This Week in Global Development

For this special episode of our weekly podcast series, Devex EVP and Executive Editor Kate Warren sits down with leaders from Bayer and Mars who discuss the challenges and opportunities for the private sector in addressing climate change.

For this special episode of our weekly podcast series recorded at COP29, Devex climate reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz sits down with Kulthoum Omari-Motsumi from the Africa Adaptation Initiative, Patrick Verkooijen of the Global Center on Adaptation, and Tagaloa Cooper from the South Pacific Regional Environment Program.

Agriculture is both a driver of climate change, with around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from direct on farm emissions, and a potential game changer in mitigating it, if carried out sustainably. Yet currently agriculture receives only 4.3% of total mitigation and adaptation finance, making it an underutilized part of the solution to climate change.

“Maybe an important conversation to have in Baku is to say, of the finances that we have available, are we all focussing on the sectors where we can see true, tangible, and implementable solutions,” said CropLife International’s Vice President for public affairs and communications Laurie Goodwin, the global association that advocates on behalf of plant science innovation.

In a conversation with Devex Executive Vice President and Executive Editor Kate Warren, Goodwin and CropLife International’s President and CEO Emily Rees discussed advancements in plant science and the role of innovation, such as the use of digital tools — otherwise known as precision agriculture — in building resilience in global food systems. “It’s a real digital revolution, a farming revolution, that we’re seeing,” said Rees. “I think it’s really important to keep in mind what the benefits are of this from a biodiversity perspective, from a conservation perspective, from a land degradation perspective.”

Listen to their conversation to hear how innovative technologies are helping improve crop resilience and yields, and what more is needed to ensure these solutions reach smallholder farmers.

While the African continent has seen significant economic growth in recent years, it continues to grapple with critical infrastructure challenges that hamper business expansion, service delivery, trade, investment, as well as sustainable development. 

In the latest episode of This Week in Global Development, Devex Executive Vice President Kate Warren speaks with Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, during the 2024 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C. Since its launch seven years ago, Africa50 has emerged as a key player in bridging the infrastructure gap across the continent, focusing on project development to create a pipeline of bankable projects.

Listen to the podcast episode for the full interview, where Warren and Ebobissé discuss the future of infrastructure in Africa, the importance of climate being built into infrastructure projects, and innovative strategies being employed to create lasting impact across the continent.

As the COP 29 U.N. climate conference kicks off in Baku, Azerbaijan, we look ahead to the potential implications of the discussions on the global development sector.

Labeled as the “finance COP,” one of the expected outcomes of the summit is a new financial goal for high-income countries to deliver to lower-income countries to address the challenges induced by climate change.

With Trump’s recent reelection and implications for development, as well as Europe’s ongoing cuts to development funding, serious questions remain over whether ambitious financial and political commitments will be made, and if the discussions will translate into meaningful action.

What are we expecting from COP29? Which are the conversations that we will be following?Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Devex reporters Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Ayenat Mersie for this special episode of our weekly podcast series ahead of COP 29.

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This week we discuss the key takeaways from Devex World 2024, our flagship event that took place in Washington, D.C., alongside the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual meetings. From discussions with philanthropist Howard Buffett, who called for increased aid to Ukraine, to a conversation with former executive director of the World Food Programme David Beasley, who believes the U.S. can once again lead on foreign aid, the event brought together key figures in global development.

We also sat down with Republicans and Democrats to dig into what the U.S. election means for global development and discuss the direction that a Kamala Harris presidency or a Donald Trump presidency would take U.S. foreign policy.

For the latest edition of our weekly podcast series, Devex Managing Editor Anna Gawel sits down with Business Editor David Ainsworth and Global Development Reporter Elissa Miolene to look back at the highlights from Devex World 2024.

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