Understanding and reducing persistent poverty in Africa: Introduction to the special issueChristopher B. Barrett (Cornell University), Michael Carter (University of Wisconsin '¬" Madison) and Peter Little (Universityof Kentucky)The economics of poverty traps and persistent poverty: An asset based approachChristopher B. Barrett (Cornell University) and Michael Carter (University of Wisconsin '¬" Madison)'¬~Moving in Place': Drought and poverty dynamics in South Wollo, EthiopiaPeter D. Little (University of Kentucky), A. Peter Castro (Syracuse University), M. Priscilla Stone (Washington University)and Workneh Negatu (Addis Ababa University)Exploring Poverty Traps and Social Exclusion in South Africa Using Qualitative and Quantitative DataMichelle Adato (International Food Policy Research Institute), Michael Carter (University of Wisconsin) and Julian May(University of KwaZulu-Natal)Welfare dynamics in rural Kenya and MadagascarChristopher B. Barrett (Cornell University), Paswel Phiri Marenya (Cornell University), John McPeak (Syracuse University),Bart Minten (Cornell University), Festus Murithi (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute), Willis Oluoch-Kosura (Universityof Nairobi), Frank Place (World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya), Jean Claude Randrianarisoa (Cornell University), JhonRasambainarivo (National Center for Applied Research in Rural Development, Madagascar) and Justine Wangila (Universityof Nairobi)Persistent Poverty in North East GhanaAnn Whitehead (IDS, University of Sussex)Shocks and their consequences across and within households in rural ZimbabweJohn Hoddinott (International Food Policy Research Institute)Rural income and poverty in a time of radical change in MalawiPauline E. Peters (Harvard University)Escaping Poverty and Becoming Poor in 36 Villages in Central and Western UgandaAnirudh Krishna (Duke University), Daniel Lumonya (Makerere University), Milissa Markiewicz (Duke University),Firminus Mugunya (Makerere University), Agatha Kafuko (Makerere Univeristy), Jonah Wegoye.