Most low- and middle-income countries have many small but only a few medium-sized and large enterprises. Small firms seem to have difficulties growing into medium-sized ones. This is problematic because medium-sized companies tend to be the main creators of higher quality and better-paid...

In low and middle-income countries micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) constitute a large part of the industrial fabric. By offering possibilities to gain income, training and work experience MSMEs are said to provide livelihoods to millions of people worldwide. However, across developed...

In developing countries, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) comprise the largest part of the industrial fabric – offering millions of people worldwide the chance to be employed and earn livelihoods. However, empirical evidence suggests that a large majority of MSEs never manage to upgrade...

How and to what extent can deep preferential trade agreements (PTAs) support the upgrading of companies from developing countries within global value chains (GVCs)? This question is of increasing importance, as PTAs have become the trade instrument of choice of major trading powers, and their...

The cotton sector in different countries of sub-Saharan Africa shows different organisational models, ranging from atomistic competition to monopolistic structures. Each model differs in its type of service provision and purchase agreements offered to smallholder farmers, who are the main...

Le coton est l’une des cultures de rente les plus importantes en Afrique subsaharienne où il est presque exclusivement cultivé par de petits exploitants agricoles. On y dénombre environ 1,7 million de cotonculteurs, qui plantent du coton en rotation avec des cultures vivrières. La plupart...

Within the private sectors of low- and middle-income countries exists a significant productivity gap between a small number of highly productive large- and medium-sized enterprises and a large number of uncompetitive micro and small enterprises in backward industries. In fact, often the size...

Many low- and middle-income countries suffer from a lack of medium-sized companies, which tend to be the main creators of higher-income employment as well as the motors of innovation and economic diversification. The chief reason is that few micro and small enterprises are able to upgrade, that...

The World Development Report 2013 on ‘Jobs’ estimates that, in the coming years, hundreds of millions of new jobs need to be created to keep up with demographic changes and population growth in low and middle income countries (LMICs). This will even be necessary to keep unemployment and...

The diffusion of supermarkets in developing countries has profound implications – not only for existing retail stores and informal vendors but also for millions of producers and intermediary traders in the respective supply chains, and for consumers in these countries. Overall, societies are...