Edward Kyazze Sanyu founded his own business as a trader in Mubende District, but he had a problem. He used to buy maize and beans from farmers and sell it in bulk, but he had trouble finding enough high-quality products to buy. Even when he could find high-quality grains, it was time-consuming to source from…
Which digital tools show the greatest promise to maximize development impact around the world? How can organizations and governments make sure that these tools are part of an inclusive approach to development? These are the kinds of questions that participants will discuss at the Digital Development Forum: The Next 10 Years event, hosted by USAID…
Down-and-dirty politics and political roadblocks have thwarted the success of agricultural development projects for decades. To achieve greater success, we need to consider how we can better understand and break down such blocks. Whether we like it or not, international development efforts are inherently political. Within the agriculture sector, the relationships and power dynamics among…
Final Report: Colombia Consolidation and Enhanced Livelihoods Initiative – Northern/Southern Regions
From October 2011 to 2017, the USAID-funded Consolidation and Enhanced Livelihoods Initiative – Northern/Southern Regions (CELI N/S) supported the Government of Colombia’s efforts to improve governance, stimulate sustainable economic development, build social capital, and encourage licit lifestyles free from conflict and violence in 19 prioritized municipalities in Antioquia, Bolivar, Córdoba, and Tumaco (Nariño).
Marcos Moreno is the chief of party for the Feed the Future Bangladesh Horticulture, Fruits and Non-Food Crops Activity. He is an agriculture and youth development expert with more than 30 years of experience, including 20 years at senior management levels, creating sustainable economic opportunities for the next generation via agribusiness development projects in East…
Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 will not be easy — or cheap. It is estimated that an extra $2.5 trillion in funding will be needed to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Soon after the goals were finalized in 2015, it became clear that traditional philanthropy and official development assistance at its current levels would…
Agriculture is not an art; it is a science. Yet, when picturing a scientist, a farmer usually is not the image that comes to mind. This creates an inherent tension: Farmers need to understand scientific best practices to be successful, but how can the latest research reach farmers who live in far-flung rural areas and…
Cap-Haïtien, Haiti: Chemonics joined USAID/Haiti and officials from the Haitian government for a ceremonial launch today to officially commence USAID’s Haiti Reforestation Project. The five-year Reforestation Project, supported by USAID and implemented by Chemonics, aims to address critical environmental degradation and loss of tree cover in Haiti’s North and North East departments. Representing the U.S.…
The goal of RESILIM, a five-year contract funded and administered by USAID/Southern Africa, was to improve transboundary management of the Limpopo River Basin and enhance the resilience of its people and ecosystems. With the support of the four Basin governments — Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe — the program was geared toward collaboration with…
Every year, the World Bank brings together youth entrepreneurs to share their projects and ideas at the World Bank Youth Summit. At this year’s gathering, one critical question was repeatedly discussed: What is the most important thing the World Bank Group should do to support young people? The youth entrepreneurs responded with a resounding consensus that,…
Melissa (Scudo) Gasmi joined Chemonics in 2007 and brings more than 20 years of experience managing complex international development programs. Melissa served as team leader for Chemonics’ Tunisia Tax and Customs Reform Activity in Tunisia, chief of party for Chemonics’ Asia and the Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices project, and program manager and deputy…