Paper

This paper identifies the policies and systems needed to ensure that private finance blending at the least does no harm and in practice plays a positive role for small-scale producers. The paper argues that private finance blending should be used with caution in rural development until donors can demonstrate the merits of blending using evidence-based results, in particular the added value of blending for development impact. »

This working paper discusses the interface between gender and agricultural innovation systems. More specifically, the working paper investigates how gender norms and roles influence social relations between actors in forage innovation systems in rural Afghanistan. »

This paper identifies three segments of smallholder households and provides information to strategize how to reach and serve smallholder households. Understanding the distinct profiles of smallholder segments can help financial services providers, government bodies, and agricultural development partners better identify and serve their most relevant smallholder households. »

This paper aims to explain finance innovations in a detailed way and generate insights on whether the services work as stated, create value for underserved customers, and ease age-old pain points in delivering financial services to underserved customers. Fintechs are innovating at every step of the financial services value chain, often through new value propositions. They are making financial services more affordable and accessible, are improving customere experience and accelerate use and engagement. »

This position paper highlights the importance and advantages of the water, engergy, food and ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus as an approach and methodology in EU development cooperation. The Nexus corroborates the need to not view water, energy, food and ecosystems as being separate entities, but rather as being complex and inextricably entwined. Managing the WEFE Nexus is a consultative process with key stakeholders contributing and agreeing to responses to the challenges being faced. »

The paper examines the role of land access in youth migration and employment decisions in Nigeria.The size of expected land inheritance is significantly and negatively associated with long distance migration and migration to urban areas. Rural-to-urban migration and the likelihood of youth involvement in the dual economy is more responsive to the size of the expected land inheritance for less educated youth. »