Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
Artificial Intelligence for Health Care: Diagnosing Tropical Diseases in Remote Amazon Regions
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the global health landscape, particularly in remote Amazon regions, where a new technology can diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis using a cellphone without requiring an internet connection.
Reimagining the Future of Finance in Latin America and the Caribbean
At the FinnLAC Forum 2025 in Miami, the IDB Group hosted over 500 industry leaders and experts to help redefine the future of finance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event focused on improving the ability of individuals and companies to better manage their finances, withstand economic shocks, and invest in their long-term prosperity. By highlighting innovations that broaden access, strengthen resilience, and promote overall financial health, the forum set the stage for more sustainable financial systems across the region.
Fixing the Broken Rung: How Data Can Help Advance Women’s Careers in Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the greatest disruption in women’s career progression occurs during the transition into managerial roles. A collaboration between IDB Invest and LinkedIn, within the framework of the Development Data Partnership, uses large-scale labor-market data to identify where women’s participation declines and what barriers exist across sectors and career stages.
Five reasons FinTech companies are an opportunity for financial institutions and SMEs
By Greg Da Re Access to financing has been and continues to be the main obstacle facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to a recent survey, 90% of all banks surveyed in Latin America and the Caribbean consider SMEs strategically important for their business, yet 44% acknowledge that their portfolio lacks suitable financial products for such enterprises.
Don’t let base of the pyramid millennials catch your company off guard
Hardly a day passes without a new article on how businesses are analyzing the needs, wants and spending trends of millennials. In the US alone, millennials (or Generation Y), those born between 1980 and 2000, represent 30 percent of the population. By 2025 they will be 75 percent of the workforce of this country. The impact that millennials are starting to have on the global economy, the environment, and politics is enormous. But “millennial mania” is dominated by studies, research and marketing efforts that focus on affluent individuals. Meanwhile, in Latin America and the Caribbean a market of 77 million low-income or base of the pyramid millennials goes almost unnoticed.
How to make cultural tourism inclusive and sustainable
If you want to start a hotel, the normal thing to do is buy some land, build the hotel, hire a few locals for cooking, cleaning and maintenance and open for business.
Four Ways to Get the Most out of Palm Oil in Latin America and the Caribbean
What do soap, Ben and Jerry’s, and KitKat bars have in common? They all contain palm oil, an oil produced by the oil palm tree. Indonesia and Malaysia produce the vast majority of the world’s supply and have experienced significant environmental consequences as a result. Now the crop’s profitability is attracting interest in other tropical climates, including Latin America and the Caribbean.
Improving effectiveness of development cooperation and the role of private sector
By Ichiro Toda Many collaborative efforts are underway to bring public and private development practitioners together to strengthen development effectiveness. The push for more cooperation began in November 2011 when the global development community, including the IDB, agreed to the Busan Partnership for Development Effectiveness. The principles in the agreement promote enhanced country ownership, results measurement, inclusive partnerships, transparency and mutual accountability in development work. Recognizing the central role of the private sector, the Busan final document encouraged efforts to:
Corporate social innovation is the new corporate social responsibility
By Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen A new trend in international development has paired some unlikely business partners: development finance institutions and impact investors are working with large multinational corporations to fund projects that advance both development and business agendas.
