Market-Driven Economic Programming

Local people make up markets and market systems in the developing countries and regions where Mercy Corps works. The markets may not function very well, may not resemble the market systems in other places and have likely been impacted by the crisis Mercy Corps is responding to. But any time there is a good or service for sale and someone to buy it, a market exists. The traditional markets in any place are what local residents feel comfortable working in and associating with. Restoring those markets is a key step in helping local economies and cultures recover from a crisis. Restoring markets

• creates sustainable jobs,
• makes goods and services available permanently,
• increases the circulation of money,
• stabilizes the economy,
• reduces the overall dependence on external aid and international
  actors, and
• empowers people to be agents of their own recovery.

One of the difficulties of a conflict or emergency is that the situation often creates opportunities for external business interests to enter a market and benefit at the expense of local businesses. By implementing market-driven programs, organizations like Mercy Corps can ensure that the local poor are able to participate in the market recovery and that the markets remain more equitable in the future.