-
Research: Microplastic Pollution Can Fuel Rise in Antibiotic Resistance
Plastic pollution and drug-resistant infections are usually regarded as separate global crises. But emerging research suggests links between them: Microplastic particles in the environment are colonized by bacteria, and those bacteria develop antibiotic resistance at an unprecedented rate.
- Categories
- Health Care, WASH
- Region
- Global
-
What Drives Positive Outcomes in Gender-Lens Investing? DFI Portfolio Evaluations Reveal Four Key Factors
Few developments in the impact investing space have been as striking as the rise of gender-lens investing, as recent years have seen development finance institutions (DFIs) and others mobilize a growing amount of capital for gender equality. Katie Turner, and Jenny Holden at Kore Global share a first-of-its-kind synthesis of portfolio evaluations involving several DFIs, providing evidence on the outcomes and impact of their gender-lens investments at scale. They explore what these findings suggest about how and why some investments achieve deeper and more meaningful gender outcomes than others.
- Categories
- Investing
-
Press Release: New Echelon Insights Survey Commissioned by Rockefeller Foundation: Most Americans Back Foreign Aid a Year After USAID’s End
A majority (54%) across the political spectrum remains favorable toward foreign aid a year after USAID's dismantlement, and 8 in 10 say the path forward is to reform and strengthen foreign aid — not eliminate it.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
-
Report: South Africa Went Cashless – Except for the Millions Who Didn’t
A new industry report argues that the sector mistook innovation for inclusion and left informal markets behind.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Report: Buy-Now-Pay-Later Reshapes South Africa Credit Landscape
A recent report reveals that BNPL is evolving beyond a simple payment tool and is increasingly serving as an entry point into the formal credit system for millions of consumers.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, e-commerce, fintech, lending, research
-
What a Decade of TRANSFORM Teaches Us About Partnerships
The playbook’s central message is that meeting today’s social and environmental challenges requires radical collaboration at speed and scale.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
-
The True Cost of Impact-First Investing
Drawing on one of the first collaborative cost studies of its kind, spanning eight leading impact-first investment organizations managing $197.2 million across 362 investments, this paper challenges one of the sector’s most persistent myths: that impact-first funds are inherently inefficient.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
- Tags
- data, impact investing, research
-
2026 Coffee Barometer: Sustainability Cannot be Built on Permanently Cheap Coffee
The newly released 2026 Coffee Barometer exposes systemic flaws in the global coffee industry over the past 20 years.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Global
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.