Paper

Rural, Informal Micro-Entrepreneurs at the Heart of Community Resilience

Recommendations for decision makers on how to support rural agricultural livelihoods

The emergency briefing series looks at how the COVID-19 crisis is likely to affect different types of rural households in emerging markets and what the cascading effects may be on markets, food security, and national security. This briefing series seeks to be pragmatic and elevate the real experiences of smallholders and service providers who are most affected by ripple effects in the economy. The series builds on the 2019 Pathways to Prosperity report and provides tangible recommendations to critical decision makers on how rural agricultural livelihoods can be supported.

This brief looks at how the COVID-19 crisis will impact rural, informal micro-enterprises that are at the heart of community financial liquidity; often finance household expenses, such as school fees and healthcare costs; and are disproportionately run by women.