Venu: It’s great to be here, Spiffy! IRRI is dedicated to abolishing poverty and hunger among people and populations that depend on rice-based agri-food systems. Through our work and partnerships, we aim to improve the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers, promote environmental sustainability in a world challenged by climate change, and support the empowerment of women and youth in the rice industry. Our unit manages the International Rice Genebank (IRG), which conserves the world’s largest collection of rice genetic diversity.
Michael: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Agpreneur tackles the challenge of post-harvest losses, limited market access, and financial constraints facing smallholder farmers. We provide integrated tech solutions such as storage, market linkage, and credit services, enhancing farm profitability, and sustainability.
Björn: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Nepal is one of the world’s most disaster prone countries. Yet 2.7 million people are still living in unsafe houses. Most new homes are built using fired bricks, which emit a huge amount of CO2 emissions and air pollution, harming our planet. Build up Nepal is addressing this by supporting local entrepreneurs to make eco-friendly bricks and build safe, affordable houses. Our ‘ECO2Bricks’ are greener, cheaper, and safer than fired bricks.
