NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Ivory Coast to Raise Profits for Cocoa Farmers

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - A major restructuring of the cocoa sector is under way in Ivory Coast, officials announced Thursday in reforms they say will give a boost to the country’s growers by guaranteeing them a minim price. Agriculture Minister Sangafowa Coulibaly said the government will create a state-controlled company in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer, which will guarantee farmers 60 percent of the international cocoa price. At a news conference where he...

Source

The Washington Post (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

InVenture Announces New Mobile Application for Small Businesses

InVenture Announces Release New Mobile Application "InSight" for Small Businesses Worldwide SMS System Will Offer Unique Insights Into the Inner Workings of Successful Micro-Entrepreneurs SANTA MONICA, CA, NOVEMBER, 3 2011 - Peer-to-peer micro-investment platform InVenture is proud to announce today, "InSight", a short messaging service (SM...

Source

Press Release (link opens in a new window)

Yunus urges G20 to take up social agenda

The current world crisis calls for an immediate broadening of the scope of the G20, said Professor Muhammad Yunus at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in France. "It must not be a political forum with solely an economic and financial agenda anymore. Creating a social agenda for the G20 is now of utmost importance," said the Nobel laureate at the summit that took place from Monday to Wednesday. "I had the privilege to participate last year in the presentation to President Sarkozy ...

Source

The Daily Star (link opens in a new window)

Should We Be Focused on Rural Areas in the Developing World?

Microfinance -- the practice of personal small loans to spur creativity in developing nations -- has well-known rural roots . Of late, I had assumed that the practice had become a city-based endeavor, in concert with other programs, targeting the world’s burgeoning urban populations. Time spent in Africa earlier in the year did not change that perception. However, after following up with community economi...

Source

The Atlantic (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Stone-Washed Blue Jeans (Minus the Washed)

SAN FRANCISCO - From the cotton field in rural India to the local rag bin, a typical pair of blue jeans consumes 919 gallons of water during its life cycle , Levi Strauss & Company says, or enough to fill about 15 spa-size bathtubs. That includes the water that goes into irrigating the cotton crop, stitching the je...

Source

The New York Times (link opens in a new window)

OPIC Balances Purpose And Profit; Launching Call For Funds Nov. 1

Private equity investors are famous (or perhaps notorious) for their smart, aggressive and calculating business models. Firms fancy themselves value creators; others have occasionally demonized them as barbarians. Heck, some have even called them honey badgers . One thing’s for certain: A successful firm prides itself on a healthy IRR. But the Overseas Private Investment C...

Source

Wall Street Journal - Blog (link opens in a new window)

The MasterCard Foundation and MIT Partner to Support Entrepreneurship in Africa

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS and TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 27, 2011) - The MasterCard Foundation and the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are pleased to announce a strategic 10-year, $21 million grant to support emerging entrepreneurs focused on Africa and developing regions. "The Legatum Center uniquely combines entrepreneurial leadership, technological innovation and grassroots development to be...

Source

Marketwire (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Indian Companies’ Embrace of Shared Value Project Will Boost Inclusivity

India is a country of stark contrasts. In recent decades, the sub-continent has experienced a rapid rate of economic growth, and has risen to become a key player in the G20. However, this stands in stark contrast to the fact that India still ranks 119 out of 169 countries on the Human Development Index. Widespread poverty, ill health and malnutrition are but a few of the critical issues that still plague hundreds of millions of India’s citizens. Inclusive growth, ie ensuring that In...

Source

Guardian.co.uk (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia