The area covered by IDCCS is predominantly agricultural. It is mostly characterized by relatively low rainfall and poor soil fertility, except in Kisii highlands and some parts of Migori District. The unreliability of rainfall has had a negative impact on agriculture, and has lowered agricultural production and household food security.

The staple food crops in the area include maize, sorghum, millet, finger millet, sweet potatoes and cassava. The main cash crops are coffee, tea, sugarcane, pyrethrum, cotton, bananas and rice. Marketing constraints have greatly hampered the continued development of these crops and immensely affected the sustainability of agricultural programmes.

Most households in the region keep livestock to provide food, and to solve some of their socio – cultural issues. Cattle, poultry, sheep, goats, pigs and donkeys are reared since they play a significant role in supplementing food security.

Poor infrastructure, particularly inadequate water and sanitation facilities have contributed to the prevalence of many diseases. The most common diseases being cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, diarrhea, bilharzia, measles and HIV/AIDS. These diseases have contributed to the declining human productivity in all areas of IDCCS development programmes. The poor health of people rising from the diseases contributes to continued cycle of poverty. Subsequently, IDCCS has taken the challenge of facilitating the communities to work towards poverty alleviation.