Coffee and value chain finance

Whilst several countries are gradually recovering from the pandemic, it is time to look ahead, to build a post Covid-19 society and prevent the most vulnerable communities from falling into poverty. This is why this month I wrote about an inspiring social enterprise I recently came across.

Value chain finance so far has not advanced to satisfying levels, in order to see positive impact on a significant number of smallholder farmers around the world. Challenges are many, amongst which its intrinsic multi-stakeholder nature, which stretches into the realm of international trade dynamics, such as foreign exchange risk and multiple regulations to abide by, and a notable level of technical expertise about the crop production. In a context where the profit margin for – in this case – smallholder coffee producers in Colombia is marginal, it is complex for their buyers to strike a balance between successful sales and a sustainable livelihood for the producers.

Sounds Great But… Series: Public-Private Partnerships

In this era of privatisation, public-private partnerships have become widespread also in the field of development. Not only are corporate enterprises beginning to take a proactive role in turning their operations more socially responsible but also institutional donors have been encouraging non-governmental organisations to partner up with governmental entities. While the idea of consolidating resources and knowledge to work together sounds efficient and effective, the reality is somewhat more bleak.

Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing

 

Last month, the postgraduate students of the Masters in Local Economic Development (LED) at the London School of Economics held their annual LED Forum. It was an all-day conference that brought together a series of international key players in this broad field of local economic development, including representatives from the Urban Development programmes of universities in Istanbul, practitioners from the Greater London Authority and others from institutions such as the OECD and the European Investment Bank.

Chefs in Development

 

Often times one thinks that in order to be part of the development efforts working in NGOs or multilateral agencies is the only way. Yet, if you have another passion or a particular skill you are good at and passionate about there is always the possibility of combining your two interests in your career. The work of Benjamin Villegas and his team illustrates exactly that through the restaurant chain they have set up in Colombia called Wok.