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

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Past Event

Pathways to Equitable Food Systems

The launch of Pathways to Equitable Food Systems, a new report by IDS. The report examines the extent to which power imbalances have resulted in certain groups being disadvantaged by unjust and inequitable food systems, based on evidence from the past 10 years on topics such as corporate...

27 June 2023

Brief

Key Considerations: Humanitarian Response to the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake in Syria

On 6 February 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale brought destruction to southern Türkiye and northern Syria. The official death toll exceeded 50,000, with more than 7,000 fatalities occurring in Syria.1 An estimated 12 million people were affected by the earthquake...

26 June 2023

Opinion

Migrant pastoralists: a success story from Sardinia

Pastoralism represents a primary source of livelihood in Sardinia. Traditional pastoral practices which made effective use of local territories have smartly integrated into international policy frames and global market networks. The Pecorino Romano is today one of the most...

26 June 2023

Report

Pathways to Equitable Food Systems

IDS Report

Globally, our food systems are highly inequitable. In a world with enough food, hunger is becoming normalised for large numbers of people, while diets are worsening and obesity is rising. Racialised minorities are more at risk from obesity than other groups; indigenous communities have...

Lídia Cabral
Lídia Cabral & 4 others

26 June 2023

Past Event

Aid and the transnational extraction of care

This talk draws from an ethnographic study of the intersection of the international development industry and domestic labour, drawing attention to the mismatched rewards and opportunities the industry brings to its practitioners and supposed “beneficiaries”. Expatriate aid workers in...

26 June 2023

Opinion

Same goals, different hurdles: Understanding knowledge translation in the Global South

Interviews with those working on knowledge translation in the Global South reveal similarities and differences from the Global North. Here we consider the specific challenges and how collaborative research can lead to improved practice everywhere. Incorporating evidence from research into the...

21 June 2023

Brief

Learning from ODF Districts in Mozambique

SLH Learning Paper;15

Mozambique has committed to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation by 2030. Much progress is still needed, with recent data indicating that 36 per cent of the population (11.6...

20 June 2023

News

World Refugee Day and the Architecture of Displacement

Today (20 June) marks World Refugee Day, an opportunity to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution, and honour refugees around the globe. More than one per cent of the global population (84 million people),...

20 June 2023

Publication

Fostering Gender Diversity and Inclusiveness in Street Vendor Associations in India

Stories of Change

This project, led by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), focuses on the effects of the socioeconomic crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic on informal women workers in India, particularly street vendors in the context of shrinking state support and gaps in access to social...

Aditi Vyas & 3 others

20 June 2023

Student Opinion

Top five tips for applying to do a Master’s at IDS

In this blog post, Head of Teaching Julia Brown shares her top tips for making a successful application, and what you should avoid when applying to study a master’s at IDS: Be specific about the course you are applying for Your personal statement is critical to your application – a good...

19 June 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).