Introducing ...

Introducing Livelihoods at IICD

A livelihood comprises people, their capabilities and their means of living, including food, income and assets. Tangible assets are resources and stores, and intangible assets are claims and access. (Chambers and Conway, 1991)

Livelihoods projects explore the potential of ICTs to provide business opportunities and to improve individual economic standards. Livelihood projects often focus on agriculture or eBusiness. The Thematic Network on Livelihoods gains importance and value incrementally as IICD reaches critical mass in the number of Livelihoods partners. Exchanges between partners, interventions from enabling partners, workshops, e-discussions and publications - these are some examples of the activities taking place towards sharing knowledge and experiences on Livelihoods.

Agriculture
Farmers who understand market trends and market opportunities are better empowered to make the right choices. They need to know what to grow, when to grow, when and where to sell and at what price. Also having access to information which determines the context within which they operate, such as relevant government policies, has a large influence on their day-to-day labour and fruits of their labour. Besides this, having access to improved knowledge of appropriate technologies can be particularly useful.

eBusiness
ICTs provide specific opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They can enable them to boost productivity, tap into international markets, and offer better service to their customers.