Blockchain can be used in small ways to have big impacts. Our work with four customs agencies is an example. First, some background on this technology before getting into the details. Blockchain can help us trust the information we are given. Knowing that the data is true and hasn’t been tampered with is a big deal in everything from food labels to financial … [Read more...] about How blockchain can make trade safer
Customs
Waste not, want not: Strengthening LAC agrifood exports through robust cold chain logistics
The global food industry loses a staggering amount annually: US$750 billion. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), roughly 55 percent of post-harvest fruit and vegetables are lost, mostly due to problems arising during storage, packaging, and distribution. At the same time, high logistics costs hurt trade in food and agriculture, increasing final prices by 30 percent to 100 … [Read more...] about Waste not, want not: Strengthening LAC agrifood exports through robust cold chain logistics
The Authorized Economic Operator Program: Firm Steps toward Exporting to More and More Markets
To learn more about this issue, see chapter 3 of Out Of the Border Labyrinth, a report published by the IDB’s Integration and Trade Sector, and IDB Working Paper series no. IDB-WP-703, “Trust No One?: Security and International Trade.” Security and trade facilitation in an increasingly uncertain international context, including global value chains Around the start of the … [Read more...] about The Authorized Economic Operator Program: Firm Steps toward Exporting to More and More Markets
How Blockchain Will Track Your Sneakers around the World — and Get Them to You Faster
On the Verge of a New Era of Transparency and Efficiency for Supply Chains Do you know how far your brand-new sneakers traveled before you even took one step in them? From manufacturing to shipping to distribution, your sneakers were already world travelers before getting to your feet. Information on your sneakers’ journey – where they visited, how long they were there, and all … [Read more...] about How Blockchain Will Track Your Sneakers around the World — and Get Them to You Faster
7 lessons learned on business process reengineering and improvement
When electricity was first popularized at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a huge wave of factories that replaced their steam engines with electrical engines in an effort to increase productivity and modernize operations. However, the initial productivity gains from the electrification were barely noticeable - a phenomenon known in the economics literature as the … [Read more...] about 7 lessons learned on business process reengineering and improvement