Pathways out of Poverty: Applying Key Principles of the Value Chain Approach to Reach the Very Poor

This discussion paper provides guidance on how value chain and market development core principles can be adopted when working directly with the very poor. This paper is applicable to initiatives aiming to ‘reach down’ further and include the very poor in—or graduate the very poor more intentionally into—economic growth interventions, thereby creating a “pathway out of poverty.” Included are nine principles related to program design and analysis, and program implementation. The paper analyzes how differences between households with differing asset and income objectives might shape the application of key principles of the value chain approach to working with poorer populations.