Blog

This blog post was written by Christian Pennotti, Learning and Impact Technical Advisor at CARE, following the "Understanding the Intangibles: Trust, Risk, Leadership, and Transparency in Value Chain Partnerships" Breakfast Seminar on November 4, 2011.

Debora Randall, independent consultant based in Kigali, Rwanda, discusses how the SEEP Conference brings together the worlds of business and development.

The Microlinks team attended the 2012 SEEP Annual Conference. Watch plenary session recordings, read a blog post recap, explore photos from the event, and stay tuned for interviews with conference presenters.

Jeanne Downing, senior advisor for business development services for USAID/MD, discusses changing approaches and cultural shifts with regard to market development within USAID.

"Tourism done well," according to Kristin Lamoureax, means that issues of sustainability, local engagement, job creation, cultural sensitivity, and policy issues are all taken into account.

Bill Grant of DAI provides key takeaways from his presentation during Breakfast Seminar #63, "Formalization of the Warm Milk Channel in Kenya: A Study in Effective Facilitation." In this video, he discusses the importance of facilitation and some of the key requirements to ensuring effective facilitation: strong value chain and end market analyses.

During my recent presentation with Harun Baiya (SITE Enterprises) on the formalization of the raw milk sector in Kenya, we discussed how good facilitation techniques can lead to the sustainable development of a value chain.

At Breakfast Seminar #60 on June 15, 2011, Mike Field of ACDI/VOCA presented on his experience with achieving sustainability in development projects by using the systems approach. After reviewing his own definition of sustainability—which involves ongoing efficiency improvements as well as expanding both the depth and breadth of benefits—Field talked about systemic forces which can either help or hinder sustainability.

A recap of USAID Breakfast Seminar #57, "Making Markets Work for the Poor: Experience, Results and Lessons from Katalyst"

Mercy Corps has utilized a participatory, youth-led approach in several countries to enhance youth employment programming.

Driving interoperable payments in Latin America through the mobile platform BICOO to address key barriers facing the unbanked.

A partnership with USAID, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, and the Visa Foundation aims to address barriers that women entrepreneurs face by building supportive entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging markets.

The ILO Toolkit is a practical resource for organisations and projects to support small and medium enterprises (SME) decide what aspects of SME performance (productivity, working conditions, etc.) to measure, as well as how to measure them.

This report introduces INVEST, a mechanism that uses USAID funding to mobilize private capital for development and overcomes barriers to private sector engagement. INVEST works to build the capability of new and underutilized firms (new partners) by awarding and managing subcontracts.

This post summarizes key themes and takeaways from the 2019 Cracking the Nut conference held in Dakar, Senegal from October 14-15.

This post is the fourth in a series exploring how a partnership facility can be an interface between donor-funded programs and the private sector. It reflects on how FTF Inova's experience is relevant for other MSD programs.

Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest II is a five-year project, now at its halfway point, working to help Cambodia accelerate horticulture sector growth and strengthen the horticulture market system. This case study describes Harvest II’s blended buyer-led and market systems development approach, citing examples of progress to date and posing several learning questions about the project moving forward.

In Pakistan, promising small and medium-sized enterprises are turning their innovative ideas into reality — and improving livelihoods — with a boost from a special grant fund.

Using a decentralized water treatment and distribution system, Jim Chu, the founder and CEO of dloHaiti, is bringing safe, affordable water to thousands on the island. Chu recently participated in diaspora engagement roadshows hosted by USAID INVEST, which encouraged members of the Haitian diaspora to invest in the country’s private sector. Jim Chu loves flying. The Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor began paragliding in 1993. Over the last two decades, he’s participated in the sport all around the world.

The Feed the Future Malawi Ag Diversification Activity worked with partners to develop an input bundle and a loan package to help farmers increase their soybean and groundnut yields.

Nearly 75% of the Guatemalan population is employed through small- and medium enterprises, yet local laws restrict credit unions' abilities to provide loans to SMEs.

This month, Marketlinks is focused on seed-related enabling environment and market systems. Share your submissions to be included in our round-up.

Feed the Future, a USAID program that invests in private-sector partnerships to commercialize agricultural innovations in smallholder markets, conducted a study in 2016 that distilled lessons learned on commercializing seed in smallholder markets in sub-Saharan Africa

A constraint to raising agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa is the lack of commercial availability of high-quality seed of improved modern crop varieties. Stakeholders have made a great effort to develop regional variety catalogs to increase the supply of high-quality seed.

CIAT supports the development of seed systems uniting actors along the value chain to create sustainable seed systems and spur links with formal seed producers.