Did you know that Brazil is the fourth largest (volume) food producer in the world? They are also a long way off from reaching their full potential. Currently Brazil has almost 70m hectares of farmland in production, yet, it is estimated that this can be sustainable increased to almost 300m Read more…
Want to learn about what challenges the agriculture and food system are facing (now and in the future), what’s at stake and what needs to be done about it? Well, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) took a stab at it and condensed their knowledge on the subject in a neat Read more…
As they say, information is power. Yet, most research remains tucked away behind paywalls. This means that unless your computer is on the network of a university with an expensive subscription, you have to pay a fee, usually around 30 bucks per paper! Elsevier, a major publisher, controls access to Read more…
According to a report released by the Giving USA Foundation, which conducts research and education on philanthropy, Americans are donating more money to charity than ever before as total charitable donations from individuals, estates, foundations, and corporations rose to US$ 373.25 billion, representing a 4% increase compared to 2014. On average, Read more…
The headline has probably caught many by surprise. How can anyone call for an international investigation and a public inquiry into one of the biggest philanthropists of all time?!? Well, in January the Global Justice Now foundation did just that by realising a critical report on the Bill & Melinda Gates Read more…
The Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab, in association with Initiative for Smallholder Finance, released a new study ‘Inflection Point: Unlocking growth in the era of farmer finance.‘ The new study builds on the Dalberg’s 2012 Catalyzing Smallholder Agricultural Finance report. The thirst for smallholder finance is staggering. Over 270 million Read more…
BNP Paribas Wealth Management, together with Forbes Insights, released new research into the giving habits of wealthy philanthropists. The report, BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index 2016, analyzes individual giving in Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East. It shares some interesting findings, some which I have highlighted in the Read more…
After analysing the impact investing market in Asia, East and West Africa, GIIN, together with Open Capital Advisors, has now also analysed the Impact Investing market in Southern Africa. Many believe Impact Investing has not yet reached the region, however, their findings suggest the contrary. The study included 12 countries, Read more…
Many wonder what keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life. Most think it’s fame and money, however according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger you are wrong. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In Read more…
It may sound ludicrous and many of us hate it, yet, increased bureaucracy may be just what ‘the poor’ in developing parts of the world need. Presently, four billion (!) people live without an official address, which is actually a bigger problem than one may think. Why you ask? Well Read more…