News: Building Resilience Through Market Systems: Chemonics Presents at SEEP 2019

How can we forge better partnerships to drive agricultural productivity, incomes, and nutrition? How can we use data to empower people and foster resilience? What are the best ways to engage the private sector to make financial services inclusive? Chemonics will discuss these questions and more at the 2019 Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Annual Conference from October 21 to 23 in Arlington, Virginia. SEEP 2019 convenes more than 400 thought leaders and practitioners to discuss strategies, best practices, and lessons for building resilience through market systems. The conference offers 20 peer learning sessions, during which attendees will explore four sub-themes or “technical tracks”: fostering resilience through financial inclusion, leveraging markets for resilience in fragile environments, gender equality as a resilience strategy, and data and resilience.

Chemonics has participated in the conference as a SEEP member since 2015. “Every year, SEEP convenes some of the best and brightest development practitioners from around the world,” said Eileen Hoffman, Chemonics’ Economic Growth and Trade Practice director. “We’re excited that Chemonics has the opportunity to engage so actively in the conversation through our peer learning sessions.”

On October 22 and 23, Chemonics experts will lead two peer learning sessions: one on the use of data in designing climate resilient programs and another on the business case for improving financial services in conflict and post-conflict areas. The sessions will highlight case studies from various countries, including a USAID-funded climate change adaptation program in Mali and another promoting financial inclusion in rural Colombia.

Chemonics’ Agriculture and Food Security Practice Director Garron Hansen added, “Building resilience in complex environments requires the best thinking from all facets of the development community, so we look forward to sharing and learning alongside our fellow practitioners at SEEP 2019.” See the schedule and speakers for Chemonics’ peer learning sessions below, or view the full conference agenda.

Chemonics at SEEP 2019:

Tuesday, October 22

How Data Can Help Design Climate Resilient Programs, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m.
Tanya Boudreau (The Food Economy Group), Laura Glaeser (Famine Early Warning Systems Network), Jeff Ratcliffe (USAID Mali Climate Change Adaptation Activity), Meera Sawkar (GeoPoll)

Wednesday, October 23

The Business Case for Financial Services in Conflict and Post-Conflict Areas, 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Caroline Averch (FHI360), Lina Marcela Guzman (Opportunity International Colombia), Asdrubal Negrete (USAID Rural Finance Initiative), Richard Shumann (Vitas Group)

Be sure to follow the social media conversation throughout the conference using the hashtag #SEEP2019.