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Innovation, Technology, and Finance to make SMEs Stronger and More Productive
An initiative driven in El Salvador by IDB Invest, IDB Lab, and Banco Cuscatlán promotes digital transformation and adopting financial and non-financial products.
Superfoods also take care of Amazonia’s health
The development of sustainable value chains for quinoa, cocoa, sesame, and other high-nutritional-value crops can foster integration into international markets, benefit the region, and contribute to sustainable development goals.
By Adopting Traceability in Its Supply Chain This Company Managed to Become More Sustainable
In a world where sustainability is part of the DNA of business, an Ecuadorian company implemented standards to guarantee socially just and ecologically respectful practices throughout the value chain.
Three ways multilaterals support local banks and drive innovation in the Caribbean
Local banks are a core component of the market architecture in Latin America and the Caribbean with the potential to catalyze innovation and growth. As I return from the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Trinidad & Tobago, my third visit to the country this year, I am reminded how dynamic and innovative its business environment is and how multilaterals can better engage Caribbean business. Here are three ways we support local banks and drive innovation.
Data gaps and women entrepreneurs: why they matter
* By Nancy Lee, General Manager, Multilateral Investment Fund While moderating a panel at the annual summit of the Global Banking Alliance for Women on gaps in data about the women’s market, I briefed the audience of about 200 on the gender-related results of a 2013 survey by FELABAN, the Latin American bankers’ association. The survey posed two questions to regional bankers regarding use of data broken down by gender and how banks serve their women clients.
EYE Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for EYE Bonds!
Three firsts for the Education, Youth and Employment Bond program * By Michelle Viegas On September 23, 2014, a delivery of 16 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream arrived to the Boston office of Breckinridge Capital Advisors. Observers may have assumed that it had been ordered for a celebration, perhaps for a company anniversary or an employee’s retirement or birthday. That day, however, similar deliveries were made to various companies throughout Boston, including Zipcar, Patagonia and Invested Development. Ben & Jerry’s was simply thanking them for their contributions as fellow certified B Corps – companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. As the certifying non-profit B Lab explains, “B Corp certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building.”
The business case for buying less, but good stuff
I dare you: Can you buy nothing for a whole day? I know it sounds tough, but this was the idea behind the first day of No Impact Week at the IDB – No Consumption Day.
Can Latin American firms succeed in China?
By Theodore Kahn* Are there opportunities for Latin American firms in China beyond iron ore, soy beans, copper, and a handful of other commodities? This question has been on the mind of policymakers in the region ever since LAC-China trade took off in the early 2000s, driven by China’s strong demand for natural resources traditionally provided by Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
How can business have no impact
A record number of people took to the streets of New York this past Sunday to demonstrate their concern over climate change. In anticipation of the UN Climate Summit this week, more than 1,500 organizations joined efforts in the People’s Climate March. The marchers advocated for political action to change living conditions and to support a better world where people and the planet can live in harmony.