Business the Answer to World Poverty
Urban Ecology News. 2007.3.19
Private sector strategies can help reduce world poverty, says report.
The report, "The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid", released by the World Resource Institute and the International Finance Corporation, draws on income data from 110 countries, and expenditure data from 36 countries.
According to the report:
In regions with poorly developed markets, goods and services are often more expensive, of lower quality, or more difficult to access than in regions with developed markets.
Well supplied, competitive markets would help the four billion people earning less than $3,000 better meet their needs, and increase their productivity and income.
Sector markets for these four billion consumers include:
- water ($20 billion).
- information and communication technologies ($51 billion).
- health ($158 billion).
- transportation ($179 billion).
- housing ($332 billion).
- energy ($433 billion).
- food ($2,895 billion).
Links
The Next
4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid. World
Resources Institute
New
IFC Report Measures Underserved Markets. International Finance
Corporation