Five decades of neglect left Africa's agricultural sector in a parlous state, but last year's food crisis galvanised global opinion that something must be done - and soon - to transform the continent's vast potential into reality. Financing small farmers is the first step. Writer Charlie Corbett
Latest articles from Banking strategies
Balancing innovation and tradition
September 2, 2009The regulatory authorities of Islamic finance have been working to bring greater clarity to the relatively young sukuk asset class, but the market will need time to digest the implications. Writer Philip Alexander
Where next for the derivatives market?
September 2, 2009The fall-out from the Lehman Brothers collapse exposed the true extent of risk in the over-the-counter derivatives market and highlighted the need for change. While there is still no clear path for the market's future, it is not too difficult to anticipate what the Obama administration has in store for the sector. Writer Janet Lewis
When breaking the rules pays off
September 2, 2009Jean-Baptiste Pons, EADS head of corporate finance and treasury
It is unusual to issue bonds in August, when many investors are on holiday. However, when European aerospace corporation EADS issued paper worth €1bn last month, common logic was defied in style. Writer Edward Russell-Walling
Dealing with danger
September 2, 2009Left to right: Kapil Damani, Mark Gibson, Joshua Luks and Rishi Naik
Despite the bottom falling out of the catastrophe bond market in 2008, the team at BNP Paribas devised a novel way for reinsurer Hannover Re to re-enter the market, with impressive results. Writer Edward Russell-Walling
From near death to rude health
September 2, 2009Visible presence: Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns a non-controlling 50% stake in Grupo Modelo, which brews Corona, was an early entrant to the debt markets this year
After a dismal 2008, the fixed-income sector has bounced back in 2009 thanks to government intervention steadying investors' nerves. The turbulent economic climate has favoured the low-risk bond market but, as revenues and deal volumes have risen, not all of last year's major players have retained their market shares. Writer Joanne Hart
JPMorgan's Mark Goldstein on the bank's new debt restructuring team
September 2, 2009Mark Goldstein, JPMorgan's head of liability management in London is building the business from the bottom up. He is a new arrival at the bank following the acquisition of Bear Stearns, creating a new team as the bank makes a foray into debt restructuring.
Moving beyond cash in Africa
September 2, 2009Even though the majority of sub-Saharan countries are cash-driven, a string of initiatives are being rolled out across the region to take bank notes out of transactions where possible. Telcos, financial companies and reforms by the central banks are leading the way in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. Writer Wendy Atkins
Testing times for equity exchanges
September 2, 2009On the surface, it may seem that the EU's 2007 MiFID legislation, which aimed to create a pan-European investment market on a level playing field, has changed little. However, a closer analysis reveals an industry in the process of change, as new upstarts make inroads and traditional exchanges respond with new technology. Writer Chris Skinner
Not a drop to drink
September 2, 2009After years of easy finance, companies across the world have had to face up to some harsh realities since the onset of the financial crisis. As credit dried out at the end of last year, they were forced to diversify their financing options and squeeze liquidity from within. Writer Charlie Corbett