Abstract:
In spite of the early success of Verghese Kurien in building pro-poor
dairy value chains in India during the 1940s, this strategy for strengthening
rural livelihoods remained largely under-utilised until recently.
During the past two decades, several social entrepreneurs/developmental
agencies have successfully carried out pro-poor value chain interventions
(PVCIs) in a wide range of sub-sectors. The article examines the
strategies deployed in six such PVCIs, culminating in the development
of a typology of strategies. The typology includes strategies for working
with existing value chains (reviving, reconstructing, leveraging) as well
as for creating new value chains (linking distant consumers and marginal
producers through fair-trade channels, creating networks of decentralised
value chains). The typology is suggestive of what works best under
different situations. Also included is a discussion on building appropriate
social capital for PVCIs, which is critical for the success and sustainability
of such interventions.
