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Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are revolutionizing access to banking services and empowering millions of previously unbanked individuals. According to the latest data from the World Bank Findex, 73 percent of people in the region (excluding high-income countries) own a financial account—and the proliferation of digital financial services and financial technology (fintech) played an essential role in this growth.

How do you rise to the challenge of extending equitable economic opportunities to more than 600,000 women and men in Northeastern Nigeria ?

Northern Kenya has significant opportunities for economic development, and access to finance is a key driver for the region’s sustainable growth. Unfortunately, the region is also burdened with negative perceptions, as Kenyan financial institutions deem it risky compared to other more economically developed parts of the country. Further, most plentiful and impactful Northern Kenyan investments are at the micro, small- and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) level.

Why food safety? In a world plagued by persistent hunger, undernourishment and malnutrition, food safety plays a key role in addressing such issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unsafe food causes 600 million cases (nearly 1 in 10 people) of foodborne diseases and 420,000 deaths annually. Most of the global burden of foodborne disease falls on those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), comprising 75 percent of deaths from foodborne illness, despite comprising only 41 percent of the global population.

With more than half of Hondurans younger than 25 and the majority of the population living below the poverty line, young people need access to employment opportunities. Yet, too many Honduran young women and men face dismal economic prospects with 27 percent of youth not in education, employment or training. Compounded by the impacts of climate change and food insecurity, those who cannot find jobs are at risk of falling further into poverty or migrating elsewhere in search of opportunities.

Women make up around 80% of the workforce in the garment industry and are the most important voices in the fashion industry today. However, their voices often go unheard. This blog dives into the achievements of and learnings of The Worker Wellbeing project in Vietnam which aims to improve well-being and dignified conditions for female factory workers.

To foster consumer demand and food safety confidence in food supply chains, numerous international trade organizations now require sanitary and phytosanitary systems (SPS) to be maintained at the highest standards. Smallholder farmers, farmer organizations, buyers and governments of low and middle-income countries are expected to meet these phytosanitary standards or risk export shipment rejections. With a growing need to have safe, quality food, it is critical to adhere to food safety standards of buyers and regulatory bodies.

New research from World Vision Australia (WVA) highlights ways their Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) approach realized women’s access and agency outcomes and social norm change.

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The Linkage Between Food Safety and Sustainability Food loss and waste pose a major threat to both global food system security and sustainability. Postharvest loss is both nutrient and resource loss. When food is wasted, so are the resources required to produce it, namely land, water, and energy. In Africa, with the world’s highest rates of hunger and malnutrition, about a third of all food produced is lost before it ever reaches consumers.

This post was authored by Paul Newall, Senior Technical Director of Partnerships & Investment at ACDI/VOCA. 

This post was authored by Wyanie Bright, ACDI/VOCA's Chief of Party for USAID Kuza.

Corruption is increasingly seen as the very “operating system” of many developing country governments, and is connected to sophisticated networks that cross sectoral and national boundaries in their drive to maximize returns for their members. Indeed, independent studies suggest that corruption is woven into the fabric of governing institutions due to kleptocrats’ ability to co-opt or disable independent authorities, promote willful blindness, competing incentives, or inattention.

“Blame it on the supply chain,” has become somewhat of a mantra around the globe. Consumers are increasingly frustrated by grocery store shortages. Meanwhile, producers are struggling to get ahold of important inputs to keep their businesses afloat. For farmers and agro-dealers, the implications of shaky supply chains can have rippling repercussions for the food on our shelves.

Globally, women are 18 percent less likely than men to own a smartphone. This statistic illustrates— particularly in low-income, rural households— the ‘gender digital divide’ where women are less likely to be connected to the Internet and have access to important tools that could improve their lives.

Waste management is a significant problem globally due to its impact on human health and the environment. However, in developing countries the situation becomes more acute due to the cultural and economic need for proper urbanization in the peripheral belt of the cities. Thus, waste management is a social, economic, and environmental problem facing all African countries. EU Africa RISE supports several initiatives to manage waste sustainably. One of them is a digital app solution that will be piloted in Angola with National Waste Agency (NWA).

The European Commission through EU Africa RISE, SADC Business Council, and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) jointly organised a conference on the ‘Implementation of circular economy regulations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’ on 22 and 23 February 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia. The conference aimed to mobilise regional business, government, and civil society leaders to come together around the development of a circular economy, waste management, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) topics on a formalised platform.

‘Bridging the Gender Gap in Investment and Financial Services Sector in Mauritius’ was a joint workshop organised by the EU Africa RISE Regional Facility and The Association of Women in Investment and Finance in Mauritius.

Mauritius, a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean, is known for its economic and social stability. The country's success is due, in part, to its long history of public-private dialogue, which was recently the focus of a Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshop organized by the EU regional technical assistance facility Africa RISE and the Regional Multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence (RMCE).

This blog is co-authored by Komal Bazaz Smith, Program Director of USAID Digital Connectivity & Cybersecurity Partnership Programs and Anthony Brown, Co-Founder, Acute Incite

Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, human rights and education. Despite the global target for clean water and sanitation through Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, 2 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water at home. 

Senegal is home to an emergent fresh fruit and vegetable sector that employs many women, from production to retail. Despite challenges in maintaining quality throughout the product lifespan, there are growing markets for fresh fruit and vegetables, like “ditax”. Ditax, or Detarium Senegalese J.F. Gmel, is a forest tree found in Senegal whose fruits are locally called ditax in Wolof.

The USAID/World Council of Credit Unions’ (WOCCU) Economic Inclusion Project in March introduced to more than 100 representatives of Peru’s financial sector a formal guide that will help them identify the types of assistance refugee and migrant populations need to access formal financial services, and the best practices to help facilitate their financial inclusion.

Across Guatemala’s Alta Verapaz region, the USAID/Microsoft Airband Initiative partnered with New Sun Road to bridge the rural broadband gap and close the gender digital divide by establishing 10 Digital Community Centers and, in turn, 10 Women’s Leadership Committees (WLC) to run them. In this blog, WLC members share five key reflections and lessons learned from their involvement with the Digital Community Centers and the impact on their communities.

The blog is authored by John Rachkara, Deputy Chief of Party, Rural Resilience Activity.