International Development Enterprises (IDE) is a non-profit development organization dedicated to helping the poor invest their way out of poverty. Our projects are market driven, stimulating change by creating a demand for ideas and technologies – including irrigation, drinking water supply, improved health practices, and post-harvest processing – that have positive developmental impacts.



Small and micro enterprises provide these products and services, which create wealth and improve living standards, to the rural poor. The enterprises are for-profit, and continue to sell their services once IDE's assistance is withdrawn. Using this approach, IDE has created wealth among millions of poor farmers by encouraging their investment in income generating products and services. In 1998, for every $1 in donor support to IDE worldwide, poor farmers invested $8, and generated a net return of $21.



Since beginning work in Vietnam in 1991, IDE has improved incomes and health for tens of thousands of rural families in 15 provinces and built vibrant networks of hundreds of enterprises that continue to expand and provide products and services for the benefit of the rural poor.