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Tuesday, August 18, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Trade and poverty: Facts beyond theory
TRADE-AFRICA: How to Turn The Curse of Oil Into a Blessing
Africa's abundance in natural resources, especially oil, has been called a curse because of the fierce global thirst that exists for these assets.TRADE: Pending EU Agreements Put West Africa at Risk
The European Union and West Africa could scarcely be more different in terms of wealth, yet a pending trade agreement risks making the disparity even greater.TRADE-UGANDA: More Time Needed for EPA Negotiations
Uganda has made little progress in its economic partnership agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union (EU), as government and the private sector say that they need more time before committing to a deal.FINANCE-AFRICA: Mobile Phones Revolutionise Banking
Mobile phone banking is expanding across the region from South Africa to Kenya and is putting the poor directly in control of their own finances like never before.TRADE: African Countries Fight EU for Survival
Anti-poverty campaigners have likened trade negotiations between the European Union (EU) and several regions in Africa to a boxing match between a schoolboy novice and a heavyweight champion.TRADE-KENYA: Growing Maize Is Not What It Used to Be
Ask Kenyans what their favourite food is and they will most likely answer ugali.TRADE: Malawi-South Africa Agreement ”Will Attract Investors”
The Malawian government is optimistic that its new economic and technical cooperation agreement with South Africa will finally draw investors from its mighty neighbour.TRADE-SOUTHERN AFRICA: New Zambezi Waterway Planned
Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique hope to navigate the mighty Zambezi river's waterways by 2009 as an alternative and cheap transport route for imports and exports from and to the three southern African countries.TRADE-AFRICA: Where Are the EPA Impact Assessments?
Civil society organisations in southern and eastern Africa have urged John Kaputin, the secretary general of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states, to insist that assessments be done to evaluate the potential effects of the European Union's proposed economic partnership agreements (EPAs).TRADE-ZIMBABWE: ”Look East” Policy Yet to Bear Fruit
Zimbabwe's isolation by its traditional international trading partners after 2000 has hit the country hard amid failure to strike up new bilateral trade deals as part of its ''look east'' trade strategy.TRADE-MAURITIUS: EPAs Should Be Subjected to Electoral Test
''Here is a free trade agreement between rich and poor countries in which the former are trying to impose a reciprocal system of trade on the latter, with major consequences for poor people.''TRADE-AFRICA: EPAs Like ”Irrigation for Economic Growth”
African and European negotiators in the economic partnership agreement (EPA) talks for eastern and southern Africa have refuted criticism from local and international civil society organisations about the possible negative effects of the proposed deal.TRADE: EPA may ”Destroy” Malawi’s Manufacturing Potential
Economic circles in eastern and southern Africa are abuzz with discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) which governments of these countries are negotiating with the European Union (EU).TRADE-SOUTHERN AFRICA: EU Agreement Has ”Not Been Beneficial”
A senior member of parliament of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Ben Turok, says the existing trade agreement between South Africa and the European Union (EU) has not benefited his country.TRADE-AFRICA: Microfinance Tackles AIDS Head On
With two-thirds of the world's HIV/AIDS victims living in sub-Saharan Africa, sickness and death is too often a part of doing business in the region. But now microfinance institutions have found ways to reduce financial risk while attacking new infections.TRADE-KENYA: Farmers Ask Germany to Intervene in EPAs
Fears are high among Kenyan farmers that a new trade regime following a forthcoming deal between developing countries and the European Union (EU) may drive them deeper into poverty.TRADE-AFRICA: Joint Programme Improving Fish Exports to Europe
When the European Union banned exports of fish from Lake Victoria during the 1990s, it highlighted the economic significance of regional fishery exports but also the difficulty African countries can have with European health and safety standards.TRADE-AFRICA: Green Investment to Get Boost from New EU Fund
After years of promising a way to help Africa tackle climate change, the European Union has joined with the World Bank to attract foreign direct investment to the continent and help save the planet at the same time.DEVELOPMENT: EU Presses On With Subsidies
This year the European Union will spend more than 35 percent of its 115 billion euro (156 billion dollars) budget on supporting farmers, even though agriculture accounts for less than 5 percent of the EU workforce.DEVELOPMENT: EU Makes Tricky Offer More Tempting
The European Union has this week sought to increase the likelihood that it will sign controversial free trade agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by offering to open its markets to virtually all of their agricultural goods.DEVELOPMENT: Ethiopian Coffee Brings Its Own Aroma
Ethiopia is looking to trademark coffees in the EU to benefit its poor farmers, in the face of opposition from Starbucks in the U.S.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Trade has historically been a geopolitical tool, creating significant economic imbalances in developing countries. However, many countries in East Asia and Latin America have been able to alleviate poverty due to increasing trade. Tackling poverty has proven to be much harder in low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, and their dismal trade performance is one important reason for that. They remain at the margins of world trade and indeed of the world economy. These articles are aimed at informing readers about the complexities of trade and its varying effects on development, with a special focus on the consequences of the global economic crisis, the potential of fair trade and the gender implications of trade policies.
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