Global Envision | The Confluence of Global Markets and Poverty Alleviation

Two Kenyan school boys play soccer. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/teachandlearn/2861273492/sizes/l/in/photostream/">Teachandlearn (Flickr)</a>

share

Value Chains

UK retailer John Lewis is the latest to implemement a buy one, donate one program in Africa - with a twist

A small African company that got its seed money from a grant has just received a major endorsement. Alive & Kicking will now have their brand, Balls for Africa, sold by a major retailer in the UK.

Tienda owners in rural Guatemala stand proudly in front of their store, newly stocked with much-needed health products. Photo: Lindsay Murphy/Mercy Corps.

share

Guatemala’s Tiendas de la Salud: Where profit and social impact meet

In Greece, right-wing parties have blamed immigrants for economic trouble. But a survey of the facts shows that migration brings benefits to rich and poor countries alike. Photo: <a href="http://flic.kr/p/bDqGit">Giannis Angelakis (Flickr)</a>

share

Would freer migration be even better for growth than freer trade?

After decades of debate, global trade is finally mostly free, and the world is reaping the benefits.

Global migration is another story.

share

The history of climate change negotiations in 83 seconds

Finding the 'right' partner is just the beginning. Managing the relationship can make or break a great project. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/o5com/5220980008/">o5com (flickr)</a>

share

How to build great CSR partnerships: 5 rules from DevEx

When corporations begin to look at high-functioning social responsibility partnerships, DevEx has identified 5 keys to keep them on the right track.

share

Soft power, Gangnam style

PSY's single could hit a billion YouTube views.

Traditional cooking fire in Myanmar. Photo: B. Manser for Mercy Corps.

share

Sustainable Energy

Clean cookstoves in Mozambique lure big investors

This article was republished by The Christian Science Monitor .

By increasing the amount of food harvested per year, Bangladesh has been able to decrease the number of undernourished people<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/8054518284/sizes/z/in/set-72157603951157081/">World Bank (flickr)</a>

share

Financial Inclusion

Fighting poverty without rapid growth: Bangladesh shows how it's done

Bangladesh is living proof that empowering and assisting the poor can sharply cut poverty even without rapid growth.

Micro-scale life insurance, with annual payments of $10 a year or less, has exploded in the Philippines thanks to close partnerships with microfinance institutions. Photo: <a href="http://flic.kr/p/5ZzWFe">Lemuel Cantos (Flickr)</a>

share

Financial Inclusion

Philippine life insurers find runaway success in MFI partnerships

It's taken 40 years of experimentation, but in the Philippines, a unique business model has found a way to sell life insurance hand over fist to poor people.

Crops resilient to climate change are especially important to farmers in developing countries. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimmyt/5210265334/">CIMMYT (Flickr)</a>.

share

Value Chains

As climate becomes a moving target, 'virtual crops' aim for the future

Climate change is threatening crop survival. Some researchers believe the solution lies in "virtual crops."

share

Value Chains

No toilet? Just finding a good spot costs the economy $500 million

From the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program report, reported by CNN:

Chinese agriculture is shifting away from some traditional products like gingko to capture Western markets<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/5416212301/lightbox/">World Bank Photo Collection (flickr)</a>

share

Value Chains

As Chinese farming goes global, some see risks

The reorientation of Chinese agriculture to an export-centric model is creating unprecedented domestic growth, but there may be a hidden cost to developing nations.

Companies are working to empower in the tech sector. Photo: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/unwomenarabstates/7245942414/sizes/m/in/photostream/”> UN Women Arab States (Flickr)</a>

share

Youth Skills

Geekery for all: Google chips $6m to youth tech empowerment

With the iLab educating in Liberia and the Switchboard mobilizing health across Africa, Google is working on global technology empowerment.

Mobile phones are one of the ways ADB says will increase microfinance availability among the poor. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimmyt/8048414699/">CIMMYT (flickr)</a>.

share

Financial Inclusion

MFIs should offer more than just microfinance, study finds

Despite the surging popularity of microfinance in the last several decades, access among the poor in Asia and the Pacific remains low. A new report says technology and livelihood programs will put it in the hands of more people.

share