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Some Things Have to Die for Others to Live: Why Scaling Down is Just as Important as Scaling Up in the Transformation of Global Food Systems
Multiple crises have exposed the fragility and inequity of global food systems. But according to Eva Valencia and Lennart Woltering at CIMMYT and Frédéric Goulet at CIRAD, strategies to transform the world's food systems typically focus on introducing or scaling up new innovations and programs, while failing to scale down the habits, mindsets and institutions that are perpetuating the problem. They explore a key example of this issue — the ongoing use of unsustainable farming practices like tilling — and discuss how farmers can move toward more sustainable "no-till" practices that protect soil health.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Taking Inspiration from Innovation: Key Insights from Eight Entrepreneurs Making an Impact in Emerging Markets
Whether they're working to increase smallholder farmers’ profits, promote water or sanitation solutions, or address other key needs in emerging markets, social entrepreneurs tend to face common challenges. That's why they must learn from each other if they hope to flourish. Brigit Helms at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship shares insights from eight entrepreneurs in Miller Center’s Clean Water and Climate-Smart Agriculture program, who discuss their innovations, the challenges they’ve overcome and the lessons they’ve learned.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise, WASH
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Mastercard’s Farmpass Reaches One Million Smallholders in India
Mastercard today announced that it has reached the milestone of benefiting over one million smallholder farmers in India through Farm Pass.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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India’s SarvaGram Closes Oversubscribed Series C Round at $35 Million
SarvaGram Solutions will expand its impact with the funding, empowering rural India’s aspirations through a carefully devised data-driven distribution.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Press Release: Trade and Development Bank Group Extends USD $100 Million Financing to the Export Trading Group to Support Smallholder Farmers in Africa
In a region where the majority of employment is in agriculture, 285,000 smallholders are expected to benefit from value chain integration.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: At U.S.-Africa Business Forum DFC Announces Active Commitments in Africa Top $11 Billion
DFC announced $369 million in new projects including in health, energy and food security.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Leaning into Resilience: Three Ways Small and Growing Agriculture Businesses Have Navigated Global Crises – And How Investors Can Support Them
COVID-19 and other recent crises have led many investors to pause disbursements to small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets, due to the increased risk. Camilla Nestor, Maria Raurell and Carolyn Han at MCE Social Capital explain why MCE did the opposite, supporting their investees' efforts to adapt to these challenges. They share three adaptations that successful SGBs in their portfolio had in common, and explore how these approaches are likely to be incorporated into agricultural SGB business models in the long term.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
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The Warehouse Solution: Why Smart Storage is the Key to Africa’s Food Security
A chain of overlapping crises has raised urgent questions about the state of food security in Africa. This has led to a growing focus on boosting the region's agricultural productivity and strengthening intra-Africa trade. But according to Kamaldeen Raji at AFEX, storage has traditionally been a neglected aspect of these efforts – despite the fact that almost 40% of Africa's food perishes before it reaches consumers. He explores why improving storage infrastructure is an essential step in establishing true food security on the continent.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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