The story of MSD: achieving sustainable development at scale

Twelve MSD case studies from four continents. The purpose of this publication is to communicate the results, versatility and implications of the MSD approach to a wide audience with a minimum of jargon.

Practical experience in the last fifteen years shows that by harnessing the energy, resources and skills of the private sector, the market systems development (MSD) approach can contribute to sustained poverty reduction at scale.

The twelve cases highlighted here demonstrate that the MSD approach can be excellent value for money, with the economic benefits greatly surpassing the cost of initial investments. They also show that by changing prevalent business models and pioneering new ones, the MSD approach can achieve lasting, transformational improvements to how markets work for people living in poverty.

The twelve case studies featured in this report are:
Katalyst, Bangladesh - Making last mile seed distribution work for small farmers
PrOpCom, Nigeria - Buying down risk to unlock the tractor rental market
ALCP, Georgia - Building veterinary infrastructure in a post-Soviet economy
ÉLAN, RDC - Bringing light to the Democratic Republic of Congo
MDF, Pakistan - Building a silage market from the bottom up
M4C, Bangladesh - Integrating extremely poor and isolated island maize farmers
ECF, Vanuatu - Supporting smallholder farmers in thin Pacific markets
FSD-Z, Zambia - Where no bank ventures: expanding financial services in rural areas
PSP4H, Kenya - Commercial healthcare networks for those who cannot pay
DEEPEN, Nigeria - Investing in low-cost private education in Lagos
MDF, Pakistan - Localising skills and services for a competitive leather industry
Road to Jobs, Afghanistan - Promoting good agri-practices in the aftermath of conflict