Browsing by Subject "USAID"
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Item Open Access Possibilities for the Re-collection and Recycling of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLINs) in Sub-Saharan Africa(2009-04-24T17:56:28Z) Koehrn, KaraThe United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have relied heavily on the distribution of bednets to curb malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, WHO has recently recommended a massive scale-up of its distribution of long long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). Many nets in circulation are already reaching their end-of-life stage, and with more nets on the way USAID and WHO are concerned that discarded nets will have negative impacts on both the environment and human health. This master’s project addresses two issues of concern for USAID’s LLIN technical team: 1) whether a disposal/recycling program is a possibility for manufacturers and donors, and 2) whether there are realistic possibilities for retrieving nets from the field after they have lost their efficacy. Research on these issues was conducted through a literature review and a series of interviews with manufacturers, donors and other stake-holders. Results indicate that take-back and recycling programs could be a possibility. Manufacturers are receptive to the idea of more environmentally friendly practices including recycling old nets and using biodegradable packaging. They are also continuing to develop technology to make recycling nets a possibility. Additionally, the World Bank’s estimate for cost of recycling programs is feasible for donors at this time. Existing recycling programs in developing countries have also provided models of successful examples for take-back programs in sub-Saharan Africa. They highlight the importance of education and the value of using existing infrastructure for sustainable programs with high success rates.Item Open Access Public-Private Partnership Design for Inclusive Cocoa Global Value Chains in Ghana(2016-06-22) Harris, BahariWithin 10 years, there could be a severe global shortage in the supply of cocoa, according to industry practitioners and other experts. Due to global population growth and the emergence of a growing global middle class, by 2025 the cocoa crop would need to increase by nearly 50 per cent to keep up with projected demand. A potential shortage of supply is a direct threat to the business model of lead firms – including cocoa grinders and processors, chocolate confectioners, and retail distributors. But these international firms – the ones that will suffer the most if there is a shortage of cocoa supply – are helping create the market failure that is stifling sustainability. Functioning as a two-tiered consolidated oligopoly with a combined market share of approximately 89%, these firms enjoy the largest portion of value capture in the cocoa-chocolate global value chain (GVC). The smallholder cocoa producers, conversely, are trapped in low value-add segments of the GVC. In fact, most smallholder farmers survive on less than $1.00 per day per capita, on average in many cocoa exporting countries. In Ghana - the second largest producer of cocoa in the world - the government has accomplished little to help these smallholders upgrade and make cocoa an attractive sector for the next generation to inherit. The result – both in Ghana and around the world – is a lack of sustainability of the supply of cocoa. Demand is already beginning to outstrip supply. As a result of these underlying circumstances, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has posed the following policy question: "Under what conditions could USAID, as a development agency, support and enhance potential public-private partnerships in order to improve the bargaining power (and financial wherewithal) of smallholder organizations and farmers in the context of the global value chain for cocoa in Ghana?"