This research program contrasts with previous IFPRI research by using a long-term perspective to address the reduction of poverty. The program seeks to understand what causes individual and household welfare to change over time with particular attention paid to the role of specific interventions, shocks, and broader programmatic and policy changes. Thus, this research program focuses on in-depth field work in seven countries: Guatemala, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Bangladesh, and The Philippines. The core activities within these countries are collecting and analyzing longitudinal individual and household data.