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A transformation from small-scale subsistence farms to mechanised, more commercially viable farms is essential, said experts at the Ghana-based African Centre for Economic Transformation, who outlined a bold plan to revolutionise agriculture and fuel economic growth in a report launched Tuesday at an African finance ministers meeting at the World Bank and backed by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
Only modernized commercial farms will fill Africa’s plate, economists warn
Blog Post
Discussion is heating up at SOCAP, and NextBillion's team of roving reporters will be providing a variety of on-the-ground coverage throughout the day, including Facebook Live video interviews, live tweeting from @NextBillion, and highlights from the sessions we'll be attending.
Discussion Heats Up at SOCAP17: Tweets, Live Interviews & Highlights from Thursday’s SessionsBlog Post
Capacity-building support, also known as technical assistance, is a vital tool used by many investors to complement their investments and expand and deepen their impact. When applied well, capacity building improves investor competitiveness, enhances business performance of investees, expands impact for beneficiaries and strengthens markets, writes Abhilash Mudaliar of GIIN.
Three Key Insights from GIIN Report on the Power of Capacity Building in Impact InvestingBlog Post
Field officers at the Sajida Foundation, a microfinance provider in Bangladesh, knew their clients had rich financial lives, and that some held sizable savings balances to enable their goals. They also knew these clients could earn more by converting their savings to a term deposit account. Yet it was difficult for them to offer complex financial advice, or to answer questions around tiered interest rates and differentiated products. The Foundation worked with BFA to develop an Android-based app to address these issues – Ashirul Amin discusses the lessons learned.
‘Cross-sell Done Well’: How One Finance App Found a Balance Between Digital and Human TouchNews
A new fund to boost smart affordable housing options in Bangladesh is one of the first major announcements from the UNDP’s SDG Impact Finance initiative — an enterprise that took UNDP’s David Galipeau four years to convince the U.N. it needed.
Can a UN social impact fund spark further reform at the organization?News
CNote pools individual deposits–as small as $20–and funnels them into Community Development Financial Institutions, which support low-income communities and small businesses.
This Startup Lets You Use Your Extra Cash To Invest In Community DevelopmentNews
Some funders are also said to be questioning the program after an independent evaluation released earlier this month showed mixed results for the public-private partnership’s first year. While researchers of the randomized control trial reported impressive learning gains among students, they also raised concerns about the program’s cost-effectiveness and its potential to negatively impact non-participating schools in the country.
Funding struggle: Can Liberia’s controversial privately-run schools pilot continue?News
The SDGs were always bound to meet strong headwinds, owing to technological disruption, geopolitical rivalry, and widening social inequality. But populist calls for nationalist policies, including trade protectionism, have intensified those headwinds considerably.
Viewpoint: Are the Sustainable Development Goals Achievable?
