The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East in the north of the Arabian peninsula. Founded in 1946 following 28 years under British administration, Jordan is bordered by Syria and Iraq from the north, Saudi Arabia from the south and the West Bank to the west. Recently, having developed a reputation for relative stability, Jordan has become a safe haven for refugees, especially for those fleeing civil war in Syria. Despite a stable middle-income economy, growth remains slow, with youth unemployment estimated as exceeding 30% and traditional work, such as agriculture, stifled by arid conditions. As a result, continued development remains dependent on international aid and investment. The United States and Germany are the biggest national donors.
Poverty is also accentuated by the kingdom’s substantial dependence upon other nations for natural resources, such as food and energy, which add to the cost of living. Female-headed households and refugee households tend to be the most vulnerable.
Potential for Accessible Domestic Energy
In 2012, various reforms were enacted in order to provide investment opportunities by establishing standards to incentivize the use of renewable energy in Jordan. As part of a so-called Master Strategy to decrease energy costs and enhance security and accessibility, the Jordanian government sought investments in alternative energy sources, such as solar power, and diversification away from the three main fossil fuels conventionally used, oil, natural gas and fuel oil. These programs have successfully grown Jordan’s renewable energy sector over the course of the past decade, with the quantity of electricity produced from renewable sources growing over 17-fold.
This growth has also given vulnerable demographics, such as those living in refugee camps and those in rural areas not previously serviced, the opportunity to gain access to electricity. At the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps, dominated by Syrian refugees, electricity is being provided for the first time at no cost to occupants via new solar panel fields. By 2018, the price of renewable energy in Jordan, in particular solar-derived electricity, cost less than half that of electricity produced from oil-derived production.
Challenges
While Jordan currently has the resources required to continue pursuing marked expansion in renewable energy, the rapid rate of growth has illustrated economic challenges in maintaining the government’s projected pace. Renewable energy remains a growing interest amongst nations with smaller developing economies, including the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the majority of businesses and those trained in the installation and design of equipment required for renewable energy use are concentrated in developed economies and larger nations, such as those found in the European Union, as well as the United States, China and Brazil.
In order to address this deficit, investments are needed to train those in the renewable energy sector for the assembly and operation of new energy infrastructure and to provide financial resources to allow electricity operators to invest in new energy resources. Ongoing efforts include the training of young professionals in handling infrastructure for electric cars, new power grids for energy distribution and farms for wind and solar power can help to address long-standing worker shortages.
NEPCO, Jordan’s largest electricity utility services, has received long-term assistance from both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in addressing substantial debts owed by the government-owned power generation company and improving efficiency to allow more resources to be directed towards expanding renewable, domestic energy.
Looking Forward
In sum, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has sought to address both structural issues related to poverty, economic opportunity and a transition towards more affordable domestic energy supplies. The ability of renewable energy in Jordan to provide disadvantaged populations, such as those in poverty and refugees, resources like inexpensive electricity and to strengthen economic potential has produced results over the prior decade, with exponential growth evidence of progress towards the government goal of 31% of all electricity.
However, long-term goals of being capable of continued growth without international aid, both from multinational organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and or aid provided by nations such as Germany and the United States, have not yet been achieved, with continued international investment in opportunity to lower youth unemployment, public debt and other challenges still projected as essential for continued progress in reducing poverty.
– Cormac Sullivan
Photo: Wikimedia
How the Russian Invasion Has Impacted Mental Health in Ukraine
According to a UN survey, the biggest concern people in Ukraine have due to the Russian invasion is their mental health. Mental health in Ukraine was already low due to Russia’s previous invasion and the impact of COVID-19. But with the effects of the February 2022 Russian invasion, mental health in Ukraine has only declined further. A reported 70% of the population is experiencing mental health problems due to the war. Here is how the war in Ukraine has affected its people’s mental health.
Poverty in Ukraine
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a significant impact on the country’s economic and social conditions, as well as its general livelihood. The poverty rate in Ukraine increased from 5% to 24.2% in 2022, meaning almost a quarter of Ukrainians were living on less than $2.15 a day These poor living conditions have had a number of effects that have affected mental health in Ukraine.
Impact of the War
The fallout of the invasion has included:
All these effects have impacted the mental health and general well-being of the Ukrainian people in ways detailed in the Heal Ukraine Trauma report.
