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Positioning Local Banks for Success in Smallholder Finance
New research from the Initiative for Smallholder Finance reveals that approximately 290 banks in the developing world provide a total of $9 billion in local funding to smallholders – a lending rate that fails to meet 97 percent of smallholder demand for financing. To support smallholders effectively, banks must be able to lend at affordable rates, offer products specifically designed for farmers, and improve their accessibility to farmers.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Flushing Five Myths About the Business of Sanitation
We’re continually told a number of myths about water, sanitation and the potential for companies to reach the poor in emerging markets that face daunting infrastructure challenges. My co-authors and I debunk many of them in our book: “Tapping the Markets: Opportunities for Domestic Investments in Water and Sanitation for the Poor.”
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
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Pomegranates VS Poppies: Building food markets to fight the drug trade
War-ravaged Afghanistan is the source of much of the world’s opium, while life-sustaining crops are fare less profitable for farmers. But London-based Plant for Peace is working to create a Afghan pomegranate export market, from startup seeds to paying customers. It’s one glimmer of hope for market incentives to cut into the drug trade.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Press Release: Announcing a New Investment – KZ Noir
KZ Noir exports fully and semi washed green coffee and has two roasted coffee brands.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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PRESS RELEASE: Root Capital Highlights Business Case for Social, Environmental Due Diligence in Investment Decisions
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 28 /CSRwire/ - Root Capital, a nonprofit agricultural lender, today released a new issue brief detailing the financial benefits linked to conducting due diligence on the social and environmental practices of its borrowers.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Impact Assessment
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NexThought Monday: Coffee Talk (and Action): Sustainable Harvest’s Griswold on supply chain empathy and what’s brewing for smallholder farmers
The drive toward transparency and “empathy” has been David Griswold’s mission since creating Sustainable Harvest, a seller of fair trade coffee to the likes of Green Mountain and Whole Foods. This mission to inject more symmetry into the business has served Sustainable Harvest well. In 2013, the company closed $70 million in global sales. He spoke with NextBillion about what’s next.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education
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Press Release: Meet the Winning Ideas of Greenpeace Challenge to find renewable irrigation systems for India
Greenpeace “A Watershed Moment in India” challenge, which was open from September 3rd, 2013, saw participation from over 1500 people across 58 countries, who created 256 designs for renewable energy powered, portable, affordable irrigation systems for small farmers in Bihar. Participants uploaded their designs to a web platform, where they were viewable by the public (including other competing teams) who commented on all designs and suggested improvements, which the designers took into consideration to iterate and adapt their designs.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- product design
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Why city life is unhealthy
The rapid increase in the number of urban inhabitants will be among the most important global health issues of the 21st century.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
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