Connecting Poor Communities to Global Markets
Global Trade Integration: Connecting Poor Communities s a mission-driven research and policy center focused on inclusive development and market integration. We work from the premise that meaningful participation in international trade can play a critical role in reducing poverty and unemployment when supported by sound, evidence-based public policy. Despite the expansion of global markets, many poor and marginalized communities remain excluded from international trade, limiting their economic opportunities and long-term development prospects.
GTI seeks to support governments and institutions in addressing this challenge by producing empirical analysis and policy-relevant research. To do so, we rely on rigorous examination of international trade information, transforming complex and often underutilized global datasets into accessible insights. While governments and international organizations invest significant resources in collecting trade data, critical patterns and trends frequently remain hidden—particularly in countries with limited analytical capacity. GTI works to bridge this gap by uncovering trade dynamics that matter for development and translating them into practical policy guidance.
Our work is published openly and made freely available. We collaborate with universities, researchers, and policymakers, and complement the efforts of international organizations by focusing on empirical evidence, transparency, and accessibility. As a social enterprise, GTI is not driven by profit maximization. Our objective is to strengthen the ability of poor communities to connect to global markets through informed policy, credible research, and inclusive trade strategies.