Despite being contested with a variety of obstacles, sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic is essential to the country’s overall success.
Located next to Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, the Dominican Republic is home to 10.6 million people who rely heavily upon its agriculture industry. The industry’s main exports are sugarcane and rice, products that employ 15 percent of the population and account for about 11 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, there are a variety of obstacles to overcome for sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic to become a reality.
Natural Disaster Relief Efforts
According to the World Food Program, one obstacle the country faces is the country’s natural disaster relief efforts, which are not enough to support small farms. Vulnerability to climate change in turn exposes the Dominican Republic to a high number of natural disasters. Droughts, along with frequent hurricanes, mudslides and floods, cause real problems for small-scale farmers who rely on their crop yield to feed their families who, according to the World Bank, make up 72 percent of farmers in the Dominican Republic. Many of these farmers have no access to insurance for their crops, leaving them nearly hopeless in the face of a hurricane.
However, as of 2013, the World Bank funded the Dominican government in providing disaster relief. The World Bank also created an insurance plan in 2007 for farmers facing crop destruction by natural disasters. The plan, Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), covers farmers for a short time period following a natural disaster and claims are paid based on the type of disaster.
Fruit Fly Outbreak
The Dominican Republic faces another threat to its agriculture besides natural disasters, but it’s much, much smaller. According to the United Nations, in 2015, an outbreak of fruit flies resulted in the loss of $40 million in exports after the U.S banned the imports of 18 different kinds of fruit.
Thankfully, for the Dominican Republic, the outbreak was contained and eradicated within 10 months with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA sterilized male flies using ionizing radiation, also known as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and released the sterile male flies, who were unable to reproduce. Despite these efforts, small-scale farmers continue to struggle.
Exportation Techniques
The most successful sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic comes from large, exporting plantations that have enough money to pay for new and more efficient farming technologies. Meanwhile, the other 72 percent of farmers struggle to combat natural disasters, sloping terrain and a variety of other issues.
According to Agrilinks, a United States Agency of International Development (USAID) funded program called, Farmer-to-Farmer, works toward introducing new techniques to Dominican farmers. New techniques such as ridge farming, utilizing soil testing kits and using grasses for ground cover all aim toward creating sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic.
By adopting more efficient techniques, farmers can improve soil conservation, and cut back on deforestation — efforts that, in turn, reduce the amount of pollution in rivers and streams.
Reliance on Imports
Another dilemma related to the agriculture industry in the Dominican Republic is its reliance on imports for a balanced diet. According to the Canadian government’s agriculture profile of the Dominican Republic, local agriculture only meets about 60 percent of the countries demand for food.
This leaves a large gap in the food demand and explains the chronic malnutrition that 7 percent of children under 5 face, according to the World Food Program. With 40 percent of children living in poverty and 10.4 percent in extreme poverty, malnutrition is a real obstacle for the Dominican Republic.
To combat these food deficiencies, the World Food Program worked with the Dominican government to supply nutritious foods to more than 1,300 health care centers. Looking ahead, the World Food Program’s 2018 projections include targeting malnourished areas and improving the availability of nutritious foods by 2025. It also includes assisting Disaster Risk Management in strengthening their readiness to natural disasters by 2030.
Despite undergoing natural disasters, poor farming techniques and infestations, in 2016 the Dominican Republic has still been able to export $111,726,338 to the United States. However, even with great exporting success, the small-scale farmer continues to face adversity.
– Austin Stoltzfus
Photo: Flickr
Education Key to Women’s Empowerment in Tanzania
Among the issues that women in Tanzania face include discriminatory laws, restrictive customary practices, no control over resources, barriers to decision-making, maternal mortality rates and HIV.
The Tumaini program includes a broad range of programs by working with communities and local government to increase women’s equality and youth inclusion.
Tanzania is one of two initial priority countries under Let Girls Learn, a United States government initiative to ensure young girls and women receive an education with the goal to improve enrollment and retention in educational programs.
Even though primary school enrollment among girls and boys is nearly equivalent in Tanzania, less than 20 percent of women age 20-24 have completed secondary school and 20 percent have never had any education, according to USAID.
