2021 Year in Review: Marketlinks’ Top 3 Blogs

Over the past year, donors, implementers, and other development actors have shared their technical learning, best practices, and insights with the Marketlinks community to help advance inclusive, sustained, and resilient economic growth. All month long, we’ll be spotlighting the top Marketlinks content of 2021, including blogs, resources, and webinars.

In this post, we highlight the most read blogs published on Marketlinks in 2021 along with key takeaways from each. Each blog contains knowledge and lessons learned to inform and enhance market-led development practitioners’ work. Read on!

1. Digitizing the Agricultural Value Chain: Six Lessons from the Development of the Agronavti App

Harnessing the promise of digital technologies in low- and middle-income countries rests on several preconditions, from local technology infrastructure to cultural norms affecting individual access in the country or region. In this post, the USAID/Georgia Zrda project discusses six lessons learned from its implementation of the award-winning Agronavti app, a mobile matchmaking platform which connects Georgian farmers to markets. Learn what common challenges implementers can expect to face when implementing digital technology rollout in low- and middle-income countries, as well as what preconditions are necessary for successful uptake in these contexts.

2. The ENGIE Acquisition: With USAID Support, an Off-Grid Solar Fenix Rises

Meeting Africa’s rising energy demands while combating the climate crisis will require major advances in scaling up renewable energy — with private sector engagement playing a central role. Donors can help advance these twin goals through providing support for private sector firms entering difficult, less mature markets. This post shares how USAID partnered with Fenix International, an American-led solar home system company based in Uganda, to provide crucial funding support to facilitate the company’s expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more to learn how sustainable development can be advanced through the right combination of public donor support and private investor engagement.

3. Preparing for the Next Disaster: Partnering with the Local Private Sector for Sustainable Results

With the cost of meeting global humanitarian needs reaching record levels, emergency preparedness and response teams must find new strategies to increase effectiveness and close the financing gap. This post unpacks the new approaches USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance is testing to successfully integrate private sector engagement (PSE) into country-level programming. Read how “pilot programs” are aimed at increasing PSE to mitigate disaster risk; to reduce the social and economic impact of disasters; and to support efforts in disaster-preparedness, recovery, and rebuilding.

We hope that you find the learning shared in these top blogs valuable for informing your work! Check out the Marketlinks blog page for the latest market-led development knowledge content from USAID, implementing partners, and other development practitioners worldwide. And stay tuned for next week’s spotlight post, which will feature the top resources shared on Marketlinks in 2021.