Blog
Quality on Tap
May 29, 2019
Just as water pumps are a ubiquitous symbol of international development, a broken one is the symbol of the sector’s need for oversight and quality assurance. Enter Badri Baral, director of Winrock International’s Renewable Energy Project Support Office in Nepal. He oversees Winrock’s latest project with USAID Nepal, Safaa Pani, providing oversight and quality control […]
‘Everybody is Bringing Something to the Table’
May 28, 2019
At its best, mentorship is an essential component of growth and development for both mentors and mentees. This is certainly true for participants in the Community Food Systems Mentorship Program, a national initiative led by Winrock’s Wallace Center that builds mentoring relationships among food systems leaders across the U.S. “While it is extremely important that […]
Shaping Green Growth in Malawi
April 15, 2019
As my third trip to Malawi in a year came to an end, it was apparent that we have reached a milestone that many might not have thought achievable when we started this project five years ago. On April 4, I attended the launch of Malawi’s new National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System (GHG-IS), where Government […]
Keeping Fish Fresh in Mozambique
April 9, 2019
This year the Clean Energy team is implementing a new project called GreenTech, where we are working with U.S. refrigeration company SunDanzer to commercialize solar chillers for smallholders in five African countries. In Mozambique, where the electrical grid covers only 28 percent of the population, our mandate is to determine whether there is a feasible […]
Goat Bridges the Cultural Divide
March 28, 2019
The mission of Winrock International’s agriculture unit is to develop partnerships, pilot new ideas and advance solutions to strengthen communities through resilient farming and food systems. While our impact is global, sometimes we get to enjoy the benefits ourselves. This February, two important events for Winrock converged in Washington, D.C. Winrock’s international agriculture programs […]
What You May Not Know About Vietnam
March 11, 2019
As Asia’s newest tiger economy and host of the Trump-Kim Nuclear Summit on February 27-28, Vietnam has been the subject of amplified international attention recently. Yet the roar of press coverage about the country’s impressive post-war transformation has failed to highlight the example Vietnam has set for balancing economic development with climate goals. Since 2012, […]
Women Helping Women in Ghana
March 7, 2019
Named in honor of Winrock’s former president, Robert Havener, and his wife Elizabeth, the Havener Endowment Fund provides agricultural education and training for African women. The fund is piloting an internship program for recent female graduates and providing additional resources to women farmers living in cocoa communities engaged in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Mobilizing […]
Making Rice Sustainable
February 6, 2019
Siem Reap, Cambodia is home to Angkor Wat, one of the largest religious complexes in the world. The Angkor Wat temple complex and the 12th-century Angkor Thom royal city attract over two million tourists per year to the city in northwestern Cambodia. In late January, Siem Reap was also host to the Sustainable Rice Platform’s […]
New Ways to Combat Human Trafficking
January 17, 2019
In early December, I left the balmy climate of Southern California, where I work as a telecommuter for Winrock International, to spend nearly 48 hours traveling to Siberia. While the coldest region in one of the coldest countries in the world may not sound like the most logical winter destination, more than 200 dedicated individuals […]
At the Intersection of Business and Human Rights
December 17, 2018
As we enter the holiday season, more and more consumers look for “kind” gifts, checking that the products are made sustainably and that no forced or child labor was involved in their production. This increased consumer scrutiny reflects an expanded awareness of the damage that some business practices may cause. Whether it is the environmental […]