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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 scale down 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
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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, Social Enterprise, WASH
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Announcing NextBillion’s Most Influential Articles of 2022: Vote for Your Favorite!
It's time for NextBillion's “Most Influential Article of the Year” contest, in which we select our 12 most-read articles from the past year and invite readers to choose their favorites. We welcome you to read the articles and to vote by scrolling down to the voting app at the bottom of this announcement — or at the individual articles in the contest, which are linked in this announcement and posted on our homepage. You can vote up to one time per hour during the voting period, which will run from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3. We wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year!
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Energy, Environment, Finance, Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Leaning into Resilience: Three Ways Small and Growing Agriculture Businesses Have Navigated Global Crises – And How Investors Can Support Them
COVID-19 and other recent crises have led many investors to pause disbursements to small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets, due to the increased risk. Camilla Nestor, Maria Raurell and Carolyn Han at MCE Social Capital explain why MCE did the opposite, supporting their investees' efforts to adapt to these challenges. They share three adaptations that successful SGBs in their portfolio had in common, and explore how these approaches are likely to be incorporated into agricultural SGB business models in the long term.
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- Agriculture, Investing
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The Warehouse Solution: Why Smart Storage is the Key to Africa’s Food Security
A chain of overlapping crises has raised urgent questions about the state of food security in Africa. This has led to a growing focus on boosting the region's agricultural productivity and strengthening intra-Africa trade. But according to Kamaldeen Raji at AFEX, storage has traditionally been a neglected aspect of these efforts – despite the fact that almost 40% of Africa's food perishes before it reaches consumers. He explores why improving storage infrastructure is an essential step in establishing true food security on the continent.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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From One Crisis to Another: Using Data from COVID to Meet the Looming Challenge of Food Insecurity
Due to a tragic combination of events, countries around the world are facing a widespread and serious food shortage, with the number of severely hungry people projected to swell to 323 million over the course of 2022. Scott Graham, Andree Simon and Anahit Tevosyan at FINCA share data – initially gathered to inform FINCA's COVID-19 response – that shows the impact of this crisis on low-income customers. They explore how financial inclusion organizations can adapt their support to help customers stave off the worst effects of the escalating food crisis.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Environment, Finance
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Fonio as a Cash Crop: How an Ancient Grain Can Provide a Solution for Food Security in West Africa – And a Model for Biodiverse Agriculture Around the World
Globally, most people rely on a handful of staple crops – namely, rice, corn and wheat – for sustenance. Pierre Thiam and Philip Teverow at Yolélé argue that, with the escalating risks of volatile geopolitics and climate change, this dependence makes humanity unacceptably vulnerable. They explain why the world must turn to biodiverse crops to achieve lasting food security in the face of these challenges, and explore the benefits of one such crop in particular: fonio, an ancient West African grain that can offer farmers not only subsistence, but a livelihood.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Finding Value in Food Losses and Byproducts: Why Circular Agribusiness is Key to Sustainable Food Security in Africa
Food waste and spoilage are major problems in Africa: For example, between 25% and 44% of mangoes are lost across the value chain in Kenya. Brenda Wangari at Village Capital and Patrick Guyer at Bopinc discuss an innovative solution to this challenge: circular agribusinesses that turn food waste and byproducts into affordable, nutritious foods and organic fertilizers. They explain how the O-Farms program, Africa’s first accelerator focusing entirely on circular agribusiness, is supporting these enterprises, and how this approach can help ensure food security on the continent.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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