Languages
Monday, August 10, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Trade and poverty: Facts beyond theory
AGRICULTURE-ZIMBABWE: "The Rule of Law Just Isn’t There"
Agriculture used to be Zimbabwe’s economic mainstay but it has been on the decline since 2000 when the ZANU-PF government embarked on a so-called land reform programme that resulted in about 4,000 productive white farmers losing their farms, many to members of the politically connected elite.
Q&A: Africans Won’t Just Be on Receiving End of Arts and Culture
Global initiatives have in recent years stressed the contribution that arts and culture can make to development. This has led African and European artists, bureaucrats and policy makers to increasingly confront the unequal relations in North-South cultural and artistic exchanges.AFRICA: "Grasp the Benefits of Trade with BRIC Emerging Markets"
While economists at a prominent South African bank are excited about burgeoning investment by Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) in Africa, they are vague on the question of the extent to which it will benefit the majority of Africans. Ensuring this, they believe, is the responsibility of African states themselves.
Q&A: Small Sugar Farmers Not so Sweet on End of Sugar Protocol
The Sugar Protocol enabling developing world sugar farmers to produce for the European market over the past 34 years ended on Sep 30. Among these, the small island state of Mauritius built two major industries -- tourism and textile and clothing – on the back of its sugar sales.AFRICA: Climate Change Worsening Farming’s Trade-Related Woes
Numerous research institutes and international organisations agree that climate change will in the short and medium term worsen Africa's agriculture and food production capabilities, unless greenhouse gases emissions (GHE) are substantially reduced and adequate trade and investment policies put in place.TRADE: NGOs Welcome EU Vow Not to Push Africa into EPAs
Non-governmental organisations have expressed their satisfaction at the European Commission’s declaration that it would not put "undue pressure" on African and other countries to conclude the controversial trade deals called economic partnership agreements (EPAs).ENVIRONMENT-SOUTH AFRICA: Opportunities Spring From e-Waste
There was an audible gasp when Kirsten McIntyre told the audience that e-waste is the third fastest growing waste stream in the world, with between 40 and 50 million tons of computers, TVs and washing machines being "thrown away" each year.SOUTH AFRICA: New Regulations "Good and Bad" for Black Empowerment
The first decade of South Africa’s black economic empowerment (BEE) policies saw the creation of a predictable list of politically connected beneficiaries, featuring names such as Patrice Motsepe, Cyril Ramaphosa and Tokyo Sexwale. Now new regulations may see other companies – including white-owned business – enter the BEE stage.AFRICA: Stop Rubber Stamping Trade Deals
Civil society should call African parliaments to account on international trade negotiations as parliamentarians have in the past not been "robust" enough in ensuring that such talks deliver on developmental priorities.
TRADE: “We Won’t be Frogmarched Towards a Doha Conclusion”
In a rare meeting of minds, a parliamentarian, a civil servant and a trade unionist, all three from Africa, agreed that the current course of the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Round of trade talks is detrimental to the interests of African countries.
TRADE-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Effort Afoot to Save Rickety Customs Union
Southern African countries have buried the hatchet in an effort to preserve the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), one of the few building blocks of regional integration. Its chiefs vehemently denied reports that Pretoria wants to pull out of the customs union.
Q&A: Heavy Vehicle Market Taking Off in Africa
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s recent official visit to a handful of African countries has provided new impetus to Russian business’s interest in the region.
UGANDA: Business Wants to Put Brakes on New Common Market
The plans for a common market in the East African Community (EAC) are proceeding apace and should fall in place on Jan 1, 2010, the target date of implementation. But Uganda’s traders are concerned that they will be unable to compete with traders from their country’s larger neighbour Kenya when the new common market starts.TRADE-AFRICA: Russia “Could be Left Behind”
Russia should reconsider its trade policy towards African states if it wants to keep up with the likes of China, the European Union (EU) and the U.S., say experts.UGANDA: Carbon Trading Scheme Pushing People off Their Land
As the world's attention increasingly turns to the impact of climate change, at least one project intended to reduce global carbon emissions is accused of displacing indigenous persons from their home in Uganda.
ECONOMY: "Put Africa on the G20 Agenda in Pittsburgh"
With South Africa being the only African country with a seat on the Group of 20 (G20), while serving as co-chair of the working group on reforming the International Monetary Fund, it has "a moral obligation towards the continent to call for more responsible management of the global financial system".
G20: Cementing a Southern Alliance
Major developing countries are again preparing to stand together on critical issues at the G20 heads of government meeting in Pittsburgh Sep 24-25.
DRC: Electricity Lines Overhead But Never Seen a Light Bulb
"We produce electricity but we manage darkness. We have big energy sources of electricity but only 20 percent of the population has access to electricity because most of the energy is sold to foreign countries."
Q&A: "Political Elites Ensure Continuing Flight of Dirty Money"
Illegal capital flight in the form of corrupt, criminal and illicit commercial proceeds out of developing economies could be as high as one trillion dollars a year.MALI: Technology Transfer So Slow "We’ll Have to Copy Like China"
Cars and motorcycles are stuck because of the heavy rains that have drenched Mali’s capital for the past few days. It is late afternoon and the water, mud and damaged fruit from nearby stalls make the journey for those heading home to celebrate Ramadan even more treacherous.
AFRICA: "Why Surrender Market to Subsidised European Goods?"
"Why should we surrender ourselves to the invasion of highly subsidised European goods? What will be the impact of capital outflows because of strategic services such as telecommunication, port, energy and water services being liberalised and privatised in the interest of European companies?"« 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.
The Week with IPS
NEXT STOP - SDGs
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