Mental Health Concerns
The Heal Ukraine Trauma report from April 2023 stated this about the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “The invasion has stripped civilians of their sense of identity. Their world was turned upside down overnight, allowing for little preparation and increasing cases of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.”
The report goes on to detail the main mental health concerns in Ukraine due to the war, including a fear of death, loss of freedom, grief, separation of families, social dislocation, social disruption, forced migration and more.
Further, there are mental health issues in Ukraine due to the war that are specific to certain demographics; for example, women in Ukraine are fearful of gender-based violence such as rape and sexual torture. Many women have reported taking measures to avoid this violence such as constantly staying indoors, which has impacted their mental health significantly. Another example includes mothers and fathers, who may feel pressure to care for their families, taking on the burden of caring for their children and partners both emotionally and physically.
How Poverty and Mental Health Interact
The widespread increase in poverty due to the invasion is another cause of mental health issues. As mentioned earlier in this article, the poverty rate in Ukraine shot up from 5% to 24.2% due to the war, indicating a serious decline in the country’s situation.
In an interview with The Guardian, a church pastor in charge of giving out free bread to Ukrainian people stated that people who use the service talk about how “hard” it is dealing with the failing economy and how younger people who have lost their jobs will greatly “suffer.” Another resident told the Guardian that she “never imagined we would be living like this. Before the war, we managed everything. It’s very difficult and everyone is suffering the same.”
What Some are Doing to Help
The BMJ report states that funding is being placed into trauma training in order to help Ukrainian people process their mental health struggles. Upon fleeing from Ukraine to Berlin, Vitalii Panok, the director of Ukraine’s Scientific and Methodological Centre of Applied Psychology and Social Work, gathered 40 different Ukrainian psychologists with assistance from the Psychologische Hochschule to help people in Ukraine deal with trauma from the war.
– Jess Wilkinson
Photo: Flickr
USAID Programs in Liberia
The Ebola Crisis
One of USAID’s most important programs in Liberia in recent years was leading the global effort to combat the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the country in 2014-15. Ebola was particularly devastating in Liberia, with over 10,600 confirmed, or probable, cases during this period and 4,810 deaths. With an overwhelming lack of health care infrastructure, Liberia was unable to tackle the containment of the disease without support from USAID. For Liberia’s poorest, particularly those based in the capital city, Monrovia, Ebola proved a particularly deadly disease, with little support available for those who became infected and little protection from the disease’s rapid spread.
USAID programs in Liberia worked in partnership with other international organizations, leading a U.S. Government effort to contain the spread of the disease and eventually bring the number of cases down to zero. Contact tracing was implemented in all 15 of Liberia’s counties. In West Point, Monrovia, one of the worst affected areas, an Incident Management System was installed, allowing for rapid diagnosis, treatment and prevention of further spread of the virus.
Since USAID’s involvement in combating Ebola in 2014-15, it has continued to work with the country to ensure that Liberia is not only better prepared for outbreaks of deadly diseases in the future, but is able to implement robust health care infrastructure for all manner of contagious diseases and health issues. Between 2015 and 2021, USAID supported the Government of Liberia’s Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System in Liberia.
Other Infectious Diseases
Other infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, neonatal and diarrheal diseases continue to be a major problem for Liberia as some of the leading causes of death, often affecting the country’s poorest the worst. The prevalence of these diseases among Liberia’s poor has been attributed in large part to a lack of access to water sanitation and hygiene (WASH). USAID programs in Liberia have played an important role in supporting high-impact WASH interventions in Liberia. For example, USAID programs in Liberia are providing key support to the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation to provide an improved water supply to 90% of the population of three country capitals in Liberia: Robertsport, Sanniquellie and Voinjama, reaching an estimated 30,000 Liberians.
Successes
Aid programs in Liberia, such as those provided by USAID, have had other considerable positive impacts on the country and for Liberia’s poor:
Looking Forward
However, despite significant improvements, there is still much work to be done. Liberia remains among the world’s worst-ranked in terms of maternal mortality rate, due to a lack of family planning services, the frequency of childbearing before the age of 25 (at around 60%) and the low proportion of births attended to by medical professionals. Furthermore, female mortality in general remains high due to the prevalence of female genital cutting, affecting more than two-thirds of Liberia’s women and girls. But with the work being done by American governmental bodies such as USAID and their programs in Liberia, the future for Liberia’s poorest looks much brighter.
