Since the Securing Water for Food (SWFF) and Powering Agriculture (PAEGC) Grand Challenges launched in 2013, a lot has changed within the water-energy-food nexus; the need for climate-resilient farming has grown, the Sustainable Development Goals were created, and more people are aware that food systems around the world must use less water and energy while producing more food.
Accompanying these changes, is a growing interest in solving water, energy, and agricultural challenges through private sector engagement and innovation. Governments and international programming and organizations now recognize how crucial private sector engagement is for creating meaningful impacts on farmers, natural resource use, poverty, and gender equality. Meanwhile, businesses and investors are also realizing that they must incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESGs) principles into their operations and develop new business models that integrate all consumers – specifically those in the base of the pyramid (BOP) socioeconomic group and women.
During WE4F’s webinar series, Where Do We Go from Here? Lessons Learned for Future Water-Energy-Food Programming, WE4F, along with SWFF and PAEGC, covered many of the crucial topics to which stakeholders are currently seeking answers. From SWFF innovator gender integration to the impact of COVID-19 on WE4F activities, the sessions covered what the audience should do to build new, innovative, locally-sustainable programming.
Innovators and experts shared many insights, recommendations and experiences over the course of the entire series. With a total of 10 webinars, it can be overwhelming to know which session to view or where to even begin digesting it all. Below is a breakdown of the webinars and what they cover:
Webinar
Why?
Supporting Innovators Post COVID-19
You’re a(n)…..
- Investor
- Government
- Non-profit
- Business Service Provider
- NGO
- Program
- Financier
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Understand how COVID-19 is affecting businesses
- Be able to pivot your operations to accommodate changes in operations
- Offer support to businesses during unprecedented shifts in the water, energy, food sectors
Navigating Business Models for Base of the Pyramid Consumers
You’re a(n)…..
- Business
- Investor
- Social Enterprise
- Start-up
- Business Services Provider
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Understand BOP consumers
- Expand to a new customer base
- Develop new sales strategies
- Create new financing options
- Pivot business operations
What Prevents Innovators from Accessing Private Capital—A PAEGC Perspective
You’re a(n)…..
- Investor
- Government
- Business
- Financier
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Expand investment opportunities
- Understand barriers faced by businesses
- Provide investment readiness support
Investment Landscapes Across the WE4F Regions
You’re a(n)…..
- Investor
- Government
- Incubator
- Business
- Business Services Provider
- Financier
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Understand regional investment landscapes – challenges, gaps, opportunities, and potential solutions
- Create new investment strategies
- Understand how COVID-19 has impacted businesses
- Develop new regional business services
- Understand needed investment categories
Policy and Regulatory Needs of Technology Providers in the Clean Energy-Agriculture Nexus
You’re a(n)…..
- Government
- Program
- Policymaker
- Non-profit
- Business
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Understand current barriers faced by businesses
- Develop new policy and regulations to improve enabling environments
- Learn from PAEGC innovators’ experiences
- Learn how to engage policy makers in a meaningful way
From Theory to Practice: Gender Integration Journey of SWFF Innovators
You’re a(n)…..
- Enterprise
- Business Services Provider
- Program
- Non-profit
- Investor
- NGO
- Incubator/Accelerator
Looking to……
- Understand businesses’ perspective on gender integration
- Learn from the experiences of SWFF innovators and technical assistance vendors
- Discover new recommendations for practical, outcome-based gender integration approaches
- Create new business services or programmatic approaches
An Enabling Environment For Sustainable Agribusinesses
You’re a(n)…..
- Business
- Government
- Investor
- Incubator/Accelerator
- Program
- Business Service Provider
Looking to……
- Learn from the experiences of PAEGC innovators and experts
- Understand financial barriers to innovators
- Develop new policy and regulation solutions
- Improve policy and financial environments for innovations
- Understand how to engage policymakers
An All-Around Take on Capacity Development for Solar-Powered Irrigation
You’re a(n)…..
- Program
- Non-profit
- Training Center
- NGO
- Business
Looking to……
- Understand lessons learned from online and off-line SPIS trainings
- Learn about WE4F support for organizing similar trainings
- Understand the new SPIS Toolbox mobile app
- Develop and offer new SPIS trainings
Social Rates of Return and Innovators’ Perspective on Local Impact
You’re a(n)…..
- Company
- Business Service Provider
- Program
- NGO
- Investor
- Government
Looking to……
- Learn from the experiences of SWFF innovators and TA experts
- Understand what SWFF’s impact was from an SROR standpoint
- Create SRORs for organizational use
- Develop new metrics for monitoring investment impact
Building Sustainable Businesses through Environmental Monitoring
You’re a(n)…..
- Government
- Companies
- Investors
- Programs
- Non-profits
- NGOs
Looking to……
- Understand how USAID implements environmental regulations
- Learn from SWFF innovator case studies
- Develop own environmental monitoring for private sector-engaged programs
