PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 Understanding market opportunities An enterprise approach to livelihood strategies

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 Understanding market opportunities An enterprise approach to livelihood strategies Andy Jeans Introduction of community members in assessment and prioritisation of their livelihood needs (e.g. for health, water, transport, food, income). This So-called `resource-poor' people are often has often led to the participatory development very resourceful at securing their livelihoods from a range of activities such as farming, of plans to meet those felt needs - plans which fishing or other forms of small enterprise. usually involve inputs from a range of actors While many of such economic activities are including the intervening agency and the traditional ones within their communities, the community members themselves. changing world around them presents a variety This theme of this issue of PLA Notes is of threats and opportunities to their effective understanding market opportunities. These continuation. methodologies are quite new in the field of Changes occur in a number of ways: participatory learning and development, although there are many connections with the · small enterprise development activities of in the availability and/or price of resources assistance agencies, which have explored this and inputs - such as land, fish stocks, area more. The novelty arises in part from the ...