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Monday, August 10, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Trade and poverty: Facts beyond theory
TRADE: “Development More Important than Quick Conclusion of Doha”
Governments expressed the will at the seventh ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to finish the Doha Round of trade negotiations as soon as possible. But the Africa Group still deems development to be a more important priority than a speedy conclusion.
Q&A: Even Island States Can Make Plans to Improve Food Security
Eric Mangar deplores the fact that Mauritius, despite being a net food importer, has failed to learn its lessons from the food crisis. The island state is pursuing "business as usual" without taking steps to improve food production on the local front.TRADE: Africa Should be Prioritised at WTO Ministerial
African countries are ready to conclude the Doha Round on the basis of current proposals, but warn against any attempt to renegotiate them at the seventh ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that opens in Geneva today. Meanwhile, the Africa Trade Network demands a moratorium on the Doha talks.TRADE: “African States Need Advice Body Outside WTO for Talks”
Since before the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, two groups of people have confronted each other: supporters of trade liberalisation, who regard the pursuit of growth as paramount, and opponents of trade liberalisation, who see unfettered trade as the cause of many socio-economic problems.TRADE: Kenya Faces Job Losses, Collapsing Sectors in Wake of Doha
The consequences of the Doha Round of trade talks for larger developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa could include job losses and deindustrialisation if a new study forecasting how Kenya is set to be affected is anything to go by.
UGANDA: “Mount Elgon Eviction Has Reduced Us to Beggars”*
"We have been reduced to begging from relatives and to migrate to urban areas where life is not safe. We were living in the mountain for more than 200 years. Transferring us means burying us, completely. We want to stay in our area and develop."WEST AFRICA: Helping Pirates to Plunder the Oceans
West Africa is one of the world’s regions most affected by pirate fishers. Illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing has been devastating local livelihoods and ecosystems for decades. National fisheries management authorities are often helpless to protect their maritime resources.
Q&A: “One Can’t Work 18 Hours a Day and Still be Poor”
Given the billions of dollars and euros that the U.S. and EU spend on trade-distorting support measures and the intractable lobby groups demanding these subsidies, these rich states’ promises to reduce such amounts will come to nought. It makes no sense for poor African states to allow these goods to flood their markets.DEVELOPMENT: “Africans Should Become Their Own Philanthropists”
Africans "should dare to imagine an African world not defined by the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund but one that comes out of Africa". This is necessary for Africans to grow out of dependence and become the agents of their own development.HEALTH: Uganda’s Counterfeits Bill Threatens Access to Medicine
Uganda is considering an anti-counterfeit bill which analysts say will impair the country’s ability to import and export cheap but effective generic medicines. Activists fear that the bill, once enacted, will deny Ugandans access to safe, effective, quality and affordable generic medication which currently forms the bulk of Uganda’s medicine imports.ZIMBABWE: Far From the City’s Money, Villagers Barter Again
In Chitsa, a village with some 2,000 inhabitants located about 250 km from Zimbabwe’s capital of Harare, it has become difficult to conduct everyday transactions involving money.AGRICULTURE-KENYA: Finally, a Windfall for Tea Farmers
Despite the sweltering sun and with a heavy load on her back Mary Muthoni strides to the tea buying centre with joy and pride painted on her face. "This is a different year," she smiles, hurriedly greeting other women farmers at the centre. For them, the story is the same: blessings in times of calamity.WORLD: IMF Has Long Way to Go – Even After "Istanbul Decisions"
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) may be performing better during the current economic crisis than during the Asian crisis of the late 1990s, but it still has "a long way to go".ECONOMY-AFRICA: Pros and Cons to Huge Chinese Investment in DRC
Concerns abound about a nine billion dollar Chinese investment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially around environmental consequences and transparency. And, on the Chinese side, investors complain not only about the lack of security in the DRC but about their own government not providing enough support.ECONOMY-AFRICA: The “Threat” of an Independent Private Sector
From Algeria to Zimbabwe, there have been calls to develop the private sector. But some governments regard independent private sectors as a threat to their power and have even actively blocked business. Meanwhile African women have had a particularly raw deal in business. Some Africans question whether the private sector or the state should drive development.AFRICA: Broken Promises Litter the Aftermath of Global Crisis
It seems that, once again, Africa and the rest of the developing world have been short-changed, given the broken promises in the wake of the global economic implosion.TRADE: What Will China’s Legacy in Africa be by 2049?
With its recent history of tremendous economic growth, China has a few lessons to teach Africans. But African governments should be vigilant in ensuring that their countries also reap benefits from their relations with China.
AFRICA: Could Regulation Ease Fears Over Land Grabs?
The 'land rush' across Africa by international investors should be regulated to protect smallholder farmers from deals that could leave them landless and hungry.
AGRICULTURE-COTE D’IVOIRE: Small-scale Pineapple Growers Want More Support
Karim Diabaté, looks questioningly at his vast 20 hectare pineapple plantation in Bonoua in south-eastern Côte d'Ivoire. "I'm asking myself if if I'll get the money I need for in time for the inputs I need and keep my plants going."TRADE: Govt’s May Need to Do for Workers What They Did for Banks
The finding by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that the dropping of trade tariffs leads to jobs being lost in the formal sector while informal jobs grow is another confirmation of the adverse consequences of forced trade liberalisation.SOUTH AFRICA: "If You Are Landless, You Are Damned"
A group of small-scale South African farmers has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against the government, accusing the authorities of not sufficiently assisting small farmers to make a living and therefore undermining their human right to food security.« 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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