Overseas Development Institutes, also known as ODI, is the UK's leading independent organization on international development and humanitarian issues. "Our mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievment os sustainable livelihoods in developing countries. We do this by locking together high quality applied research, practical policy-focused dissemination and debate. We work with partners in the public and private sectors, in both developing and developed countries." (http://www.odi.org.uk/about). The ODI is in partnership with many other organizations, in the strive to fight poverty, such as OneWorld, EUFORIC, and Business Action for Africa, just to name a few. The link below provides its' viewers with a world history of how ODI came to development, the motives and intent's of ODI and how ODI strives to rid of poverty through policy changes, asking questions and finding answers.
The ODI foresees and undergoes numerous program's to pursue the fundamental and agricultural development of foreign countries. For example, the Agricultural Development and Policy program "works to promote understanding of transitions in food and agriculture, and appropriate policy responses. This is done with the aim of reducing hunger and poverty, and improving the sustainability of rural livelihoods in the face of increasing social, economic and physical shocks and stresses." (ODI). They also conduct, what they call, Flagship Projects. One project, the Africa Power and Policy Program works hand in hand with African politicians and leaders to develop a coherent political structure to enhance the development of Africa.
The Overseas Development Institute does much more than fight against poverty, as a whole, but it conducts extensive research in policy making, agricultural statistics and developmental consistencies and researches how such demographics can be altered to promote successful growth in areas of Growth, Poverty and Inequality.
Although economic growth has been witnessed in Africa, poverty is still at an all time high. The number of families, children and women without food, clothing or shelter is still at an alarming rate. The ODI focuses on eliminating these demographical statistics through the changing of inaccurate policies and the shifting of Africa's most influential power holders. "Poor statistics and poor data make for both poor policy interventions and poor developmental outcomes. But the paucity of accurate statistics in Africa is not merely a technical problem; it has a massive impact on the welfare of our citizens." (Development Initiatives, 2013).
