LATIN AMERICA: Radioactive Attack on Flesh-Eating Screw-Worm

A biological control method used to eradicate screw-worm, a livestock parasite, in the United States, Mexico and Central America, has just been tested successfully in South America, where its adoption is being considered in the countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur): Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Chile Measures Its “Water Footprints”

How many litres of water are needed to produce one kilogram of table grapes? The current effort to measure the "water footprint" of this and other Chilean exports could give us some answers by year's end.

Ending Africa’s Hunger Means Listening to Farmers

Africa is hungry - 240 million people are undernourished. Now, for the first-time, small African farmers have been properly consulted on how to solve the problem of feeding sub-Saharan Africa. Their answers appear to directly repudiate a massive international effort to launch an African Green Revolution funded in large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

SIERRA LEONE: Unfulfilled Promise of Free Maternal Health Care for Mothers

Marie Musa, 37, is devastated. After the mother of four gave premature birth, her baby boy died a few hours later – because the hospital did not have enough incubators to rescue the infant.

ZAMBIA: Bumper Harvest May Prove an Embarassment of Riches

Buoyed by government’s fertiliser subsidy, Zambia’s farmers produced 2.8 million tonnes of maize in the 2009/10 growing season. Initial delight over the increased harvest - up from 1.8 million tonnes the previous year - gave way to worry as farmers realised they could be stuck with most of the crop.

FOOD-GUATEMALA: Bad Omens for 2011

Guatemala needs to take steps to prepare for even worse problems of hunger in 2011, caused by climate change and farmers' heavy dependence on a few basic crops like corn and beans, experts warned on the occasion of World Food Day, celebrated Saturday.

Nourishing a Budding Sustainable Agriculture Movement

With a record number of people undernourished last year – and that number only down about 10 percent this year – this year's World Food Day, to take place Saturday, carries with it a new sense of urgency. But in the conferences and events being held to commemorate the day, there will also likely be a sense of hope and opportunity.

PERU: Women Sterilised Against Their Will Seek Justice, Again

Poor, rural, Quechua-speaking women in the Peruvian province of Anta who were victims of a forced sterilisation programme between 1996 and 2000 have filed a new lawsuit in their continuing struggle for justice.

BRAZIL: Abortion, a Bargaining Chip in Campaign for Runoff

The issue of abortion has turned into a weapon that threatens to take away votes from the candidates in the campaign for the second round of presidential elections in Brazil, with conservative religious groups using it as a bargaining chip in exchange for their support.

Following a Paper Trail Out of Homelessness

While questions of funding and accountability shadow the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), some actors have taken matters into their own hands. On Wednesday, the Glasgow-based International Network for Street Papers (INSP) announced that it has helped 200,000 people to get off the streets and onto a path of opportunity.

HEALTH-HONDURAS: Solidarity in Breast Cancer Survival

All too aware of the Honduran public health system's shortcomings and the great vulnerability of the country's poorest people, women who have beaten breast cancer are stepping up to share their experiences and knowledge in an effort to save more lives.

Lesotho Could Beat Drought With Irrigation

Bonang Charles's fields are a richly green rarity in October's parched landscapes along the Phutiatsana River. It's a vivid demonstration of the limited reach of irrigation to Lesotho's small-holder farmers.

U.N. to Focus on Poorest of the World’s Poor

The United Nations, which is planning to hold a major international conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) next year, has been put on notice: if the mounting social and economic problems of poorer nations are not resolved, "There will be no peace and stability in the world."

LATIN AMERICA: Growth and Social Inclusion Must Be Linked to Fight Hunger

The concept that the state plays a key role in overcoming chronic hunger is not a new one. But the latest figures from Latin America show that more public money and social programmes alone are ineffective solutions.

BRAZIL: Environmentalism Not a Top Priority for Voters

Getting voters to put a priority on policies that protect the environment is a challenge facing environmentalists and politicians in Brazil, especially in areas lacking in basic infrastructure, like the Amazon jungle.

Chilean Miners Rescue May Mark a Watershed in Workplace Safety

"This country has to understand that changes must be made," said Mario Sepúlveda, the second Chilean miner -- of the group of 33 trapped 700 metres underground for over two months -- rescued in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

DEVELOPMENT: Welfare of Poverty-Stricken Families Depends on New Policy

For HIV-positive Tereza Chatsilizika, the monthly cash grant of 10 dollars she receives means that she can educate her disabled daughters and put food on the table.

Malnourished Children Swell Ranks of World’s Hungry

With the number of hungry people growing to more than a billion last year, the world is "nowhere near" reaching the objectives outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) released Monday.

ZIMBABWE: Free Maternal and Child Care Needed From Government

Mother-to-be Agnes Ncube budgets up to 100 dollars each month from her informal roadside business just so she can pay for the maternal services at her local government clinic.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Identity of Black People Recognised, But Needs Neglected

Although their human rights are increasingly recognised, blacks in Mexico and Central America are the poorest and most marginalised people in Latin America, according to experts.

ECONOMY-BOLIVIA: Private Sector Gives Way Under Government’s Public Push

The decline in foreign direct investment and the increase in efforts to reverse privatisation processes are feeding debate in Bolivia about President Evo Morales's economic policies, which include the creation of more government- run enterprises.