Since USAID and the Department of State launched the Let Girls Learn Challenge Fund in 2015, the Waache Wasome (Let Them Learn) program has been launched. Waache Wasome is a five-year program working to improve the enrollment and retention of girls ages 13 to 19 in secondary school in select districts of the Arusha and Mara regions.
Over the five-year life of the project, Waache Wasome will reach at-risk adolescent girls and their families, covering 268 communities and 67 secondary schools across the four target districts of Tanzania. Their mission is to “address barriers to girls’ education” and “combat gendered beliefs and practices within homes, schools and communities and empower adolescent girls to aspire to and reach their full potential to learn and achieve.”
Because of these programs along with other efforts to combat women’s inequality and provide opportunities for education, there is hope for women’s empowerment in Tanzania, as well as hope for women all over to be empowered and make changes within their communities and in the world.
– Julia Lee
Photo: Flickr
Sustainable Agriculture in Madagascar Has a Worldwide Impact
The Madagascar Flora and Fauna Group (MFG) has joined forces with Dr. Christof den Biggelaar, Associate Professor at Appalachian State University, North Carolina, to develop the MFG Ecoagriculture Project. The program works by teaching farmers agricultural techniques that encourage sustainable development and food security while conserving biodiversity. For instance, composting is an easy and effective method for combating the universal issue of soil infertility in Madagascar. Other MFG activities include research and the creation of new markets.
Human population growth in Madagascar has led to severe deforestation, largely due to the implementation of tavy, or slash-and-burn agriculture. Tavy is used primarily in the clearing of land for rice paddies and cattle grazing. It leads to erosion and productivity losses by exposing fragile soil. Runoff into the ocean is bad for fish health, which harms the local fishing industry. Deforestation also contributes to planet-wide climate change. Farmers understand the problem, but in their daily struggle for survival feel powerless to stop it.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), or the Madagascar Method, has contributed to sustainable agriculture in Madagascar by increasing food security while decreasing environmental damage. For the last 25 years, Malagasy farmers have grown rice using intermittent wetting and drying of paddies rather than continuous flooding. Irrigating rice by flooding paddies suppresses weed growth, but at the expense of huge quantities of water. SRI uses less water, less land preparation and less fertilizer. With this method, young seedlings are planted individually with nutrients into wide rows of healthy, aerated soil. SRI results in rice with deeper roots that do not suffocate. These stronger roots create larger plants with heavier grains, thereby producing more grain per hectare while conserving water and reducing the environmental impact.
Madagascar is the world’s leading producer of vanilla, accounting for 80 percent of world production. Haagen-Dazs has partnered with General Mills to invest $125,000 over two years to encourage sustainable agriculture in Madagascar. General Mills buys most of the vanilla that goes into Haagen-Dazs ice cream from the Sava region. It has prioritized vanilla as one of the ten most important ingredients to source sustainably. Smallholder vanilla farmers have benefited from education and training aimed at the production of a more sustainable and higher quality crop. The resulting improvements in yield quantity and vanilla curing have increased the incomes of local farmers, which in turn has had a positive effect on entire communities.
The problems facing Madagascar are daunting, but the Malagasy people are becoming better equipped to tackle them. People around the world can contribute to sustainable agriculture in Madagascar by enjoying the nation’s famous shade-grown chocolate and vanilla.
– Anna Parker
Photo: Flickr
Health and Nutrition Key Parts of Development Projects in Nepal
Suaahara II – $63 million
This five-year (2016-2021) program is “dedicated to improving the health and nutrition status of women and children”. It will build on existing improvements in maternal, infant and young child nutrition practices through various mediums such as activities, media programs and mobile technology. This program aims to reduce stunting produced by malnutrition during critical developmental stages (conception to 24 months) and improve maternal and child health services. In addition, the integrated strategies will work with government development projects in Nepal to expand services for adolescents and social attitudes towards delayed marriages and family planning.
