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How a Profit Focus is Expanding Water Access: Xylem sought to ‘upend’ the tradition business model, aiming for the BoP
When water technology company Xylem started manufacturing simple pumps for smallholder farmers, it wasn’t for charity, the company expected to profit. Its new Essence of Life line caters to the everyday water needs of farmers with small plots of land, among some of the world’s poorest customers. Like any of its customers, Xylem expects these farmers to pay for the right product at the right price.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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NexThought Monday: A strategic approach to scaling impact
By 2017, agriculture-focused TechnoServe aims to double its 2012 impact to directly benefit at least one million families a year and create cumulative financial benefits of more than $500 million for program participants. TechnoServe’s Simon Winter explains how, and provides insights on what other market-focused NGOs can do to increase their impact.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Tags
- scale
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Introducing the Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance: The group’s seven social lenders collectively lent $360M in 2013
Root Capital and six other social lenders recently announced the launch of the Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF), an industry alliance committed to promoting the development of the smallholder agricultural financial market. The $360 million collectively disbursed by the seven CSAF members in 2013 is just a drop in the bucket relative to the vast unmet need, but we’re optimistic that it’s the start of something much larger.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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What It Will Take to Feed the 842 Million Chronically Hungry People Worldwide?: (Hint: It’s not just about growing more food)
Alleviating poverty isn’t just handing out food - it’s tackling the barriers to market channels of food to those who aren’t receiving it. An interview with Cathy Bergman, deputy director of the Food Health and Nutrition Technical Support Unit at Mercy Corps.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
- Tags
- nutrition
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Fake seeds force Ugandan farmers to resort to ‘bronze age’ agriculture
Gangs selling counterfeit high yield seeds are trapping farmers in a cycle of poverty as crops fail.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Tags
- supply chains
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Indigenous leaders empowering communities through social enterprise
Initiatives such as a healing centre in the Amazon forest are helping indigenous groups protect and manage their own land.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Weekly Roundup – The Indispensable Platform: The growing importance of mobile access to businesses that serve the poor
With over 50 percent of people in the developing world having access to a cell phone, mobile access has become an indispensable platform for businesses and services focused on the BoP. We discuss its impact and potential in this week’s Roundup.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Impact Assessment, Technology, Telecommunications
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PRESS RELEASE: Social Lenders Join Forces to Develop Industry Standards, Best Practices for Smallholder Agricultural Finance
The alliance of social lending institutions, also referred to as impact-first agricultural lenders, was formally launched today at the 11th Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship.
- Categories
- Agriculture