January 22, 2018

Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations

Fishermen collect fish at Central Europe's biggest fish pond complex in the Great Hungarian Plain at Hortobagy, 124 miles east from Budapest. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

How Blended Finance Can Help Global Fisheries Recover
One study estimated that a rebuilding effort for global fisheries would cost approximately $200 billion. Despite clear evidence that rebuilding fish stocks will generate impressive upsides, fisheries reform has not attracted sufficient capital. Increasing the use of blended capital approaches can build the necessary political will and amplify the supply of capital for effective fisheries reform.

Fixing a Broken Food System
Business has a responsibility to help drive the much-needed food-system transformation. Many companies are already taking action—bringing digital innovation, research and development skills, and new business models to bear on food and agricultural issues—and, in turn, future-proofing their own supply chains and opening up new market opportunities.

San Francisco Banker from Mexico Launches Foodbytes! for Food/Tech Entrepreneurs: Part I
Drawing on his experience in the food and agriculture industry, Mexican entrepreneur Gonzalez knew many corporate food companies had scale and funding, but lacked innovation. Gonzalez felt he could bridge this gap with a platform like FoodBytes! In 2015, Gonzalez launched the first FoodBytes! event. Each two-day FoodBytes! event is filled with networking, coaching and nibbling food samples, culminating in pitch competitions.

Maersk, IBM to Launch Blockchain-Based Platform for Global Trade
The world’s largest container shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk is teaming up with IBM to create an industry-wide trading platform it says can speed up trade and save billions of dollars. Success of the platform depends on whether Maersk and IBM can convince shippers, freight forwarders, ocean carriers, ports and customs authorities to sign up.

Andela Aims to Solve the Developer Shortage with Tech Workers from Africa
Christina Sass is the cofounder and president of Andela, a for-profit business based in New York and Lagos, Nigeria that trains software developers in Nigeria and Kenya. Founded in 2014 and funded with $80 million in venture capital, Andela trains and supplies developers who work remotely from Africa for companies around the world. Employees commit to staying with Andela for four years. After that, they’re free to work directly for the companies that hire them.

 

About

The Global Food and Agriculture Program aims to inform the development of US policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the US Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.

The Global Food and Agriculture Program is housed within the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council on Global Affairs convenes leading global voices and conducts independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.

Support for the Global Food and Agriculture Program is generously provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Blogroll

1,000 Days Blog, 1,000 Days

Africa Can End Poverty, World Bank

Agrilinks Blog

Bread Blog, Bread for the World

Can We Feed the World Blog, Agriculture for Impact

Concern Blogs, Concern Worldwide

Institute Insights, Bread for the World Institute

End Poverty in South Asia, World Bank

Global Development Blog, Center for Global Development

The Global Food Banking Network

Harvest 2050, Global Harvest Initiative

The Hunger and Undernutrition Blog, Humanitas Global Development

International Food Policy Research Institute News, IFPRI

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Blog, CIMMYT

ONE Blog, ONE Campaign

One Acre Fund Blog, One Acre Fund

Overseas Development Institute Blog, Overseas Development Institute

Oxfam America Blog, Oxfam America

Preventing Postharvest Loss, ADM Institute

Sense & Sustainability Blog, Sense & Sustainability

WFP USA Blog, World Food Program USA

Archive

Photo of the Week

Farmers in Maraka, Kenya, plant maize using a hand hoe and a pre¬measured planting string to help them properly space their seeds.

Commentary - Saving Lives Through Efficient Food Aid Delivery

Early this year our government made real progress in improving the way we provide food aid to chronically hungry people and those in crises.  Unfortunately, recent actions by the House of Representatives threaten to undermine important reforms that would make food aid programs more effective and efficient. 

Photo of the Week

Silas Niyimpa of Ngobi, Rwanda, harvests cassava roots he planted in 2013.

Video: Could climate change lead to more wars?

Retired Navy Rear Admiral David Titley, who is a professor of meteorology at Penn State University, joins Consider This host Antonio Mora to discuss how climate change could increase global instability and conflicts.

Photo of the Week

One Acre Fund farmer Elias Ndinduyubwo of Kagabiro, Rwanda, shows off maize he has harvested with his family.

Video: Zero poverty. Think again

A new paper by the Overseas Development Institute reviews what is known about the impacts of climate change on eight development goal areas, and shows that it is essential for climate change to be addressed in order not to compromise development efforts.

Photo of the Week

One Acre Fund group leader Pauline Keya demonstrates how much chlorine to add to water to make it safe for drinking.

Photo of the Week

Martin Ugiraneza, of Rwamiko, Rwanda, was able to purchase a cow after his 2013 harvests.

USAID Ending Extreme Poverty

Through the narration of Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, Bush, and Obama, the film depicts America's progress, mission, and means by which we intend to end extreme poverty over the next two decades.

Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability

Working Group II assesses the scientific, technical, environmental, economic and social aspects of the vulnerability (sensitivity and adaptability) to climate change of, and the negative and positive consequences for, ecological systems, socio-economic sectors and human health, with an emphasis on regional sectoral and cross-sectoral issues.

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