Poverty has diminished more worldwide in the past 50 years than in the previous 50 centuries. In many parts of the world, however, the proportion of people who are too poor to afford enough food regularly is no less–and in some cases more–in 1997 than in 1947.
This book explores successful efforts to alleviate poverty, and asks whether any of the features of these policies or projects can be imported into environments where poverty has not yet declined significantly. The book observes that in almost every country or region, some projects or policies have succeeded; a few successful schemes appear to be replicable; and even where projects and policies are generally deemed to be failures, there are areas of success.