Feed the Future Seed and Fertilizer Project- $15 million
This five-year project will bring targeted aid to promote sustainable increases in crop productivity in the agricultural sector and provide food security to common Nepalese families. The program plans to achieve this using improved seeds and “Integrated Soil Fertility Management technologies.” It hopes to equip local farmers and national partners with the technology and information needed to sustain and grow crop productivity.
Sustainable, Just and Productive Water Resources Development in Western Nepal – $2.5 million
This three-year project was created to promote sustainable water resource development in an area particularly vulnerable to climate change. It hopes to provide accurate information and base knowledge for policymakers and companies to use in their decision making regarding water ecosystems. They will focus their efforts in the Karnali and Mahakali river basins of Nepal.
Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project – $15 million
This five-year program aims to “foster a more legitimate, accountable, and resilient Nepali civil society” through effective policy advocacy, media use and government engagement. The program will incorporate gender equality as a common thread throughout all project activities.
Programme for Aquatic Natural Resources Improvement – $25 million
Lastly, this five-year program’s goals include reducing threats to Nepalese biodiversity and increase human and ecological resilience to climate change through improved water management. It will provide critical support to areas strained by overuse, increased populations and climate change. This program hopes to incentivize water conservation engagement at all levels of society, from fisherman to politicians, through political engagements, informational activities, and academic research.
According to Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz, these USAID-funded development projects in Nepal “address both the continuing needs of the Nepali people post-earthquake, and at the same time build sustainable communities that support Nepal’s long-term development goals.”
– Belén Loza
Photo: Flickr
Infrastructure in Yemen in Precarious State Due to Civil War
In 2016, out of the 3,652 facilities that provided vaccinations, 900 of them were no longer operating. The shutdown of these facilities took a toll on infrastructure in Yemen, leaving 2.6 million children at a higher risk of catching measles.
Lack of Water
The health of Yemeni people is at further risk because of the increased difficulty in accessing water. Many explosions in early 2016 left a water desalination plant close to Al-Mokha with a lot of damage. Over a million people in Taiz, a nearby city, no longer had access to their only dependable source of water.
Even Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a lacks piped water, though the city was known to experience water shortages prior to the war. This lack of resources causes water prices to increase in most areas. The exceptions are places such as Saada City, where the corporation of water is supported by the ICRC and the U.N.
In an effort to address the country’s issues with water, a new drilling technique was introduced to supply more water to meet the demand. The technique, however, caused too much water to be taken from Yemen’s aquifers, thus making water more scarce and expensive. The increase in water prices was also partially caused by increased petrol prices, which sparked protests in 2014.
Issues with Transportation
Given that it is one of the driest countries in the Middle East, Yemen’s lack of water is a pressing concern. However, the country experiences many other issues in its infrastructure. Only 4,785 miles of the 41,634 miles of road in Yemen are paved. The transportation situation has only worsened since the beginning of the civil war, during which many of the country’s key bridges have been bombed.
Overall, the war has caused almost $7 billion of damage to infrastructure in Yemen. This cost rises to over $14 billion when including the damage to the country’s economy.
Progress in Infrastructure
In an effort to help fix the country’s infrastructure, in February 2017, the U.N. began working on providing $2.1 billion in aid to Yemen. Additionally, a fund of $20 million has been devoted to the Financial Infrastructure Project in Yemen, which began in 2013 and closed in 2017. The project was coordinated by the World Bank, and they set even more goals for infrastructure in Yemen that they aim to complete by 2019. By focusing on meeting these goals, crucial infrastructure can be restored to the Yemenis who need it most.
– Haley Rogers
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in Belize on the Road to Improvement
Belize’s GDP increased from $3.082 billion in 2015 to $3.097 in 2016. However, this increase does not accurately depict the large disparity between the rich and the poor in the country. To combat the approximately 11.1 percent unemployment rate and the 41 percent of the population living in poverty, Belize has actively created programs and partnerships to increase credit access that would benefit those in poverty.
