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Growing Rwanda Out of Poverty
For the last few years, development wonks and international organizations have had the “Green Revolution for Africa” on their radars. Leaders in Africa have recognized that the first Green Revolution (spurred by the work of agronomist Norman Borlaug) resulted in massive improvements in health and productivity around the world, and are now looking to do the same on the so-called “Dark Continent”.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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NexThought Monday: Angolan Robusta – Getting the Best Coffee in the World to Market
I was 100 percent sure after tasting Angolan coffee that it could overtake Brazil and Colombia, and fill all of our cafes, grocery stores and kitchen counters with its amazing lush aroma and spectacular taste. But, in interviewing cooperatives, manufacturers and buyers, I came across several caveats that hinder the Angolan coffee industry and its farmers, and thus, our access to this marvelous product.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Water harvesting slakes thirst at an innovative Kenyan inn
When Gaitano Likhavila was still working as an accountant at the provincial hospital in the west Kenyan town of Kakamega, he ran into a situation that got him thinking about water.“There was a serious water shortage that made the hospital administration almost close down the hospital. At the same time, a lot of rainwater from the roofs was wasted, running down to the River Isikhu, but nobody thought of getting hold of this free water,” says Likhavila.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Gender Roles in Green and Inclusive Business – Replicating Old Patterns or Breaking New Ground?
The green economy has the potential to empower women – but risks replicating old gender patterns of the ‘brown’ economy, says a new DCED / GIZ study. How does the case look for social entrepreneurship and impact investing?
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Environment, Social Enterprise
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When Dairy is ‘Woman’s Work,’ But a Man’s Market: Improving Livelihoods, Female Empowerment in Tanzania
Four months and more than 100 stakeholder interviews later, what was once a side note on a scope of work now has great impact on how TechnoServe looks at dairy interventions. In traditional Tanzanian culture, masculinity takes a front seat. are still flashes of female empowerment.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education
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Voxtra invests in Mtanga Farms Limited
The Voxtra East Africa Agribusiness Fund (Voxtra) has completed an investment of US$ 1.5 million in Mtanga Farms Limited (MFL), a commercial farm engaged in seed crops, arable farming and livestock.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- impact investing
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How ‘farmerbook’ Brings Transparency and Networking to the BoP
The new ‘farmerbook’, an initiative from Digital Green aims to bring transparency and networking to rural India, by allowing users to see how best practices in farming promoted by Digital Green are shared and adapted.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Wanted: Smart, Creative Capital
Last month’s “Cracking the Nut” conference, hosted by the development consulting firm AZMJ, focused on “Attracting Private Sector Investment to Rural and Agricultural Markets.” Throughout the sessions, it became clear that investment alone on the part of the private sector isn’t sufficient to transform these markets; private sector capital must be applied intelligently and creatively if it is to wield that power.
- Categories
- Agriculture
