IDE UK was founded in the dying days of the last century by a group of development professionals convinced that the market provided the key to addressing rural poverty. 

The founding board chair was Chris Underhill, at that time CEO of  ITDG/Practical Action and subsequently founder and current CEO of Basic Needs.

IDE UK employed its first staff member in 2003,  and has since supported programmes in 9 countries in Africa and Asia, working with approx. 90,000 poor farmers (equal to approx. 450,000 individuals), and is currently involved in programmes in Ethiopia, Myanmar and Vietnam, working with approx. 16,000 poor farmers. 

IDE UK’s mission is to create income opportunities for poor rural households by assisting them to substantially increase their production and access new markets, and therefore significantly raise their incomes and earn their way out of poverty in a sustainable manner, and by encouraging entrepreneurship, in particular by stimulating and supporting the use of affordable technologies and by supply chain establishment, improvement advice and support.

IDE UK shares the distinctive IDE family’s market-led approach. Given the increasing general awareness of issues of rural poverty, global food prices and supply, and environmental sustainability, coupled with the growing debate concerning the effectiveness and long term sustainability of initiatives funded by aid, the organization has a great opportunity to contribute to alleviating strategic global problems.

In order to build on the base of its achievements to date, and move forward to create income opportunities on a larger scale, the organization is building a stronger and more sustainable capacity. In particular, it is building a more robust, stable and engaged financial base, and evolving  its culture to engage more entrepreneurially with the changing 21^st century world.