-
Badly Needed, Hard to Deliver: The Challenges of Selling Drought Insurance to African Farmers
Millions of poor farmers in Africa can't move beyond subsistence levels because of droughts and other weather disasters. Insuring farmers against these risks is key to helping build their resilience to climate shocks. But providing this insurance – while making a profit – is no easy matter. Jim Hight explores the challenges in discussing WorldCover, a drought insurance provider that's gaining traction in Africa.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
-
Smallholders as Customers, Not Pupils: Making the Case for Good Agricultural Practices
Good agricultural practices offer smallholders the promise of improved food safety, food quality and environmental stewardship. But they also bring the risks of implementing costly new methods and standards. To overcome farmers' reluctance to adopt these practices, Ben Fowler of MarketShare Associates and Clara Yoon at MEDA write that agricultural organizations should adopt a customer-centric approach – treating smallholders as customers rather than beneficiaries of know-how.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship
-
As Debt Grows, More Indian Women Farmers Taking Their Lives
A vicious debt cycle is forcing women in Maharashtra state's Amravati to take their lives as agrarian crisis persists.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- South Asia
-
Temasek Raises S$385M for Impact Investing Fund, Targets Agriculture
The fund will look for companies that demonstrate commitment to generating a positive, measurable social or environmental impact, alongside the ability to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
-
Press Release: These Startups Have Big Ideas to Fight Hunger. Cargill and the World Food Programme Are Helping Make Them a Reality.
A handheld tool to fight hunger. Technology that turns small-scale flour mills into a front line of defense against malnutrition. Breakthroughs in disaster zone mapmaking that could save lives. The World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator and Cargill are teaming up to help three startups make those ideas a reality.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
How India’s Farmers Are Using Technology to Feed More Than a Billion People
Piggybacking on India's mobile boom, these companies are using smartphones and the internet to help farmers grow, harvest and sell their crops more efficiently.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
Kenya’s Twiga Foods Eyes West Africa After $30M Raise Led by Goldman
Twiga will use the funds to set up a distribution center in Nairobi and deepen its conversion to offering supply chain services for both agricultural and FMCG products.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
A New How-To Guide Chronicles Food and Water Innovators
It's challenging enough to start a business in mature markets, but just try running one in a rural community in a developing country with poor roads and customers who can't pay you. “Innovator Guidebook: Navigating Business Models for the Base of the Pyramid in Water and Energy for Food," highlights lessons from innovators funded by the five-year Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge. The online resource was unveiled today at SOCAP.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Technology
Parent Organization
