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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.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
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The Power of Trust in Digital Finance: How to Leverage Trusted Technology to Maximize Inclusion and Impact
Trust can be a significant barrier to engagement in digital financial services among low-income users. According to William Derban at Opportunity International, that means providers must often take measures to address this trust deficit when developing digital services that target these customers — particularly women. He discusses Opportunity International's new Trusted Tech Microfinance Initiative, and shares six ways the initiative is working to build clients’ trust in the technologies Opportunity and its microfinance partners are using.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
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The Global Development Sector Is Focused On Gender-Based Violence: Investors Should Be Too
In September, the U.N. adopted a resolution condemning all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), reflecting a growing recognition of the profound consequences of this global problem. But as Josh Dobiac at Milliman Financial Risk Management and Alana Kolundzija at Collective Impact argue, global development organizations aren't the only ones who should play a role in addressing GBV. They explore how investment decisions can impact GBV, and make the case for tackling this issue through socially responsible investing.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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The Urgent Need to Address Climate Impacts on MSMEs: Recommendations for Designing Right-Fit Tools and Solutions
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) provide a critical link to goods and services while generating income for millions of households around the world. But as Bethany Kanten at Mercy Corps Ventures points out, these businesses remain underserved in several areas that are limiting their resilience to key challenges – including climate change. She shares new research based on interviews with hundreds of MSMEs in Africa, which reveals the opportunity for innovators, investors and funders to positively impact these enterprises with climate solutions.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, Telecommunications
- Tags
- climate change, innovation, MSMEs, research, startups
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Seven Keys to Successful Business Mentorship Programs: How Entrepreneur Support Organizations Can Maximize Their Impact
Building a business can be exciting and rewarding, but it also requires personal sacrifices that can put both an entrepreneur's well-being and their enterprise’s success in jeopardy. As Amy Gillett and Kristin Babbie Kelterborn at the William Davidson Institute explain, mentors can play a key role in helping entrepreneurs deal with these unique difficulties. They share seven insights that can help entrepreneur support organizations like accelerators, incubators and investment companies implement successful business mentorship programs.
- Categories
- Education
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A Hidden Driver of Financial Inclusion: Why Enabling Regulation is Essential to Fintech Success in Emerging Markets
Fintech innovation is jumpstarting financial inclusion around the world, driven in part by enabling regulation which allows providers to experiment with new approaches. But as Monica Brand Engel, Ganesh Rengaswamy and Jonathan Whittle at Quona Capital explain, it can be difficult for regulators to simultaneously fuel innovation, adapt to new technologies and government mandates, and protect customers. They explore what the fintech sector can learn from successful regulatory approaches in countries like Brazil and India.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
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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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Can Access to Smartphones Bridge the Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Research shows that mobile phones can be a useful tool in the fight against poverty, increasing both household income and consumption. But according to Amani M’Bale at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Graham A.N. Wright at MicroSave (MSC), to reach that potential, it’s important that these phones are able to bridge the digital divide, becoming accessible to, and used by, the underserved people they can benefit the most. They share several factors that can increase — or limit — the usage of smartphones and other mobile devices in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
