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Innovative Partnerships Towards Water & Food Security in Latin America

with patron programming partner

ffth logo primary rgb 1 - Innovative Partnerships Towards Water & Food Security in Latin America

SpeakerS:

Mark Viso, CEO &  President, Food For The Hungry
Monica Ellis, CEO, Global Environment & Technology Foundation
Daniel Gutwein, Senior Director, Education and N50 Project, Intel
Dr. Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Key takeaways & next steps:

  • Emphasis has to remain on reducing poverty in rural areas where poverty is disproportionately concentrated; the problem is not dwindling supply but instead high prices, due to inflation caused by external factors such as supply chain disruptions and climate change.
  • As an immediate next step, we should utilize new technologies, providing more comprehensive information on weather, pests, and diseases, and encouraging better practices to ensure resilience to the effects of climate change. 
  • We need to view solutions through the lens of gender; women invest roughly 90% of their income back into their local community.
  • There are two key areas for investment. First, horticulture: there is demand for fruits and vegetables in urban centers, which will benefit smallholder farmers. Second, coffee: smallholders depend on this trade and timely investment could help overcome key challenges such as coffee rust. 
  • Ensuring access to digital technology is crucial in providing information regarding climate impacts, the pricing of goods, and access to water—all of which have the power to be transformational in the lives of smallholder farmers, many of whom have limited or no access to such information.
  • While connectivity is possible in most areas of the planet, digital literacy and awareness often holds many back. N50 Project demonstrates the power of private sector collaboration as a solution to this problem; the project involves countless private sectors with the aim of connecting the 50% of the planet currently without access to digital technology. 

“Women really are the drivers of resilience in communities.”

 

Mark Viso, CEO & President, Food For The Hungry

“Resiliency and sustainability are coming together and having a moment.”

 
Monica Ellis, CEO, Global Environment & Technology Foundation

“There is no one company, NGO, or government that can solve all these problems, but by working together I think we can.”

 
Daniel Gutwein, Senior Director, Education & N50 Project, Intel

“Data and digital access is so critical. Think of how empowering it is for a woman to know the price of a product while she’s on her farm in Tegucigalpa.”

 
Dr. Rob Bertram, Chief Scientist, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

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