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How India Can Transform Its Fertilizer Subsidy Program
India is the second-largest user of fertilizer in the world, after China. It offers subsidies on fertilizers to make them affordable to the country's 150 million farmers – and ultimately, to ensure food security. But as Ritesh Rautela and Anurodh Giri at MSC point out, an estimated 65% of this fertilizer does not reach the intended beneficiaries – and the system has faced leakages and uneven usage among recipients. They propose a tech-fueled solution that could benefit both farmers and the Indian government.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Addressing the Weak Link in COVID-19 Relief: How Improving Strategic Communications Can Boost the Impact of Social Protection Programs
In response to COVID-19, 212 countries have planned or implemented more than 1,100 social protection programs to help over 1.8 billion people. But as Arshi Aadil and Abhishek Jain at MicroSave (MSC) point out, many intended recipients don’t know about the benefits they're eligible for, or how to access these funds. They explore how governments and program administrators can improve their communication and outreach.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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COVID-19: Burden or Boon for Financial Inclusion?
When the Alliance for Financial Inclusion outlined its “Five Key Financial Inclusion Policy Trends for 2020” on January 17 of this year, the spread of the novel coronavirus was still in its infancy. Now that COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the global economy, Robin Newnham at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion revisits those trends, viewing them through the prism of the pandemic – and finding both new risks, and new opportunities.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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A New Mission for an Old Model: Unlocking Sustainable Water Through Savings Groups
To achieve universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030, the world will need to quadruple spending to $150 billion per year. Given this financing gap, every investment in clean water counts. Yet according to Chris Prottas at The Water Trust, an estimated one out of three rural water points are broken across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the traditional community-led maintenance approach isn't working. He explores a promising solution: adapting the savings group model to provide sustainable water access.
- Tags
- financial inclusion, sanitation, savings, WASH, water
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A New Status Quo for Workers: Shaping A Good Jobs Recovery from COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic wiped out 30 million jobs in the U.S. in the first four months, and an estimated 120 million jobs in India. As the U.S. celebrates Labor Day, Bulbul Gupta at Pacific Community Ventures and Sachi Shenoy at Upaya Social Ventures argue that recovery from this crisis will require more than a return to the pre-COVID status quo. It will require impact investors, business leaders, governments and others to create "the kinds of jobs that uplift their communities to a better tomorrow."
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Investing
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The Network Effect: How Enterprise Support Organizations are Coming Together to Help Youth-Led Businesses Survive COVID-19
The economic fallout of COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on micro, small and medium enterprises, and youth-led businesses are particularly vulnerable. But as Anita Tiessen at Youth Business International explains, the crisis also presents opportunities for these enterprises. She discusses some key ways to help young entrepreneurs emerge stronger from the pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship
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Tackling the COVID-19 Hunger Crisis in Africa: How Digital Networks Can Empower Small Farmers and Avert a Looming Disaster
COVID-19 is bringing even wealthy nations to their knees, but it’s dealing the deadliest blow to the world’s most vulnerable people – including smallholder farmers in Africa. And as Leesa Shrader at Mercy Corps points out, this is rapidly turning a health crisis into a hunger crisis. She explores how tech-powered solutions can help them survive the pandemic and build resilience for the future.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
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The Power of Local Women: An Innovative Social Capital Model Addresses Rural Financial Inclusion in India During COVID-19
To reduce the economic impact of COVID-19, the Indian government has transferred money into women’s bank accounts. But as Prabhat Labh at Grameen Foundation India and Sourajit Aiyer at South Asia Fast Track Sustainability Communications point out, the rural population often struggles to access those funds. They explore how the Grameen Mitra model leverages a network of village-based women to get cash transfers to where they're needed most.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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