Under the theme “Cacao is Gold,” we met with our friends and colleagues for two days at the Annual National Cacao Congress on November 24th-25th to create strategies to make the cacao industry in the Philippines reach its full potential. MEDA presented its Global Affairs-funded Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) project.
MEDA is pleased to announce that the USD $200 million Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund (MFAGF) launched today. The Fund-of-Funds initiative will help advance the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young people in Africa, particularly young women, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
In 2015, the world came together in Paris, France at the 21st Annual Conference of Parties (COP) to implement the Paris Agreement. This legally binding international treaty on climate change committed 196 countries to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. It is expected every COP after Paris will build on its impressive achievement.
MEDA was a co-sponsor and presenter of the Gender Lens Investing Forum and the Latin America Impact Investment Forum (GLI FLII) in Latin America 2022. This forum took place from November 7th-10th. Co-organized by Pro Mujer and Alterna, the forum served as a key platform for learning, discussion, and networking on impact investing in Latin America and the Caribbean and focused on how Gender Lens investing is an effective driver of equality and economic development in the region.
A couple of weeks ago, MEDA’s Annual Convention allowed us to see our colleagues, friends, and supporters in person for the first time since 2019. We heard from engaging speakers and participated in various tours and networking events. As part of the Convention, I was one of the speakers at the “Addressing the risks in our global food systems and what it means for entrepreneurs” seminar. Along with my great colleagues, we had an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face in the current global food system (GFS).
Under the theme, “Celebrating Entrepreneurship,” MEDA celebrated its first in-person Annual Convention since 2019. From November 3rd-6th, this well-attended event included an engaging lineup of speakers and activities. Attendees listened to dynamic speakers and participated in various tours and networking events.
My colleague Vymala Thuron and I were pleased to attend the GIIN Forum 2022 as MEDA representatives. For MEDA, using finance for social and environmental change is critical as we work in agri-food systems where we need to ensure these considerations are mainstreamed in each of our interventions including when deploying capital.
This year’s growing season was particularly difficult for farmers around the world. With supply disruptions caused, in part, by sanctions against Belarus and Russia, synthetic fertilizer prices skyrocketed, doubling their prices at the beginning of the growing season in April and May 2022.
Rural women play a critical role in agriculture, making up more than 40% of the labor force in many lower to middle-income economies. Yet they are disproportionately affected by poverty, perpetuated by unequal access to productive resources, non-participation in decision-making processes at all levels of governance (traditional, government, and household), and other forms of discrimination.
In 2020, MEDA launched a bold Strategic Plan, Towards an Equal World. The plan outlines our ambitious goal of creating or sustaining decent work for half a million people in emerging economies by 2030 by strengthening agri-food market systems, working in partnership with others to drive system-level impact, and most importantly, shifting decision-making from the Global North to the Global South.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is an international economic development organization that creates business solutions to poverty.
MEDA International is a Canadian non-share capital not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is a 501(c)(3) status non-profit organization in the United States: EIN 23-7398678.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates of Canada is a registered charity in Canada: No. 107 691 057 RR0001.
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