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Wednesday, November 29, 2023
News and Views from the Global South
Food and Agriculture
Wrecked by Climate Change, Farmers in Kashmir Shift to Lavender Cultivation
Mohammad Subhan Dar diligently tends to some bright purple plants on a four-acre farm in Bijbehara, a hamlet south of Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar. As you draw nearer, you’ll be mesmerized by the sight of sprawling lavender fields, where about 10 to 15 farmers, including Dar, prepare for a promising harvest.
Traffic on the Paraná Waterway Triggers Friction between Argentina and Paraguay
In addition to being a majestic river - the second longest in South America after the Amazon - the Paraná River is the waterway through which a large part of the area's primary goods are exported. Today, its economic importance has sparked an unexpected diplomatic conflict between Argentina and the countries with which it shares the basin.
Zimbabwe’s Food Security Ambitions in El Niño’s Crosshairs
Zimbabwe is riding a wave of food security assurances after what officials said was last year’s bumper grain harvest, but recent El Niño forecasts could test the country’s agriculture production ambitions.
Poverty & Hunger Eradication Targeted to Miss UN’s 2030 Deadline by Wide Margins
When the UN’s 193 member states reviewed the current status of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2030, the verdict was mostly failures—and with little or no successes. The hunger/poverty nexus was best characterized by Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who warned last week that under current trends, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030—and as many people suffering from hunger by 2030 as in 2015 (600 million people).
Why Root Crops Are the Future of Food Security in Africa
Despite the dominance of the “Big Three” cereal crops and a steady rise in meat consumption, an overlooked food sector is projected to become ever more central to Africa’s food security and rural economic growth between now and 2050.
Treated Wastewater Is a Growing Source of Irrigation in Chile’s Arid North
The reuse of treated wastewater in vulnerable rural areas of Chile's arid north is emerging as a new resource for the inhabitants of this long, narrow South American country.
Elevating Farmers’ Income Through Organic Poultry Rearing
Even after toiling hard for an entire year, Shivaji Rao, a 37-year-old farmer, would find it hard to cover the basic expenses of his family. He cultivates maize from his one-and-a-half-acre land in India’s Southern State of Telangana.
Diversify American Cropping and Food Systems
A few weeks ago, my husband and I drove from Illinois to Iowa to visit a friend. I was excited about my over 5 hours’ drive. Sadly, 60 minutes into the drive, my excitement fiddled out. I was bored. Field after field, as far as my eyes could see, all I saw was either corn or soybean. I also noticed that the field margins were empty-with no sight of wildflowers.
African Startups Mull Home-Grown Solutions to Combat Climate Change
A group of young African startups made their presence known at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, hoping to play a big role in promoting home-grown climate-oriented solutions.
Hunger in East Africa Is a True Testament to Climate Injustice
From 2017, Shamso Isac has helplessly witnessed the demise of all her sources of income. Failed rain seasons and dried-up water sources meant a lack of pasture, which led to the death of her livestock. Widespread hunger exacerbated by rising food costs forced her to relocate to Burlhedi internally displaced persons camp in Baidoa in the Southwest state of Somalia. She recalls walking for weeks seeking a place she could get food for her family. When her child asks for something to eat or drink, she has nothing to offer; all she can do is cry, overwhelmed by the utter hopelessness she feels.
Toothless Global Financial Architecture Fuelling Africa’s Climate Crisis
As thousands convene in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for the Africa Climate Summit, the first time the African Union has summoned its leaders to solely discuss climate change under the theme ‘Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World’, the backdrop is a country on the frontlines of a climate crisis.
Africa’s Potential: Leading Food System Transformation and Climate Resilience
When a continent with 65% of the world’s arable land struggles to feed its 1.4 billion people, we know something is wrong. The African and global food systems need a rethink. The urgent and pressing need to address a more productive, transparent, equitable food system, poverty and the far-reaching effects of climate change requires us to forge alliances among diverse stakeholders and sectors.
