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IFAD Makes Landmark Investment in Impact Fund Helping Rural SMEs
In a continuation of its efforts to help small-scale farmers and micro-, small and medium size rural enterprises in developing countries create jobs and increase incomes, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announced today an investment of US$9 million (€8.4 million) into the Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund, a blended capital impact fund.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Solving the Credit Impasse: How Big Data and AI are Generating Funding Opportunities for Smallholder Farmers in Africa
Smallholder farmers provide over 80% of the food in much of the developing world, making a major contribution to poverty reduction and food security. Yet as Iftin Fatah at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation points out, in Africa, less than 3% of total bank lending goes to the sector – even though it accounts for about 70% of all employment and over 40% of GDP. She explores some innovative, tech-driven solutions to this perennial problem.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Moving Past Traditional Philanthropy: A Q&A with Enterprise Development Pioneer Frank Giustra
Earlier this year, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership announced that it was spinning off from the Clinton Foundation, where it had been an initiative since its founding in 2007. The independent organization, now called Acceso, works to build businesses and connect them to the broader marketplace – particularly in Latin America. Its founder, Frank Giustra, discusses its new focus and ongoing work in this Q&A.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Investing
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Milling on Mini-Grids: How Africa’s Largest Crop Could Go Diesel-Free
Milling is a key use of energy for people living off-grid in rural Africa, allowing them to turn grains like maize – the region's most commonly produced cereal – into flour to make staple foods. Using solar mini-grid electricity to power these mills would save money, reduce air pollution and boost electricity sales for mini-grid companies. But as analysts at CrossBoundary point out, diesel mills still dominate the market. They explore the challenge of competing with diesel, and how innovations in solar mills are changing the landscape.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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An Invention That Could Salvage African Soil From Poor Yields
The UD Tech Farm System is a social impact innovation kit that instantly analyses the soil moisture, the pH and nutrient levels, and then sends an SMS notification to the farmer in real-time.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Nigeria Needs to Close the Financial Inclusion Gap for Women Smallholder Farmers
Women smallholder farmers in Nigeria are involved in all aspects of agriculture. Yet, because they are women, they are held back by unequal access to resources that would help them become more successful.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Optimizing Online Auctions: How Technology Can Help to Alleviate Poverty among Smallholder Farmers, One Bid at a Time
World Bank data shows that 78% of the world’s poorest people are farmers. A critical challenge they face is the lack of infrastructure to improve their market access, price transparency and competitive position in relation to more powerful downstream buyers. Yanchong Zheng at the MIT Sloan School of Management explores a digital auction platform in India that's addressing this power imbalance – and shares some ways it can be optimized for the benefit of farmers.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship
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General Mills, Danone Dig Deeper Into Regenerative Agriculture With Incentives, Funding
"Some of the nation’s most important conservation efforts focus on voluntary efforts to improve soil health, habitats and agricultural practices on private lands," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, in a statement.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- North America