Inclusive Economies

Our work explores what characterises inclusive economies and how these can be achieved, particularly in a world where new technologies, rural to urban migration, and growing youth populations are disrupting and putting new pressures on people’s lives and livelihoods.

Our research looks at the impacts of business and markets on development and inequality and explores the potential for novel market-based solutions to work for the poorest and most marginalised based on gender, ethnicity and disability.  It explores alternatives that enable workers, consumers and communities to have a real voice.

It continues to revitalise debates on agriculture as a key pathway out of poverty and towards inclusion, particularly for young people. Our work is focused on identifying what opportunities exist in a period of agricultural commercialisation and rural transformation and how far different groups are able to access them.  It also understands how new technologies such as drones or blockchains pose risks, but can also be harnessed to improve the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people.  In a rapidly urbanising world where cities have become focal points for economic growth, jobs and innovation but also for poverty, inequality, vulnerability and conflict, our work explores what this means for both urban and rural people, and the opportunities and challenges they face in living safe and fulfilling lives.

People

Jodie Thorpe

Research Fellow

Philip Mader

Research Fellow

Richard Jolly

Research Associate

Ana Pueyo

Research Fellow

Carlos Fortin

Research Associate

Rachel Sabates-Wheeler

Research Fellow

Keetie Roelen

IDS Honorary Associate

Giel Ton

Research Fellow

Programmes and centres

Projects

Recent work

Filter results by

Showing 373–384 of 14836 results

Opinion

Are we in the age of the polycrisis?

Last week, as part of the Global Challenges Research Fund Islands of Innovation in Protracted Crises project, a workshop organised by Professor Jeremy Allouche, Dr. Shilpi Srivastava and Dr. Megan Schmidt-Sane brought together philosophers, sociologists, political scientists, political...

31 October 2023

Working Paper

Trust and Compliance with Covid-19 Measures among Nigerian Households

IDS Working Paper 595

This paper probes the relationship between sources of Covid-19 information and adherence to preventive measures in Nigeria, a context characterised by fake news, hate speech, and other forms of disinformation. While this relationship in Nigeria is relatively well studied, little discrete...

30 October 2023

Working Paper

Is Transparency Enough? An Examination of the Effect of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) on Accountability, Corruption and Trust in Zambia

ICTD Working Paper 175

The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) is the leading global transparency standard for the extractive industry. It aims to improve governance standards in the extractive industry by providing a public platform for information sharing and multi-stakeholder dialogue. However, the...

30 October 2023

Opinion

On the move: transporting agricultural goods in Zimbabwe

As production and marketing has increased from the new resettlement farms, the demand for transport has grown. The earlier blog series highlighted the importance of transport operators as part of the expanding ‘hidden middle’. Transporters facilitate value chains of all sorts, transporting...

29 October 2023

Opinion

What Might Uncertainty Teach Me?

There is a growing recognition of the importance of teaching students about sustainability issues. But given the many uncertainties and unknowns, what kinds of learning approaches are appropriate? In partnership with a leading school-wide initiative in Brighton and Hove, Our City Our World, the...

Rebecca Webb
Rebecca Webb & 2 others

27 October 2023

Opinion

Lessons from Indonesia: Rampant Corruption in Village Governance

Corruption is defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. In terms of village corruption, the perpetrators generally engage in corrupt practises to enrich themselves, their social groups, or to fund village head elections. In this blog, IDS alum Egi Primayogha investigates...

Egi Primayogha, IDS alum

26 October 2023

Working Paper

A Literature Review on Social Assistance and Capacity in Yemen

BASIC Research Working Paper 20

Yemen is experiencing one of the worst crises in the world in terms of levels of suffering and humanitarian need. Intense civil war since 2014 has devastated the national economy, and approximately two-thirds of the population (21.6 million people) were assessed as being in need of humanitarian...

25 October 2023

Past Event

Exhibition: Uncertain worlds

Seven stories about living with uncertainty What are you uncertain about? If you can’t control or predict the future, how can you prepare for it? Uncertainty can be scary, but can it also be a source of hope or opportunity? In this exhibition, visitors are invited to explore seven...

From 25 October 2023 until 29 October 2023

Why learn with us.

In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).