Private Sector Development

At the heart of IDE’s approach is the development of private sector networks to fuel economic activity and sustainable growth. IDE builds the capacity of the local private sector to provide scaleable investment opportunities, advice, and services for poor farm families. These businesses generally already exist; IDE helps them introduce additional product lines or services based on poor farmers’ needs. IDE also creates linkages among enterprises from the manufacturer to retailer level. Private sector capacity building activities target a range of enterprises of all sizes, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and service providers.

As the market matures, the private sector enterprises develop a sustainable and expanding consumer base they can respond to on their own. IDE gradually phases out its support and leaves in place a private sector system buying and selling products to and from rural families. The system is not static; new innovations and new information reach rural people through an adapting, growing private sector.