Following the evolution of climate adaptation through the businesses closest to the farmer

There is a familiar way of describing the climate adaptation challenge in agriculture.

Climate risks are increasing. Smallholder farmers are highly exposed. Solutions already exist: drought-resilient seeds, solar irrigation, cold storage, weather advisory, water-management systems, renewable-energy technologies and better post-harvest infrastructure. Yet adoption remains low.

From there, the discussion often moves quickly to finance.

Farmers cannot afford the technologies. Local enterprises cannot finance inventory. Banks are reluctant to lend. Adaptation capital is insufficient. Therefore, more finance is required.

There is truth in...

Looking beyond collection, technology and private participation to understand where the waste-management chain actually breaks

There is something puzzling about urban waste management in India.

Over the years, we have built rules, municipal systems, collection networks, processing facilities and increasingly sophisticated technologies. Private companies participate in collection, transportation, sorting and processing. Informal markets have recovered valuable materials for decades. Cities have experimented with waste-picker cooperatives, decentralised processing, public-private partnerships, waste-to-energy plants and different forms of recycling.

And yet, the problem remains stubbornly difficult.

India generated about 170,339 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day...

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