IDE - International Development Enterprises (HQ)

iDE is an international consortium of non-profit organizations dedicated to creating an enabling environment for poor rural households to participate effectively as micro-entrepreneurs in higher value rural market systems, enabling them to increase their income and begin an upward spiral out of poverty. 

iDE works to help poor rural farmers increase their agriculture productivity because nearly three-quarters of the people living in extreme poverty earn their living from small farms. To create these income and livelihood opportunities, iDE focuses on innovation, whether it is through products, services, business models or delivery approaches. iDE is a leader in the development of innovative products and services that can be distributed through the marketplace in order to deliver dramatic income and livelihood impacts. iDE is a firm believer in the power of the market and the importance of its integration into development efforts. Due to the market distorting effects of subsidies and give-aways, iDE requires all technologies to be purchased by its smallholder clients. iDE uses grant money to fund research & development for new products and implement rural marketing activities to create demand. Additionally, iDE provides training to improve horticulture and business practices and establishes linkages with high-value markets in rural areas. The organization measures its success in terms of the average income gain per household (impact), the number of farmers we reach (scale) and the total additional farmer income generated per dollar spent across iDE (cost effectiveness). For every $1 invested in our projects, iDE customers generate approximately $10 in additional household income, a cost effectiveness ratio of 10:1.