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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
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The Social Network for Smallholder Farmers : From fertilizer tips to the best seeds, connecting farmers to accurate info
LISA is a mobile social network platform for registered farmers to ask agriculture experts and other farmers questions through SMS (text) messages. It was created by Mercy Corps’ partner 8Villages as part of the aid agency’s Agri-Fin Mobile program.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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eKutir’s VeggieLite gains Gates Foundation grant
eKutir’s new project VeggieLite is a recipient of Grand Challenges India 2014, supported by the Gates Foundation, USAID and DBT, the Indian government’s anti-poverty scheme.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Health Care
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