Ukraine is the world’s fourth largest exporter of grain and top exporter of sunflower oil. The country’s agriculture sector is a major driver of the economy, employing nearly a quarter of the workforce. The USAID AgroInvest project supported Ukraine’s agriculture industry, improving access to finance and facilitating the creation of market infrastructure for small- and…
Middleman — the very term itself is associated with extra hoops to jump through, farmers being cheated, and limited value being offered to farmers and value chains generally. The idea of cutting out the middleman is frequently thought of as a selling point, casting these intermediaries as the “bad guys” of the value chain, worth…
SMEs account for almost all of Salvadoran businesses, employing more than one-third of the national workforce and generating nearly half of the country’s gross domestic product. USAID’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Program worked with the Ministry of Economy, the private sector, and international cooperation agencies to strengthen the country’s SMEs. To create a more…
Although apparel, information and technology, wine, home furnishings, and fashion industries in Moldova are stable and capable of growing, they have historically lacked the structured support they need to flourish internationally. The USAID Competitiveness Enhancement and Economic Development (CEED) II project partnered with Moldovan enterprises and the government to support export- and investment-driven growth. Targeting…
Although the agriculture sector employs more than half of Haiti’s population and offers one of the only ways for people in rural communities to support themselves, the sector struggles to achieve consistently higher yields and sales. “Feed the Future Haiti Chanje Lavi Plantè,” which means “Changing Lives” in Haitian Creole, confronted this issue by increasing…
Agriculture is essential to Ghana’s economy. More than half of the Ghanaian labor force and one-fourth of the country’s entire gross domestic product depend on crops such as cocoa, maize, yams, and cassava. Ghanaian policymakers want to develop policies that will increase private-sector investment in agriculture, strengthening the sector overall and creating stable jobs, but…
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…
Climate change is severely affecting vulnerable populations in Mali that need greater access to meteorological information and guidance on how to use it to create effective agricultural activities and plans.
Home to 60 percent of the country’s population, Mozambique’s coastal cities drive national economic development. But because of their locations, they are also some of the most vulnerable cities in Africa: They are exposed to rises in sea level, cyclones, erosion, tropical storms, and other effects of climate change. The USAID Coastal City Adaptation Project…
The June 2014 ratification of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union enabled Moldova to expand its trade significantly. Funded by USAID and Sweden, the Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP) made the most of these economic benefits by improving the quality of Moldovan products and encouraging the country’s…
Beyond enriching the lives of millions of visitors every year, the tourism sector plays a critical role in Jordan’s economy and requires structured support to achieve its full potential.
Decades of armed conflict in Colombia have left many people in poverty and without equal financial opportunities. Those living in rural areas and working in agriculture have struggled to obtain financial services — such as credit, savings, and insurance and payment services. This limitation compromises the ability of micro-, small-, and medium-sized agricultural producers and…