– Eleanor Lomas
Photo: Flickr
Access to Nutrition in India
India is one of the world’s poorest countries. Because of its weak economy, inadequate food distribution and high poverty rates, most citizens do not have the means to buy healthy foods or have access to nutrition in general. This has caused high rates of stunting, anemia and a high underweight average in Indian citizens. This problem continues to be devastating for several families and is only growing with time. However, there are some efforts in place to improve nutrition in India.
Statistics and Medical Outcomes
According to Business Today, around 37% of all food-insecure people live in India.
Within the country, 40.6% of the population is suffering from acute food insecurity. These statistics have grown within the past few years due to COVID-19 consequences decreasing access to nutrition even more.
The increasing food insecurity has elevated poor mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, poorer cognitive functions and sleep disorders. These situations set many citizens of India up for trouble when they try to perform strong in school and maintain a high work ethic.
The scarcity of nutrition has also created high rates of physical disabilities such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, physical frailty, joint/muscle pain and general functional limitations. Having one or more of these conditions decreases the amount of activities and events one is able to undertake.
Although India is ranked second worldwide in farm output, the country is still ranked 101 out of 116 countries suffering from food insecurity. This battle of nutrition is an ongoing and increasing problem. Here are some nonprofits that are helping improve nutrition in India.
Nonprofits
Luckily, the government of India is aware of the decreasing access to nutrition dilemma and has been trying to create new initiatives to eradicate it. Organizations like the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojona (PM-GKAY) have been sending India healthy and hearty foods to have in stock for distribution. PM-GKAY has doubled the monthly foodgrain entitlements to India since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other organizations such as the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), the National Food Security Mission and the Zero Hunger Programme are making efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by making sure the government properly administers food enrichment programs.
India lacks a strong mechanism to get nutritious foods out to its less wealthy areas. Because of this, the country suffers from chronic malnutrition causing impediments to physical and mental health throughout the population. Fortunately, organizations and nonprofits are helping to improve nutrition in India. However, efforts must remain high and continue to grow if India wants to see significant change anytime soon.
– Nina Donlin
Photo: Flickr
An Endemic Resolved: Trachoma in Mali
The disease spreads more in areas with poor sanitation and overpopulation. It is most commonly found in the larger areas of Africa, previously affecting Mali significantly. It is spread from person to person, originating from an infection in the eye. Trachoma in Mali has not been a quickly fixed battle. Data from the 1980s shows the former prevalence of the disease in the country and the dire need for a solution.
The SAFE Strategy
Adopted by the WHO in 1993, the SAFE strategy helped supply countries with the resources needed to prevent the spread of trachoma.
SAFE stands for surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvements. The strategy aimed to increase the number of surgical operations performed on those infected with trachoma as well as provide antibiotics to entire communities for the benefit of public health. Because of how easily trachoma can be spread, it was essential to promote facial cleanliness and understand that the infection rate is linked to overcrowded living conditions and unsanitary water. The SAFE strategy has been used in many different countries that suffer from a trachoma endemic, and Mali, among other countries, has finally overcome the public health problem.
Trachoma in Mali
Political violence in Mali made it very difficult for the country to overcome this endemic problem. When the WHO created the SAFE strategy, the program slowly gained trust and developed a partnership with the Malian government. Diseases like trachoma affect the poorest communities and only lead countries to greater poverty rates.
Trachoma is the first of the WHO’s neglected tropical diseases that Mali has eliminated, and Mali is the sixth country out of 29 in Africa that has successfully eliminated the disease.
The WHO has several partners including The Carter Center and Sightsavers which all worked together to assist Mali in combating the disease. Through donations and medical training, trachoma is no longer a public health concern in Mali. It is important to note that several different organizations working alongside the WHO and the Malian government worked together to make this happen and improve the health and poverty rates of the people of Mali.
The World Health Organization recognized Mali for overcoming the trachoma endemic. Today, less than 5% of children suffer from inadequate access to antibiotics to treat trachoma, and the presence of trachoma in adults is nearly zero. On April 27, 2023, the World Health Organization announced that trachoma in Mali was no longer considered a public health problem.
– Alesandra Cowardin
Photo: Flickr
Disability and Poverty in Malaysia
A social disability model is where “people are viewed as being disabled by society rather than their bodies.”