In 2012, in order to increase access to financial services and credit access in Belize, the country created a program called BOOST, which stands for Building Opportunities for Our Social Transformation and provides small cash assistance to poor households. The program has helped children in schools and offers services such as savings and micro-loans as a first step toward financial independence. According to a World Bank Social Protection Specialist, BOOST promotes human capital growth, savings and productive investments.
The following year the country partnered with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, to help establish the first credit reporting system in Belize. The system would allow financial institutions to share credit information and better manage lending risks. The partnership will also help expand access to finances for individual borrowers and small businesses.
The creation of a credit reporting system, along with BOOST, is key to a sound economy and will help reduce the risks of financial institutions, which will lead to lower interest rates, making loans more affordable and more widely available.
With the continued success of programs such as BOOST and the credit reporting system, credit access in Belize will continue to improve and become more available to everyone.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Flickr
The Future Looks Bright for Infrastructure in the Philippines
The 2015-2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report ranks the Philippines at 106 out of 140 countries in terms of infrastructure development. As part of the Infrastructure Initiative, with the Department of Commerce, this project is designed to help attract U.S. companies to participate in various infrastructure endeavors within the Philippines.
Between the countries high economic growth and rising population, its infrastructure has been strained and is in need of serious development.
In 2017, an interagency panel chaired by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte approved four major infrastructure projects worth $7.5 billion, that included bridges, roads and the country’s first subway.
The Metro Manila Subway Project was the largest plan approved, funded by overseas aid from Japan. This major upgrade in infrastructure in the Philippines of its subway was urgently needed in order to solve the capitals notorious gridlock. Road expansions are also underway in the southern Philippines as well as the construction of bridges in Manila.
These major and important changes are all part of Duterte’s “golden age of infrastructure” six-year plan which will cost about $180 billion in modernizations of airports, roads, railways and ports.
Above all, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have played a critical role in financing infrastructure in the Philippines, aiding in road improvement, water and sanitation, transportation, solid waste management, flood management projects and even energy-related projects.
The Export-Import Bank of the United States of America also offered a “financing package for up to $1 billion in guaranteed loans and direct-dollar loans to finance U.S. exporters in renewable energy and liquefied natural gas facilities in the Philippines.” In 2017, TRIP, the three-year rolling infrastructure program, was reinstated which assures continuous government funding for three years.
With these major banks and organizations at work, the Philippines is well on its way to becoming the fastest growing economy, and the hope is strong that this economic growth will eliminate poverty altogether.
– Kailey Brennan
Photo: Flickr
Creating Sustainable Agriculture in the Dominican Republic
Located next to Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, the Dominican Republic is home to 10.6 million people who rely heavily upon its agriculture industry. The industry’s main exports are sugarcane and rice, products that employ 15 percent of the population and account for about 11 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, there are a variety of obstacles to overcome for sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic to become a reality.
Natural Disaster Relief Efforts
According to the World Food Program, one obstacle the country faces is the country’s natural disaster relief efforts, which are not enough to support small farms. Vulnerability to climate change in turn exposes the Dominican Republic to a high number of natural disasters. Droughts, along with frequent hurricanes, mudslides and floods, cause real problems for small-scale farmers who rely on their crop yield to feed their families who, according to the World Bank, make up 72 percent of farmers in the Dominican Republic. Many of these farmers have no access to insurance for their crops, leaving them nearly hopeless in the face of a hurricane.
However, as of 2013, the World Bank funded the Dominican government in providing disaster relief. The World Bank also created an insurance plan in 2007 for farmers facing crop destruction by natural disasters. The plan, Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), covers farmers for a short time period following a natural disaster and claims are paid based on the type of disaster.
Fruit Fly Outbreak
The Dominican Republic faces another threat to its agriculture besides natural disasters, but it’s much, much smaller. According to the United Nations, in 2015, an outbreak of fruit flies resulted in the loss of $40 million in exports after the U.S banned the imports of 18 different kinds of fruit.
Thankfully, for the Dominican Republic, the outbreak was contained and eradicated within 10 months with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA sterilized male flies using ionizing radiation, also known as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and released the sterile male flies, who were unable to reproduce. Despite these efforts, small-scale farmers continue to struggle.
