msd consulting aims at the dissemination of experiences how the private sector can contribute to poverty reduction. It is a small company created by Urs Heierli in 2003. It provides consulting services, executes projects and supports market approaches to development with publications and learning events.
The basic philosophy of msd consulting derives from the study: “Poverty Alleviation as a Business”, published in the year 2000. It is documenting 6 successful case studies of development co-operation.
These six cases have all in common that they are driven by private initiative: profitable private supply chains have emerged and the private initiative was thus rewarded to deliver goods and services to other poor people. In other words, poor private entrepreneurs managed to make a living by fighting against poverty. Profitable businesses were created to deliver 100 millions of tree saplings per year, over 2 million treadle pumps, several million latrines, half a million grain storage silos, millions of affordable roof tiles and ten thousands of rope pumps.
From 2003 to 2008 a new series of case studies were elaborated. They are now published electronically and as hard copies and describe market approaches to development. Please visit the website : www.poverty.ch )