Agriculture is a vital part of Ghana’s economic ecosystem. The country is known for producing staple food crops, such as maize, yams, and cassava; cocoa is the main cash crop. More than half of the Ghanaian labor force and one-quarter of the country’s entire GDP depends on agriculture. Given the sector’s central role, it is…
Anyang Robert Tabot is formerly the chief executive officer for Feed the Future Uganda Strategic Investments Activity (SIA).
In 2012, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) embarked on a peace process, which concluded successfully in 2016 and helped end fifty years of violent conflict. Since signing the peace agreement, the government has had to address the key challenge of ensuring that citizens in conflict-affected regions have access…
In Pakistan, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) comprise 98 percent of the country’s 3.8 million businesses, but most of these businesses operate in the undocumented, informal sector. These SMEs face a variety of barriers, from burdensome regulatory procedures to limited access to finance and markets. The USAID Small and Medium Size Enterprise Activity (SMEA) is…
Micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a critical role in Georgia’s economy, but without the proper support, they have been unable to realize their full potential. The USAID Zrda activity in Georgia targets MSMEs across the country to help people in rural communities strengthen their skills and productivity and, in turn, contribute to broad-based…
Learn more about how e-payments promote economic growth in a Mert Tangonan’s video interview. Electronic payments go beyond mobile money, and include electronic funds transfers, credit card transactions, and more. What everyday challenges does the Philippines experience considering that only 2 percent of transactions fall under the umbrella of e-payments? What many people don’t realize is…
Two days before a large snowstorm hits an American city, supermarkets are often overrun with customers purchasing items to help them prepare for the storm. Millions of Americans learn about incoming dangerous weather events through mobile phone weather apps, weather websites, radios, and televisions. But in many developing countries, where access to the Internet is…
On October 17, 2016, international development consulting firm Chemonics and technology company BanQu established the Blockchain for Development Solutions Lab. The lab represents the first concerted effort by a development company to build, test, and scale blockchain solutions to reduce poverty and increase aid effectiveness. “Blockchain technology represents a game-changing opportunity to alter the pace, scale, and…
It’s October 2006. You just updated your top friends on Myspace and direct messaged a classmate or colleague on AIM. You have a new voicemail on your flip phone, and you have just figured out how to email yourself photos from your cell. There is talk of Apple going “beyond the iPod,” and mobile money…
This post originally appeared on SEEP’s blog. Chemonics is a proud member of SEEP. Have you ever wondered if there is a better way to expand and deepen financial inclusion? Have you tried forming innovative partnerships or using digital technology? Financial inclusion is a building block of strong economies throughout the world. However, in many…
A tropical rainforest covering more than 270,000 square miles, the Peruvian Amazon is an environmental treasure. Beneath the canopy of towering trees is a vast range of plant and animal species that makes Peru one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. With this environmental wealth comes economic opportunity, from the communities that…