Invasive Species, Fast-Riding Horsemen Galloping the Biodiversity Apocalypse
Mango farmer Eufria Nyadome used to earn USD 60 from selling a 20-litre bucket of fresh mangoes and now can barely make USD 20 even though her mango trees are giving a good yield. She is throwing away buckets of rotten mangoes.
New Challenges in Agriculture in the Face of the El Niño Phenomenon
The climatic phenomenon known as "El Niño" is intensifying its presence worldwide. Projections are not favorable for the countries of the Latin America region. Below-normal rainfall is expected in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, northern Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, inland Peru, Guyana, and Suriname.
Mushroom Workers Want a Union
The Yakima River runs southeast from the Cascade Mountains through central Washington state to merge with the Columbia a little north of Oregon. From the small city of Yakima on down, its course broadens from a winding canyon into a wide valley bounded by austere low ridges of gray-green sagebrush and tawny grasses. In mid-April, the new leaves of the willows and cottonwoods light up the riverbanks with luminous chartreuse.
From Challenges to Solutions: Unleashing Africa’s Potential for Achieving SDGs
September 2023 marks the halfway point to the deadline for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, globally we are still far off-track, and Africa is only halfway towards achieving the SDGs, with nearly 600 million Africans still lacking access to electricity and 431 million people living in extreme poverty.
Digging Africa Deeper into Hunger
Annual Green Revolution Forum ignores widespread failure of its push for industrialized agriculture
As the adage goes, when you find yourself stuck in a hole, stop digging. As African leaders and their philanthropic and bilateral sponsors prepare for another glitzy African Green Revolution Forum, convening September 5-8 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, they are instead handing out new shovels to dig the continent deeper into a hunger crisis caused in part by their failing obsession with corporate-led industrialized agriculture.
Empowering Asia’s Farming Communities through Inclusive Business
When Lisa Huyen first set up her company, Vinasamex, which specializes in certified organic cinnamon and star anise grown in the mountainous and poorer provinces of Viet Nam, she faced daunting challenges including market access and securing financial support from banks.
A Plea for a UN Summit on the Global Food Crisis
A coalition of civil society organizations, (CSOs), including climate activists, anti-poverty campaigners and celebrity chefs, are among those calling for an emergency meeting of world leaders on the global food crisis during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) sessions in New York next month.
Unlocking Africa’s Potential: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Progress
At this year’s G7 summit in Japan, global leaders emphasized the importance of unity as the world navigates grave threats to multilateralism. The message was clear - trusted global platforms for dialogue and solutions are extremely crucial in current times.
Vaccine Equality Is as Vital for Livestock as for People
El Castellar - For 33-year-old mother-of-seven and poultry farmer Helena Kindole in Chanya village in Tanzania, one of the main barriers to growing her chicken business is a lack of access to health services. But not for herself or her family – for her animals.« Previous Page — Next Page »
People, Planet and Prosperity, are at the heart of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As countries affirmed their commitments to transforming food systems at the UN Food Summit, it was clear the goals of nourishing everyone in a sustainable, climate-friendly and equitable matter were far off track.
The COVID-19 put worrying trends of food insecurity into “overdrive”, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. He noted that 3 billion people – almost half of humanity could not afford a healthy diet. COVID-19 meant that up to 811 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2020 — a 20 per cent increase in just one year. Over 41 million are on the doorstep of starvation.
When food systems fail, health, education, economy, environment, peace, and security could be threatened – but world leaders agree that transformative action could play an essential role in driving global recovery.
Inter Press Service (IPS) newswire has been at the forefront of writing about these challenges – from intense reporting in the field with the most vulnerable communities to ensuring the key messages of how to feed people and preserve the planet are disseminated. Working on crucial information from agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Barilla Centre for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) IPS has been a forum for debate about what’s needed to fix food systems. This collection brings together the best of these stories written by journalists working in Africa, Asia and elsewhere in the Global South to experts from these organizations.
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Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