People with disabilities are more vulnerable to negative social and economic factors than those without. More than 1 billion people worldwide have some form of disability. This prevents them from accessing essential services including education, health care and employment opportunities. As a result, they are less likely to participate in the economy, which in turn drives them to poverty.
Approaching disability and poverty in Malaysia through this lens helps unveil its powerful influence in shaping the country’s growth.
Disability and Poverty in Malaysia in a Post-COVID Era
Many regard Malaysia as a wealthy and economically stable nation. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty rates have risen. As of 2022, 5.6% of the Malaysian population lived in absolute poverty.
As per the National Health and Morbidity Survey as of 2019, about 11.1% of adults in Malaysia have disabilities. Since the pandemic, the average income of houses led by people with disabilities lowered by 36%. Consequently, this spiked the poverty rate to about 55% in those households.
Impactful Challenges to People with Disabilities in Malaysia
Toward Recovery and Growth
Malaysia continues to prioritize the social well-being of the economically vulnerable. Several initiatives are underway to promote disability inclusion. There is a clear framework for pivotal improvements in the lives of people with disabilities. The government will continue to address disability and poverty in Malaysia as the country accelerates toward becoming a developed economy by 2030.
– Sudha Krishnaswami
Photo: Flickr
A Foreign Aid Success Story: Armenia’s Journey from Recipient to Donor
Barack Obama sent the message that “Development isn’t charity” when he signed off on the 2016 Global Food Security Act. It was accompanied by the sentiment that should the international community invest in a developing nation, they may see a return on their investment.
On April 10, less than a decade after graduating from being a recipient of the World Bank’s IDA fund, Armenia became an official contributor. Bringing with it a $1 million paid-in contribution, Armenia’s development is a foreign aid success story worth knowing about.
Armenia’s Humanitarian Crisis
Prior to IDA funding in 1993, Armenia’s humanitarian situation was grave. Newly independent and grappling with soaring inflation, Armenia was suffering from an acute food and energy shortage. On top of this, the war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh put a major drain on resources, disrupted trade routes and occupied government attention. Armenians found themselves displaced, unemployed and without their basic needs met when the IDA offered its assistance — the precedence for foreign aid was clear.
The Impact of Global Emergencies
In spite of Armenia’s progressive development, aid as an international priority has taken a backseat. A deluge of global crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to rising energy prices, has led governments to rethink their aid commitments. The U.K. government, for example, has reduced its pledge to spend 0.7% of its gross national income on Official Development Assistance. The new aim is 0.5% as a “temporary measure,” and the 0.7% U.N. recommendation has no set date for reimplementation. The abstract promise of a return “when the fiscal situation allows” is the only suggestion of intent.
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare that aid is the first thing to leave a country’s agenda when the going gets tough. Cuts to foreign aid budgets without warning seem to stem from aid being perceived as mere philanthropy by states and citizens alike.
Armenia’s foreign aid success suggests otherwise. It has brought Obama’s “invest now, benefit later” mentality to fruition and illuminates the mutual benefit of aid for all to see. Armenia’s development has brought improvements to health care, the market and international relations. Here is information about Armenia’s foreign aid success.
1. Improvements in Health Care
Statistics that the World Bank published show clear improvements in the overall health of the Armenian population. In 2000, Armenia’s life expectancy at birth was 71 years. As of 2019, Armenia’s life expectancy has improved to 75 years.
A look at rates of survival in children tells a similarly positive story. Armenia’s infant mortality rate was 27 per 1,000 live births in 2000. By 2020, this figure had reduced to just 10 per 1,000.
Of course, one cannot wholly attribute improvements in Armenian health to foreign aid. However, World Bank and IDA payments to Armenia since membership total $2.6 billion, spanning 78 projects. One should not understate the positive impact of humanitarian work on today’s narrative.
2. Expanding the Consumer Market
Ricardo Michel, Director of the Center for Transformational Partnerships at USAID, explained that increasing the number of consumers spurs economic growth both domestically and overseas. This theory is tried and tested; 11 of the U.S.’s top 15 trading partners have received U.S. aid. When faced with the reality that only 5% of the world’s consumers live in the U.S., investing in foreign aid enables U.S. companies valuable access to an expanded consumer market. By this logic, Armenians are stimulating economic growth at home and abroad as a result of past aid from the IDA.
