SNV calls for Dramatic Investment in Local Capacity to meet the MDGs (17 November 2008)

Strasbourg, 17/11/08: SNV Netherlands Development Organisation called today for rapid and sustained investment in creating local capacity for communities in developing countries to lift themselves out of poverty.

“Achieving the MDGs will take massive investment in the capacity of local communities to alleviate poverty and create jobs“ said SNV director, Dirk Elsen. “We need new ways and strong partnerships to scale these local solutions into global achievements.”

Programmes running around the world have proven that local solutions to poverty alleviation exist today. In Nepal, SNV initiated a household biogas programme, enabling families to recycle animal waste into renewable energy for cooking and lighting in their own homes. The lessons learned in Nepal have been used to give 1.5 million people in Asia renewable energy through commercially viable biogas programmes. With the lessons learned from Asia, the biogas programme is now being rolled out to a number of countries in Africa, including Rwanda, Ethiopia and Senegal.

“The MDGs won't be met in Strasbourg, Geneva or New York, they will be met in communities on the ground in Africa, Asia and Latin America” said Angélique Kidjo, Grammy-nominated singer and anti-poverty activist. “People living in poor communities hold the key, we must invest in their ability to help each other if we are to change the world.”

There is no greater force to alleviate poverty than economic development. The premise of strengthening local capacity to achieve inclusive economic growth has been proven in settings as diverse as Mozambique, Vietnam and Albania. With a new generation of political and economic leaders committed to equitable growth, developing countries have better possibilities than ever before to achieve lasting improvements in the lives and livelihoods of their citizens.

“The European Commission is committed to the idea that economic growth is one of the best ways to alleviate poverty” said Stefano Manservisi, the European Commission’s Director-General for development and relations with Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific States, “We have to invest in the capacity of local communities in developing countries to support themselves.”

SNV has been working to bring together small-scale entrepreneurs and large firms in an “Inclusive Business” model, which has been developed in alliance with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. In Ecuador, SNV has worked with a large dairy producer to help small farmers double their milk production per cow, increase quality and increase each farmers daily income from 1 USD to 3 USD per day. So far, SNV has initiated more than 70 "Inclusive Business" ventures that together benefit more than 500,000 low-income families.

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SNV is a Netherlands-based international impact driven development agency. SNV aims to alleviate poverty by providing advisory services to local organisations. In line with the Millennium Development Goals, SNV focuses on raising income and employment levels and on increasing access to high quality basic services.

With a global network of over 800 advisors, working in 32 countries, SNV serves 2,500 clients in the public, private and citizens sector. SNV is about connecting people’s capacities.

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