GDI-Incubated RAF Learning Lab and ISF Advisors Publish COVID-19 Emergency Briefing Series

COVID-19 is an extreme shock that is unprecedented in its impact on national, regional, and global markets. The focus of response efforts in developing countries have been on densely populated urban centers, but the majority of people in these countries live in rural areas.

The Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab and ISF Advisors, both incubated by GDI, believe there is a pressing need to focus on the pending effects of the crisis on the rural poor, as this pandemic poses an imminent threat to rural livelihoods, agricultural trade, and food security. 

The COVID-19 Emergency Briefing Series will look deeply into how this crisis is likely to affect rural households, and the cascading effects that could follow on markets, food security, and national security. The series will be pragmatic, elevating the real experiences of smallholders and service providers on the front lines of the crisis while providing recommendations to critical decision makers.

New briefings will be published regularly over the coming weeks, following the dynamic progression of the pandemic.