Tag Archives: brazil
edge’s Growth Business Associate: Evelyne Kiambati (Kenya)
Evelyne Kiambati is an edge’s Growth Business Associate for 2012 cohort, she works in Babajob in Bangalore, India. a business that bring the social-networkin… Continue reading
EU Urges Investment Drive In African Farm Sector
Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:03am EDT * Farm chief calls on EU business to boost investments * Europe keen to match rising interest from China , Brazil * Investments must respect local land rights, Ciolos says BRUSSELS, April 10 (Reuters) – European companies must invest more in Africa’s agricultural sector to keep pace with growing interest from countries such as China and Brazil , the bloc’s top farm official said on Wednesday. Home to a quarter of the world’s fertile land but only 10 percent of global agricultural output, the potential for growth in Africa’s farming sector is clear, EU farm commissioner Dacian Ciolos said. But poor transport and storage infrastructure are among the factors holding back growth in the sector, which not only threatens the continent’s food security, but also presents an opportunity for private investment from Europe and elsewhere. “This shows the importance for the European Union to be present in the food security debate and not turn its back on Africa, just as other parts of the world become more and more interested,” Ciolos told a workshop in Brussels on African farm investment. Greater private investment in African agriculture would also help fill the gap created by declining European public support for the sector, which has fallen by half since the 1980s, Ciolos said. “Agriculture has been side-lined in favour of other political and economic priorities, despite the challenge of global hunger,” he said. Rising global food demand in recent years has driven an increase in large-scale land investments in sub-Saharan Africa by foreign companies, which have been accused of “land-grabbing” with the help of compliant African officials. Ciolos said governments and companies had a shared responsibility to ensure that any investment respected the rights of local communities to access land, and urged a focus on investing in small farmers which account for 70 percent of total output. (Reporting by Georgina MacDougall; Editing by Charlie Dunmore and Helen Massy-Beresford) Continue reading
Latin America Clean Energy Investments Surged 127% Higher In 2012
April 30, 2013 Some $4.6 billion of clean energy investments were made in Latin America (excluding Brazil) in 2012, a whopping 127% increase from 2011, according to figures released in advance of the third annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum – Latin America & Caribbean (REFF-LAC), which is being held in Miami this week. In sharp contrast to the strong gain in Latin America clean energy investments, new clean energy investments fell 11% year over year globally, from $302.32 billion in 2011 to $268.69 billion, according to the latest report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The global decrease was the first fall in renewable energy financing recorded by BNEF since it began collecting data. Latin America: A Clean Energy Investment Bright Spot In 2012 Latin America was a bright spot amid an overall decline in global renewable energy financing in 2012. Four countries experienced triple-digit clean energy investment growth: Mexico’s total new financial investments in clean energy for 2012 reached $1.9 billion, up 595% year over year; New financial investments in clean energy totaled $1 billion, up 313% from $246 million in 2011; Uruguay’s total new investments in clean energy reached $105 million, a 285% year-over-year increase; Total clean energy investments in Peru reached $643 million, a 176% increase from $233 million in 2011. By dollar amount, Brazil actually led the Latin America & Caribbean region when it came to total clean energy investments. Some $5.17 billion of capital was invested in clean energy in South America’s largest nation in 2012, according to BNEF. Mexico ($1.998 billion) and Chile ($1.018 billion) ranked second and third, respectively. Turning to 2012, LatAm-Caribbean investments in clean energy sectors, biomass and waste attracted the most capital ($822.34 million), biofuels followed ($539.47 million), and geothermal ranked third ($76.69 million), BNEF found. “The increased investments in non-Brazil Latin America was driven by increased activity by the Inter-American Development Bank,” Maria Gabriela da Rocha Oliveira, BNEF’s head of Latin America Research and Analysis, was quoted in a press release. “Additionally, European players, both project developers and manufacturers, have become more active in the region given grim conditions at home.” Added Carlos St. James, president of the Latin American & Caribbean Council on Renewable Energy (LAC-CORE) and CEO of VOLA Investments LLC: “As investments in clean energy declined in 2012 due to the ongoing financial crisis, the sector was actually growing in most of Latin America. This is a huge boon for clean energy finance and the region, which we expect to continue to grow. The most exciting trend is that this has moved beyond Brazil, with other countries now seeing amazing growth and potential.” Read more at http://cleantechnica…8VV0xjeBROwJ.99 Continue reading
