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Rethinking What it Means to Start a Business: Why Systemic Venture Building Matters for Africa’s Food Future
Africa’s entrepreneurs are often seen as risky investments not due to any limitations of their own businesses, but because of the risks in the systems around them. As a result, as Dieuwertje Nelissen, Eveline Jansen and Rachael Kirui at Enviu argue, it's important for development stakeholders to move beyond de-risking individual businesses and to put greater effort into strengthening and de-risking the systems that support them. They explore this systemic approach in the context of African agriculture, sharing a venture-building model that can help entrepreneurs reduce early-stage risk and scale sustainable impact.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Press Release: Agros Secures USD 2 Million from EDFI ElectriFI to Expand Solar-Powered Irrigation for Farmers in Southeast Asia
The financing will support Agros’ expansion in Indonesia and Cambodia and scale its “Pay-after-Harvest” model, enabling farmers to invest in high-quality solar water pump systems with flexible payment terms.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Even as Global Crop Prices Fall, India’s Arya.ag Is Attracting Investors — and Staying Profitable
Arya.ag is built around a simple idea: giving farmers more control over when and to whom they sell their crops.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- agtech, lending, smallholder farmers
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Lula Threatens to Walk Away if Further Delays to EU-Mercosur Trade Deal
Brazilian president says it is now or never after Italy joins France in saying it is not ready to sign trade deal.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Global
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Global Chocolate Supply Chains Exposed to Cocoa-Driven Deforestation in Liberia
The investigation also notes that no cocoa farms in Liberia are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, despite all the named traders claiming to use the scheme. Global Witness said this gap underscores the limitations of voluntary sustainability labels.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- forests, regulations, supply chains
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African Agriculture at a Climate Crossroads: Business Risks and Opportunities as the Continent Navigates the Growing Crisis
Africa’s food systems are under mounting pressure from climate change, as droughts, erratic rainfall, floods and heat waves increasingly undermine both crop and livestock production. But as Asamoah Oppong Zadok at Sustaina Harvest explains, despite the emergence of climate-smart innovations and resilience-focused initiatives, many stakeholders still prioritize short-term fixes and reactive crisis spending that leave deeper vulnerabilities intact. He argues that African agriculture faces a choice: remain trapped in a cycle of repeated shocks and emergency responses — or invest in technologies, ecosystems and people that can turn climate risk into opportunity, building healthy ecosystems and inclusive livelihoods over the long term.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
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Mars Investing $20 Million in Sustainable Rice Sourcing
Under the new platform, Mars said that it is working with its farmers and suppliers to implement various climate-smart agriculture practices that have been proven to reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions, while protecting yields.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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ResponsAbility Invests in Ace International, a Leading Nutrition and Dairy Ingredients Producer in India
This facility aims to bring modern processing technology to India, with capabilities to produce nutrition ingredients aligned with global quality and sustainability standards.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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