News: Expanding Market Frontiers: Chemonics Presents at #SEEP2016

How can inclusive markets combat poverty and provide opportunities for all people to prosper? During the SEEP Network 2016 Conference, global stakeholders explore how to broaden the reach of markets into new contexts and to new populations. Chemonics is proud to share its experience working in Uganda and Jordan, where digital technologies and innovative approaches to market development are driving inclusive economic growth.

#SEEP2016, which runs from September 19 to 21 in Arlington, Virginia, is organized around four learning tracks. Each track consists of peer learning sessions, through which attendees can explore the conference’s overarching theme, “Expanding Market Frontiers.” Chemonics’ experts will lead two conversations — one in the “Expanding and Deepening Financial Inclusion” track and the other in the “Enabling Market Development in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Areas” track.

Our first peer learning session looks at “new” digital technologies and “old” partnership approaches for financial inclusion. In this session (September 20, 2:30 to 4 p.m.), we share how our Ugandan partner Akorion has developed a digital application for building farmer profiles that is facilitating access to crop insurance and credit for smallholder farmers in Uganda. This presentation, which highlights the USAID Feed the Future Uganda Commodity Production and Marketing Activity, demonstrates the power of digital platforms and local partnership models to expand the reach of financial services, lower costs, and solve traditional problems. Chemonics will be joined by development partners and leaders in access to finance, Making Cents and MasterCard, in presenting how harnessing technology is changing the landscape of financial inclusion.

Our second peer learning session (September 20, 2:30 to 4 p.m.) showcases market development before, during, and after conflicts and crises, using the USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) project in Jordan as an example. Panelists will include our representatives from the BEST project and our Jordanian counterparts, as well as our colleagues from Adam Smith International in Sierra Leone and Mercy Corps in Gaza to discuss how their programs and strategies adapt to the changing dynamics of market development in diverse contexts of conflict and uncertainty.

“The annual SEEP conference is a forum to convene best practices — to learn, share, and pave the way for future innovation alongside partners, stakeholders, and development leaders,” explained Eileen Hoffman, director of Chemonics’ Economic Growth and Trade Practice. “We’re simultaneously humbled and proud that Chemonics has the opportunity to engage so actively in the conversation through our peer learning sessions.”

For more information about peer learning sessions during the SEEP Network Conference, look through the full program here. And be sure to follow the social media conversation during the conference using #SEEP2016.