Exportation Techniques
The most successful sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic comes from large, exporting plantations that have enough money to pay for new and more efficient farming technologies. Meanwhile, the other 72 percent of farmers struggle to combat natural disasters, sloping terrain and a variety of other issues.
According to Agrilinks, a United States Agency of International Development (USAID) funded program called, Farmer-to-Farmer, works toward introducing new techniques to Dominican farmers. New techniques such as ridge farming, utilizing soil testing kits and using grasses for ground cover all aim toward creating sustainable agriculture in the Dominican Republic.
By adopting more efficient techniques, farmers can improve soil conservation, and cut back on deforestation — efforts that, in turn, reduce the amount of pollution in rivers and streams.
Reliance on Imports
Another dilemma related to the agriculture industry in the Dominican Republic is its reliance on imports for a balanced diet. According to the Canadian government’s agriculture profile of the Dominican Republic, local agriculture only meets about 60 percent of the countries demand for food.
This leaves a large gap in the food demand and explains the chronic malnutrition that 7 percent of children under 5 face, according to the World Food Program. With 40 percent of children living in poverty and 10.4 percent in extreme poverty, malnutrition is a real obstacle for the Dominican Republic.
To combat these food deficiencies, the World Food Program worked with the Dominican government to supply nutritious foods to more than 1,300 health care centers. Looking ahead, the World Food Program’s 2018 projections include targeting malnourished areas and improving the availability of nutritious foods by 2025. It also includes assisting Disaster Risk Management in strengthening their readiness to natural disasters by 2030.
Despite undergoing natural disasters, poor farming techniques and infestations, in 2016 the Dominican Republic has still been able to export $111,726,338 to the United States. However, even with great exporting success, the small-scale farmer continues to face adversity.
– Austin Stoltzfus
Photo: Flickr
The Continued Hope for Improvement of Infrastructure in Belize
Infrastructure
In 1988, renovation began on the Southern Highway, which runs from Dangria to Punta Gorda, and cost $14.7 million. Although this highway is in better shape opposed to other infrastructure, the rest of the nation still seeks assistance.
Of the 1,594 roads in Belize, only 303 are paved, a fact that indicates how infrastructure in Belize could receive some attention. Other highways not apart of the Southern Highway are in dire need; with vulnerability to damage or closure during rainy seasons, the country has not been fully prepared to support the substantial incline of tourist or travel that’s occurred since the late 1990s. Thankfully, though, the early 2000s look much more optimistic.
USAID assisted with funding for improvement to access rural roads despite closing their physical office in Belize after 13 years in 1996. Through assistance like this, Belize has become more accessible to not only locals, but visitors as well. In March 2007, research showed more roads became paved, “and even the gravel or limestone byways seem[ed] to be scraped more frequently.”
Flash forward to 2013 when The Belize Road Safety Demonstration Corridor Project was launched — not only did the project cover resealing until June 2015, but it also saw the installation of safety barriers, pedestrian crossing and road markings.
There are 10 ports of entry to Belize, including the airport that houses three international carriers: United, American and Avianca. With the steady increase of tourists being easily able to visit Belize over the years, one can physically see how infrastructure in Belize is on the rise.
Technology
Belize’s telecommunication network is also growing — Belize Telemedia Limited is the largest nationalized telecommunications company in Belize. Their efficiency, quality and advanced technology make their products and services of distinguished quality. They currently provide telecommunications for government officials, businesses and residents.
Internet access is also available but very expensive for locals to acquire. Satellite internet costs $120 a month but grants unlimited internet use. DSL is also offered, but the price is excessive: “The maximum speed available is 1 Megabytes up by 16 Megabytes down and this costs a whopping $350 a month.” In terms of broadcasting, Belize has over 10 radio stations in the nation, with 5 operating in all districts. Television is quite popular in Belize as well, with standard programming stemming from North America (CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS).
Although infrastructure in Belize is not at its peak, it’s indisputable that progress has been made overall. Over time, the island will continue to get closer to being a modernized structure as a whole, but until then, every inch of progress is a mile of development.
