The in-depth digital knowledge platform of the International Trade Centre explores export development and trade issues in developing and least developed countries. The contributions focus on trade promotion and export development as part of the International Trade Centre’s technical cooperation programme with developing countries and economies in transition.
Evelyn Seltier of Trade Forum checked in with Michael Ocansey, the winner of the first-ever ITC pitching contest in 2017, to hear how his company Agrocenta has evolved since then. This start-up set out to support smallholder farmers by connecting them to big buyers, but seven years later things have...
If you wanted to impact the lives of disadvantaged women and refugees, who are struggling to survive, what would you do? No idea? Luckily, we have young, inspiring entrepreneurs such as Tamara Gondo, who have found ways to help. Meet the 27-year-old founder and CEO of Liberty Society...
Larry Gardiner launched a vegan coconut ice cream line in Jamaica that is healthy, boasts Caribbean flavours and uses sustainably sourced ingredients from local farmer communities. Read how a successful businessman, who returned from the United States to his home country of Jamaica and...
You might have never tasted or even heard of kava, a plant indigenous to the South Pacific. But kava bars are increasingly popping up in new markets thanks to passionate traders like Michael Louzé. The Vanuatu citizen promises quality produce that empowers Indigenous farmers...
Imagine a life without clean air, where even indoors you cannot escape the fumes that come from burning coal. Difficult, isn’t it? This is the reality for many Mongolians living in one of the coldest, most polluted cities in the world, Ulaanbaatar. However, thanks to the innovations...
Mashrur Hossain uses technology to alleviate poverty, strengthen food security, and fight climate change in his home country, Bangladesh. Read about a young engineer’s AI-based solution that could change the lives of millions of smallholder farmers, even beyond Bangladesh’s...
Using biotechnology, entrepreneur Lidia Díaz from the Dominican Republic sets out to conquer the frozen vegan food market. In a creative manner, she caters to the needs of conscious consumers who care for their health and the environment – and at the same time supports her local community. Read...
How do you recultivate abandoned and degraded land, empower women’s rights and fight hunger at the same time? Plant the crop fonio, a revolutionary idea by Salma Abdulai in Northern Ghana.
A tree-to-bar chocolate brand from the Philippines gives back to community while achieving success in European markets.
As a young person, figuring out what to do with your life is never an easy task. Even more so for young women in least developed economies. This is the inspiring story of Naila Sakandé from Burkina Faso who weaved her way to financial independence – and has big dreams.
Pinphet Phongsouli not only made drip coffee popular in her hometown of Pakse, but is also a café owner, the first Lao woman to be certified as Q grader, and a Robusta and Arabica coffee producer.
Making a profit in the creative industries is challenging. The more so in developing countries, where fine arts are not yet valued enough as a stable, income-generating profession. Musa Sarr from the Gambia is hoping to change that.
How do you keep solar power running after the panels have been installed? You only need the right maintenance, says civil engineer Douglas Baguma from Uganda. His company Innovex offers cloud-based IoT solutions that could spur the continent’s use of solar power.
With her will and vision, Kenyan entrepreneur Yvonne Otieno maintains sustainable production practices.
Riding the boom in organic products, Bouchra Masrour has carved out a niche in Tunisia’s cosmetics industry. She grows the ingredients, makes the products, and sells them. Now, she’s ready to export.
What do you get when you mix passion for sustainable waste management with innovative minds? Recycle X. The start-up company wants to revolutionize the construction industry. And they are on a promising path to achieving just that.
Trading sustainable products from the Peruvian Amazon creates the harmony between money, people, and planet that the world needs, says Shiwi Founder Sofía Rubio.
As businesses around the world navigate the economic effects of a global pandemic, KAEME is determined to remain resilient in pursuing its mission.
Seven years ago, three young women created social enterprise Du Anyam to ensure additional income for women communities in rural Indonesia. Their business has reached an impact far beyond their imagination.
Pasciolco Agri Ventures is contributing to the sustainable, economic development of the Philippine community of Quezon by exporting its organic coconut products to the European Union. A business that began 25 years ago with a basic manufacturing facility inside a coconut farm, today...
Attracting and retaining youth in the agricultural sector remains a challenge. However, working in agriculture might be just the right answer to tackling growing youth unemployment on the African continent.
Being a micro entrepreneur in Côte d’Ivoire can be arduous, especially in the creative industries. But there are ways to push through. And this is exactly what Safi Kréations is doing.
When Massa Charles Frank decided to change career, he transformed a community of women farmers
At only 26, while living in London, Thuy Nguyen found her life’s mission: to build an inclusive enterprise back home in Ho Chi Minh City. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the young entrepreneur extended her customer base and remained resilient in uncertain times.
