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Economic Development
The Situation
 According to the United Nations Development Programme’s most recent Human Development Index, Sudan ranks 147th out of 177 countries based on its high rates of poverty, malnutrition, and the prevalence of violence within its borders. Although the economic outlook for Sudan looks positive in terms of its high growth rate (around 13% for Khartoum in 2007, one of the highest rates in Africa), most of this wealth reflects increased oil prices and has not delivered wealth to any but a few urban elites. The majority of the population still attempts to eke out a living from subsistence farming. Millions of Sudanese do not have the ability to generate a stable and sufficient income to meet their basic human needs. Even where there are economic opportunities, many people lack the training or capital to make this a reality.
FAR’s Approach
Economic stability is crucial for long term peace in Sudan. FAR assists rural communities to realize their full economic potential. Access to seeds, tools, and improved farming methods increase farm production creating the opportunity for income generation. FAR works to develop market linkages and encourages farmers to further process their goods for trade. FAR also has a number of grants and loans available for income generation projects; these are designed to provide much needed capital to promote small business development and basic services. Communities manage their own loan repayments very reliably. The loans have also been enormously successful in consolidating local governance structures.
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