February 2023

USAID-funded SCALE-NRM releases more grants

February 21, 2023

The following release was originally issued by the USAID SCALE-NRM project in the Solomon Islands. AUKI, SOLOMON ISLANDS – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Strengthening Competitiveness, Agriculture, Livelihoods and Environment – Natural Resources Management (SCALE-NRM) activity has approved and awarded grants to eight more local organizations and small-scale farmer groups in Malaita […]

“Be my (socially responsible) Valentine?” How Winrock is reducing child labor in Ghana’s cocoa industry

February 14, 2023

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be as sweet without chocolate. And though cocoa is native to South America, nowadays, the world’s two largest chocolate producers are in West Africa. In fact, my home country, Ghana, is the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer, just after our next-door neighbors, Ivory Coast.   So when a colleague invited me to write about […]

Building on USAID investments in education

February 6, 2023

Positive change is visible in the village of Selly thanks to community leadership and investment. The arrival of USAID Mali Girls Leadership and Empowerment through Education (GLEE) in Selly sparked genuine enthusiasm for education throughout the community, especially for adolescent girls’ education, which had not been a priority for most families. Like many other villages […]

Protecting peatlands while shifting toward sustainable palm oil production

February 2, 2023

Each year, February 2nd marks the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention, now celebrated as World Wetlands Day. Signed by 90% of the world’s governments, the treaty aims to galvanize global action to prevent destruction of wetlands and conserve ecosystems. Protecting the world’s remaining wetlands is critical because they provide vital ecosystem services, […]