There are five crucial things the scientific community cannot ignore today include. Chronic food insecurity with recent food crisis, shortages & price hikes being poverty indicators. The high levels of vulnerability alongside deep-seated poverty and inequality contributing to poor communities. There is a global financial crisis leading to limiting options or completely depleted assets. There is a growing heightening global insecurity and conflict.  There is also a change in global leadership. The one commonality each of these five domains contain however involve a political dimension.

This presentation is based on AMA Innovation Lab projects for the Poverty Traps Conference. This conference is a gathering point for USAID and other development assistant agencies to connect the poor to economic growth.

This presentation was presented by Charles Lwanga-Ntale from the Development Research, Training and Chronic Poverty Research Center on February 26, 2009 at Washington, DC.