3. Strengthening International Ties
Representatives of the World Bank have emphasized the significance of foreign aid to Armenia in strengthening multilateral ties with the international community. Akihiko Nishio and Antonella Bassani, Vice Presidents at the World Bank, welcomed Armenia as a new donor in April, stressing that “the world is in dire need of international solidarity.” With crises coming thick and fast, foreign aid builds the bonds required for global responses and subsequent recoveries — ones that leave no nation behind.
Looking Forward
As the world watches Armenia repay the international community for its assistance, it becomes clear that foreign aid does not need to come from a place of philanthropy, but actually functions as an economic investment for developed countries.
– Imogen Townsend
Photo: Unsplash
Food Insecurity and Mental Health Around the Globe
In 2023, 9.2% of the world’s population faced chronic hunger, mostly in the developing world. Tragically, nearly one in five people in Africa are undernourished, compared to less than 3% in North America and Europe.
Many may be familiar with the physical cost of hunger. However, they might not know the crippling psychological harms that food insecurity imposes. The interplay between food insecurity and mental health is one more reason why addressing global hunger has never been more urgent.
The State of Food Insecurity and Mental Health
Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to nutritious food, often due to economic constraints. It raises the risk of chronic hunger, preventing people from leading active and healthy lives. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the world has witnessed inflation and scarcity, plunging 122 million more people into hunger in 2023 compared to 2019.
Worrying about securing food, or living in perpetual fear of hunger, subjects low-income people to constant stress with serious potential consequences for their mental well-being. A Canadian study found that those grappling with food insecurity are three times more likely to report adverse mental health outcomes. Similarly, research in the U.S. estimated that food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic had three times the negative impact on mental health that pandemic job loss did.
The Hidden Cost of Living with Hunger
Food insecurity itself inflicts psychological harm. However, some coping strategies can also breed anxiety or shame, particularly if social stigma marks them. This is another way food insecurity and mental health are tragically connected.
Here are several common strategies for coping with food insecurity:
In South Africa, where more than 20% of households experience food insecurity, researchers estimate that as many as one in five households have resorted to begging for food. This has an association with a higher risk of psychological harm compared to other coping strategies because of the uncertainty, danger and stigma that surrounds begging.
The Path to Progress
Improving food assistance mechanisms like government food banks or charitable programs may not provide a comprehensive solution when taking food insecurity and mental health into account. Especially when individuals risk being seen receiving food aid, seeking help often triggers embarrassment or stress. That means going to a local food bank is not enough to truly free people from the harms of hunger.
Meaningful and sensitive improvements to tackle food insecurity could prove effective in combating mental health crises around the world. One promising initiative is Feed the Future, a program that the U.S. government funds and manages. In its 20 countries of operation, Feed the Future employs a three-part strategy including developing agriculture, building community resilience and working towards whole-population nourishment. Notably, this initiative builds systems for long-term food security, rather than short-term relief.
From 2011-2021, Feed the Future secured $4.8 billion in funding for global food security and generated nearly four times that amount in global agricultural sales. The program estimates that 23.4 million more people are above the poverty line due to its work around the world.
The connection between food insecurity and mental health provides just another reason why combating global hunger is of the utmost importance. With compassionate, awareness-driven food aid, it is possible to alleviate hunger and benefit the physical and mental health of millions around the world.
– Faye Crawford
Photo: Flickr
Renewable Energy in Jordan Provides Jobs and Opportunity
Poverty is also accentuated by the kingdom’s substantial dependence upon other nations for natural resources, such as food and energy, which add to the cost of living. Female-headed households and refugee households tend to be the most vulnerable.
Potential for Accessible Domestic Energy
In 2012, various reforms were enacted in order to provide investment opportunities by establishing standards to incentivize the use of renewable energy in Jordan. As part of a so-called Master Strategy to decrease energy costs and enhance security and accessibility, the Jordanian government sought investments in alternative energy sources, such as solar power, and diversification away from the three main fossil fuels conventionally used, oil, natural gas and fuel oil. These programs have successfully grown Jordan’s renewable energy sector over the course of the past decade, with the quantity of electricity produced from renewable sources growing over 17-fold.
