This event has been arranged to coincide with the launch of our major new book ‘Markets and Rural Poverty’. The book summarises primary and secondary evidence gathered from our research on the place of poor people within a rich variety of value chains, focusing upon lagging, rural regions in Africa and Asia, and how they can ‘upgrade’ within such chains. Upgrading is a key concept for value chain analysis and refers to the acquisition of technological capabilities and market linkages that enable firms to improve their competitiveness and move into higher-value activities. 
 
The debate will focus upon three broad issues addressed in the book:

• What works and what does not in value (supply) chain development?
• What is the business case for upgrading in value chains based in the South?
• How do we measure the success of upgrading initiatives in terms of return on public and private investments?