NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Latest

• Guest Articles

  Wednesday
  February 8
  2023

  Eva Valencia / Lennart Woltering / Frédéric Goulet

  Some Things Have to Die for Others to Live: Why Scaling Down is Just as Important as Scaling Up in the Transformation of Global Food Systems

  Multiple crises have exposed the fragility and inequity of global food systems. But according to Eva Valencia and Lennart Woltering at CIMMYT and Frédéric Goulet at CIRAD, strategies to transform the world's food systems typically focus on introducing or scaling up new innovations and programs, while failing to address the habits, mindsets and institutions that are perpetuating the problem. They explore a key example of this issue — the ongoing use of unsustainable farming practices like tilling — and discuss how farmers can move toward more sustainable "no-till" practices that protect soil health.

  Categories

  Agriculture

  Tags

  climate change, food security, global development, rural development, scale, SDGs, smallholder farmers, sustainable business

• Guest Articles

  Monday
  February 6
  2023

  Brigit Helms

  Taking Inspiration from Innovation: Key Insights from Eight Entrepreneurs Making an Impact in Emerging Markets

  Whether they're working to increase smallholder farmers’ profits, promote water or sanitation solutions, or address other key needs in emerging markets, social entrepreneurs tend to face common challenges. That's why they must learn from each other if they hope to flourish. Brigit Helms at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship shares insights from eight entrepreneurs in Miller Center’s Clean Water and Climate-Smart Agriculture program, who discuss their innovations, the challenges they’ve overcome and the lessons they’ve learned.

  Categories

  Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, WASH

  Tags

  innovation, sanitation, smallholder farmers, social enterprise, water

• Guest Articles

  Thursday
  February 2
  2023

  Ted Pantone

  Delivering on Mass Market Insurance in Africa: Debunking the Myth of Low Demand

  Africa’s insurance penetration rate in 2019 was only 2.78%, significantly lower than the global average — and insurance usage is concentrated among the urban elite, with minimal adoption among the people with the most risk of financial shocks. According to Ted Pantone at Turaco, there's a widespread belief in the industry that this lack of uptake means African customers don't see value in the benefits of insurance. But he argues that Turaco’s rapid growth in Africa is debunking that myth. He explores three aspects of the company's model that have enabled it to unlock African customers' latent demand for insurance.

  Categories

  Finance

  Tags

  digital finance, financial inclusion, insurance

• Guest Articles

  Monday
  January 30
  2023

  Paul Clyde / Ioan P. Cleaton-Jones

  Six Business Plan Pitfalls to Avoid When Approaching Funders: Lessons from Healthcare Enterprises in Emerging Markets

  Having a good business plan is a key part of building credibility with funders. But despite its importance to an enterprise’s success, many entrepreneurs in emerging markets struggle to develop a strong business plan that instills confidence among potential funders. Paul Clyde and Ioan Cleaton-Jones at the William Davidson Institute discuss six common business plan mistakes that can undermine an entrepreneur's prospects with funders, based on their work supporting the development of business plans for hundreds of healthcare enterprises in various emerging markets.

  Categories

  Entrepreneurship, Health Care, Investing

  Tags

  business development, business education