Economic Development

Semilla Nueva improves nutrition, poverty, and climate resilience in Guatemala with biofortified corn seeds. They develop high yielding, climate resilient corn seeds that have been conventionally bred (non-GMO) to have higher levels of zinc, iron, and quality protein and promote and sell the seeds at subsidized prices to farmers and seed companies.

The Global Development Incubator (GDI) develops transformational development ventures, working to build and scale the next generation of social impact solutions. Whether these concepts originate from sector experts, or are developed and tested internally, GDI creates new approaches to address persistent global issues.

Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and the Shockwave Foundation are partnering on the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge.

RAIN aims to identify seed-level innovative agricultural ideas that are meeting climate resilience needs in East Africa and scale them to sustainable business ideas of interest to private investors and funders. In addition to awarding new innovative agricultural initiatives with seed funds, we will provide customized support to maximize each initiative’s potential for impact. The challenge will align potential funders to these initiatives and drive attention to the urgent need for agricultural systems transformation.

Blue Harvest, launched by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with Keurig Dr. Pepper and the Inter-American Development Bank, transforms livelihoods and restores land and water resources through Water Smart Agriculture (WSA) in the coffee lands of Central America. Blue Harvest capitalizes on the symbiotic relationship between well-managed coffee agroforestry systems and good watershed management to increase climate resilience, productivity, and profitability for farmers while reducing landslide and flooding risks and contributing to sustainable water access for communities downstream.

The Agroecology Fund (AEF) is a multi-donor fund supporting agroecological practices and policies. The Fund aims to support viable food systems, promote the economic well-being and human rights of small farmers and their communities, and mitigate climate change through low input agriculture featuring sustainable soil and water use. It links organizations and movements that advance agroecological solutions locally, regionally and globally.

Saha Global brings the cleanest water to the hardest-to-reach people who need it most. They develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem that provides treated clean water for people whose best alternative is gathering surface water from contaminated sources.

Root Capital invests in the growth of agricultural enterprises that support smallholder farmers. They seek out enterprises whose credit needs are too big for micro-finance and too small or risky for commercial banks. They provide loans ranging from $200,000 to $2 million specially tailored to harvest and sales cycles. To help businesses grow over the long-term, they also provide highly-customized training to strengthen their financial management, governance, and agronomic capacity.

The Foundation for Community Development and Empowerment, FCDE, empowers communities to lead their own development by increasing the effectiveness and sustainability of local organizations. They help grassroots partners assess, envision and attain organizational growth to drive community change.

Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe) reduces environmental resource conflicts by providing tools to civil society organizations to catalyze collective action. They work to influence policy and investor priorities.

They are an international, non-profit, entrepreneurial change initiative working to address resource competition, and strengthen governance and livelihood resilience in interconnected resource domains and landscapes, including agricultural lands, forests, fisheries, inland waterways and coastal zones.

They foster innovations that sustain critical ecosystem services, build resilient local economies and increase social and economic well-being.

The Rise Fund invests in companies driving measurable social and environmental impact alongside business performance and strong returns. With $4 billion under management, The Rise Fund platform works with growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that have the power to change the world.

Horizon Environment and Climate solutions is a one billion dollar fund that will make approximate 16 growth equity investments into businesses that support one of five themes: “ecosystem services and water”; waste and materials; sustainable food and agriculture; sustainable transport; and clean energy.

The Women’s Climate Center (WCCI) concept recognizes that the answer to climate security lies within the local and indigenous knowledge of women who farm, raise families and build communities throughout the world. Their ultimate goal is to share that knowledge so that agricultural yields become vigorous, safe drinking water becomes routine, water-borne disease becomes a part of history and revenue generating opportunities and newly-learned business skills unlock a more prosperous and climate resilient future for rural women and girls.

At its core, solar is a simple, predictable, and widely available source of energy. GSSG is committed to creating the world’s premier solar-only investment firm.

Every farmer has a different set of opportunities and challenges. For some, a community of like-minded farmers is all that is needed to revolutionize their operation. The catalyst for others can be markets that reward their stewardship of land. Some need an integrated farm plan that brings clarity and technique to their vision. Mad Agriculture meets farmers on their journey, helping them thrive in making a living growing plants and raising animals in relationship with their place.

Catalyst 2030 is a network of NGOs, social enterprises, funders and other social change innovators, who are collaborating to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initiated by leading social entrepreneurs from Ashoka, Echoing Green, the Schwab Foundation, the Skoll Foundation and other global networks of social entrepreneurs, Catalyst 2030 aims to galvanize collaboration across sectors to unleash collective potential for global systems change.

The Impact America Fund bridges the financial and cultural divides that have kept low- and moderate-income people of color on the sidelines of the modern economy.

Sabore’s Well was founded in January 2009. The organization has drilled boreholes that have helped the Maasai community by bringing water collection points closer to the villages. It has installed large water storage tanks to allow for constant and immediate access to safe clean drinking water.