Productivity to Reduce Poverty: Study of a Micro-Level Institution in Peru

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Abstract

This article examines the relationship between institutions, productivity, and poverty reduction through a case study of a comedor popular (communal kitchen) in Lima, Peru. Drawing on the World Bank’s poverty reduction literature and community-based organization theory, it argues that micro-level institutions can raise the productivity of poor women in ways consistent with both the voices of the poor and broader economic growth objectives. The study documents the specific mechanisms through which the comedor increases members’ productive capacity and time available for income-generating activities, offering an alternative model of productivity-based poverty reduction.

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