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This blog is hosted by the Development Marketplace. It is a platform for debate and knowledge sharing on early stage development, innovation and social entrepreneurship. More »

September 2008

When you do win, then the hard work starts

Submitted by Scott Poynton on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 21:16

I’ve been reflecting on further lessons learned from our project that I could share with everyone. I’ve come up a number and they’re all interlinked. The first is that inevitably when you’re implementing innovative projects in complex contexts, you’re going to need to work with partners.

Zoellick Visits DM2008

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 12:07

Among the visitors to 2008 Global Development Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development today was World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick.

...And the Winners Are...

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 10:12

Twenty-two project winners collected their crystal awards and grant checks in the 2008 Global Development Marketplace: Sustainable Agriculture for Development competition this morning.

Two Who Won...

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 09:45

Among the 22 winning projects in the DM2008 competition was Agricultural Cooperatives for Biodiversity Conservation in Cambodia, and collecting the award were Enterprise Planner Adviser Karen Nielsen and Technical Adviser Tom Clements (in photo).

"W'e're quite excited about having our project recognized as one of the more innovative ones," said Nielsen, clutching her team's award.

Under the project, "Wildlife-friendly" products grown in conservation-protected areas in Cambodia will be marketed nationally, including at tourism centers, by cooperatives in 10 villages.

...And One Who Didn't

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 09:37

Subhas Managuli made it to the finalists' circle, buthis Best Practices Foundation proposal to improve livestock health for 2,000 small farmers in 20 villages in India didn't make the final cut that produced the 22 winners who were announced Friday morning.

"The idea is good, and I'll try to pitch it to other agencies," Managuli said as the closing ceremony wound up in the Atrium.  "I'm not going to give up. Absolutely."

DM2008 as a Learning Experience

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Fri, 09/26/2008 - 08:01

While their booths were temporarily closed during the exhibition, finalists, along with development community representatives, participated in Knowledge Exchange technical assistance workshops -- like this one on capacity building.

3 Past Winners and the Lessons They Learned

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 16:06

Three DM2008 jurors who are past grant winners are sharing their well-learned lessons with the hundred finalists.

Take 2006 winner Florence Cassassuce (in photo at right), who brought her water-purifying UV-light bucket to 900 villagers on the rural outskirts of La Paz in Baja California, Mexcio. Cassassuce, implementing her project with the advice of World Bank Senior Environmental Specialist Ricardo Hernandez Murillo, installed 3,500 buckets toward the goal of 6,00, ahead of schedule. But the original buckets didn't always work well, especially in the field, and improvements had to be made with better, and faster, plastic-injection manufacturing.

ARD's Juergen Voegele on How the Bank Will Work With the Winners

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 12:44

As the recently named Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department -- one of DM2008's funders --Juergen Voegele is leading a vigorous effort to re-energize and broaden the World Bank's commitment to agricultural development. During his peripatetic rounds of the competition, Voegele sat down for this mini-interview:

Q. What are your impressions of what you see on the floor of the exhibition?

A Juror Describes the Final Winnowing Process

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 11:25

Among the 36 jurors for the DM2008 grant competition was Thomas Pomeroy, a former USDA bilateral trade director in key regions of the world who now consults in Sub-Saharan Africa. We did this mini-interview with Pomeroy:

 Q. As part of Team 10, you looked at 12 agribusiness proposals. What was your major criterion in scoring them?

Sustainable Charcoal Production by Women in Mozambique Is Peer Choice Award Winner

Submitted by Tom Grubisich on Thu, 09/25/2008 - 07:56

A $199,050 project that would produce sustainable charcoal from bamboo and benefit 250 women entrepreneurs in Mozambique is the winner of the Peer Choice Award by the 100 DM2008 finalists.