Financial inclusion levels in Mexico continue to be embryonic, FinTech companies appears to be promissory contributors and partners in the fight against financial exclusion. Their technological innovations, when applied to financial markets, has the potential to increase the supply of financial services and lower the costs of providing them to unattended individuals.
In January 2018, a team of Cornell University students and faculty conducted a field visit to the Shan State region of Myanmar to investigate the impact that current national agricultural policy has on increased fertilizer use. Based on insights garnered from the visit, research and a comparative analysis with the Shan Highlands of Northern Thailand, recommendations that seek to combat fertilizer misuse and its associated environmental outcomes in Myanmar are proposed.
With its limited arable land and high population density, Myanmar must prioritize a methodical response that addresses the intensification of food and land scarcity as well as redresses lagging foreign and domestic investment in agriculture. An analysis of the country’s current agricultural system illuminates the need for crucial agricultural upgrades and strengthened cooperative structures that empower smallholder farmers to actualize such upgrades effectively.