market facilitation skills!

Daniela Martínez
09 May 2017
Understanding unpaid care work: women's empowerment beyond the paid economy

Market systems programmes are increasingly targeting women’s economic empowerment. However, approaches to support women to participate in paid work often assume that women’s time is elastic.

Mar Maestre
09 May 2017
Can markets include and benefit very marginalised people? Learning from Samriddhi

Can projects using a systemic approach (or market systems development) achieve inclusive changes for poor and disadvantaged women and men?

Zenebe Uraguchi
04 May 2017
Did we do that? Attribution in market systems change

A new paper aims to shed light on the current theoretical/academic and practitioner understanding of attribution and causality.

Mollie Liesner
18 Apr 2017
Working on women-led distribution networks: Katalyst's experience

Read how Katalyst partnered with a firm to design an intervention targeting women homestead farmers.

Faiza Alam
03 Apr 2017
Extracting valid information from farmers: Katalyst's experience

Tips on understanding the interviewee.

Nayeema Reza
03 Apr 2017
The art of partner management: Katalyst's experience

Working with private sector partners is not always easy...

Farah Iqbal
03 Apr 2017
From theory to practice in the market facilitation approach

Resources that refine and strengthen the ongoing effort to reduce poverty through market facilitation.

Joe Huxley
21 Mar 2017