Observation of these consequences has spurred a debate on the ethics of marketing in the development community, leading organisations such as British Overseas NGO Development (BOND) to argue that - while it is not necessary to stop showing realistic but graphic images of poverty - political and social context must be included to promote better understanding of the South. This debate has, in turn, motivated various efforts to reform marketing approaches, such as the conferences hosted by a coalition called the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) since 2001. The 2004 conference revealed that many NGOs are shifting their messaging to link fundraising with education and advocacy and to include the broader context of images.

The author elaborates on this strategy by explaining that NGOs should not only ask for donations, but should inform individuals about the connection between unfair trade laws, debt, and poverty - also encouraging them to get actively involved in lobbying to fight for justice rather than simply sending money.

A second core strategy for preventing development pornography, according to Goldfinger, is the development of codes that foster ethical practices, such as CCIC's Code of Ethics (which prescribes truth and accurate marketing to the public), or codes of conduct that NGOs must follow in their fundraising and advocacy tactics in order to receive government funds.