– Tara Jackson
Photo: Flickr
Libyan Social Media: Saving Lives and Informing Citizens
The country has been hit with turmoil and danger, as they are three years into their civil war, and is fraught with economic collapse and militia violence. The country is mostly ungoverned, and without safety or regulations being taken, human trafficking and poor treatment of migrants is becoming common.
The citizens on Libyan social media have created groups on Facebook to exchange helpful information on things like where to find petrol stations containing supplies, banks with currency and medicine. The posts also let people know occurrences of danger and violence, and areas of caution.
The militia recently shut off water valves that pump water to the city from the large underground reservoirs in the Sahara; as a result, the residents are desperately looking for water bottles, drawing water from ancient wells and drilling through pavement to get access to water. This can be contaminated water and could potentially cause an outbreak of waterborne diseases. Thankfully, though, social media has been a resource outlet for people to find places with safe drinking water.
With all of the complications and fears the country faces, Libyan social media has become a successful way to quickly spread crucial information about the current situation. Many migrants look to the Facebook groups to warn them of certain areas where it is more likely to become subject to sexual abuse or sold as slaves.
Help came to the country through the installation of the International Organization for Migration, an organization that plans to carry out numerous strategies for evacuating migrants. The effort of relocating people safely is dangerous and difficult due to the lack of government safety, but the use of Libyan social media has played a significant role in successfully aiding others in the meantime.
– Chloe Turner
Photo: Flickr
5 of the Most Influential Development Projects in Zimbabwe
Droughts, land reform and a decrease in production have plagued Zimbabwe since the turn of the century in 2000. But despite these economic challenges, there are five development projects in Zimbabwe that hope to alleviate some of the current struggles that common residents of the country face.
Zimbabwe Rural School Development Programme
Beginning in 2001, the charity Zimbabwe Rural School Development Programme (ZRSDP) was created as a means to counteract the lack of education that affects many children in the country. In 2016, the most recent accomplishment of the ZRSDP included the Peace and Good Hope Primary School in Bulawayo.
This school had grown to a student population of 200 since its foundation in 2002; however, it functioned with six desks, five benches and four toilets that served for not only the students but also two teachers. Devoting over 40,000 GBP ZRSDP helped create proper classrooms, toilets and teacher accommodations at Peace and Good Hope Primary School. Due to this increase in facilities, the school now holds 240 students and a full teaching staff.
Youth and Women Empowerment Project
The African Development Fund plans to create targeted employment opportunities and increase the value of sales in horticulture products for targeted youth and women. Running from 2017 to 2019, this project will cost UA 3.79 million. Through this project, the Fund aims to address fragility risk that threatens Zimbabwe’s development, which includes gender inequality, regional development imbalances, poor governance and technician skills shortages. Development projects in Zimbabwe via these efforts will really lay the foundation for future gain.
Integrated Urban Water Management
The government of Zimbabwe expressed interest in the African Water Facility’s program, “Cities of the Future,” in November of 2013. The project will handle the important water and sanitation infrastructure needs, and “the Municipality of Marondera with a population of 65,000 inhabitants was selected by the Government of Zimbabwe to receive support to develop an integrated water and wastewater Master Plan that will in part present detailed prioritized investments.”
Transport Sector Plan
A plan for sustainable development of the transport infrastructure could get implemented into development through this proposed study, “The target area is the entire population of Zimbabwe and transit transport that will benefit from reduced cost of movement of goods, persons and services as a result of improved transport infrastructure in the country upon implementation of the recommendations of the Transport Sector Master Plan.”
Lake Harvest Aquaculture Expansion
Lake Harvest Aquaculture is the largest integrated tilapia fish farm in sub-Saharan Africa. Expansion of the farm would offer more job opportunities, improved food security through low-cost protein access and increase government revenue.
Change is slowly but surely coming to Zimbabwe through each of these endeavors. These development projects in Zimbabwe are just the beginning of empowerment to the people, but in time they will serve as the catalyst for larger, more sustained change.
– Tara Jackson
Photo: Flickr