Abhijit Banerjee is an economist from Calcutta, and he's calling for a new form of development aid. He used the kind of randomized testing known from medical research, and the results cast doubt on some of the conventional wisdom of fighting poverty. It seems the desire for consumer goods can sometimes outweigh considerations about physical health and adequate food supplies.
More Global 3000: http://www.dw.de/program/global-3000/s-11487-9798