This growth has also given vulnerable demographics, such as those living in refugee camps and those in rural areas not previously serviced, the opportunity to gain access to electricity. At the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps, dominated by Syrian refugees, electricity is being provided for the first time at no cost to occupants via new solar panel fields. By 2018, the price of renewable energy in Jordan, in particular solar-derived electricity, cost less than half that of electricity produced from oil-derived production.
Challenges
While Jordan currently has the resources required to continue pursuing marked expansion in renewable energy, the rapid rate of growth has illustrated economic challenges in maintaining the government’s projected pace. Renewable energy remains a growing interest amongst nations with smaller developing economies, including the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the majority of businesses and those trained in the installation and design of equipment required for renewable energy use are concentrated in developed economies and larger nations, such as those found in the European Union, as well as the United States, China and Brazil.
In order to address this deficit, investments are needed to train those in the renewable energy sector for the assembly and operation of new energy infrastructure and to provide financial resources to allow electricity operators to invest in new energy resources. Ongoing efforts include the training of young professionals in handling infrastructure for electric cars, new power grids for energy distribution and farms for wind and solar power can help to address long-standing worker shortages.
NEPCO, Jordan’s largest electricity utility services, has received long-term assistance from both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in addressing substantial debts owed by the government-owned power generation company and improving efficiency to allow more resources to be directed towards expanding renewable, domestic energy.
Looking Forward
In sum, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has sought to address both structural issues related to poverty, economic opportunity and a transition towards more affordable domestic energy supplies. The ability of renewable energy in Jordan to provide disadvantaged populations, such as those in poverty and refugees, resources like inexpensive electricity and to strengthen economic potential has produced results over the prior decade, with exponential growth evidence of progress towards the government goal of 31% of all electricity.
However, long-term goals of being capable of continued growth without international aid, both from multinational organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and or aid provided by nations such as Germany and the United States, have not yet been achieved, with continued international investment in opportunity to lower youth unemployment, public debt and other challenges still projected as essential for continued progress in reducing poverty.
– Cormac Sullivan
Photo: Wikimedia
How Mud Silos Help End Hunger in Ghana
Though the country has a 45% agricultural-based economy, 1.6 million of its citizens are undernourished due to poor food systems and a lack of infrastructure. To combat this, grain silos made out of mud are being constructed using traditional methods to help farmers retain harvested goods and end hunger in Ghana.
Disproportionately, northern Ghanaian citizens suffer the greatest from hunger, having the highest level of food insecurity in Ghana at 23-49%, contrasting with 4-10% in southern areas. The greatest cause of hunger in Ghana is insufficient storage facilities that allow crops to go to waste. Post-harvest food losses in Ghana are estimated to be anywhere between 20-50%, resulting in the waste of 3.2 million tons of food. With grain such as rice and maize as staples of Ghanaian cuisine, farmers produce them in significant quantities, and storage is imperative.
Historical Background
Mud silos have helped end hunger and store harvested grain in Ghana for centuries. In northern Ghana, ethnic groups such as the Konkombas have been using mud to build grain silos for storage for hundreds of years. By blocking out oxygen, the mud silo allows the grain to ferment, which preserves the grain crop until it comes into contact with oxygen. The silos preserve crops by keeping them in a dry climate that does not allow them to rot. As a proven method, silos can save crops for up to 50 years, and grain for anywhere from 30 to 35 days a year. Due to this, the mud silos help to end hunger in Ghana.
How Do Mud Silos Help End Hunger?
By protecting crops and grains, mud silos can reduce food wastage to less than 5%. The Opportunities Industrialization Centers International has helped build silos in Ghana for less than $25 a day.
Compared to other structures, mud silos last between 10-15 years, and can be made from materials easily accessible to farmers like clay, straw and water. The OICI has helped build 2600 mud silos in regions across Ghana, helping farmers to preserve and utilize their crops and grain to the maximum capacity.
Mud silos and education about them continue to help farmers across Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa store their crops and reduce hunger sustainably. The greater the yield of a crop a farmer is able to save, the more people the yield can feed. By reducing food losses so greatly, communities across Ghana are helping to be fed.
– Nadia Soifer
Photo: Flickr
Empowering Singapore’s Small-Scale Farmers
Government Initiatives Pave the Way
Singapore’s government acknowledges the importance of local food production in reducing its dependence on imports. To uplift small-scale farming, the government has applied a range of initiatives. According to data from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, over the past three years, $50 million has been allocated to grants and subsidies for small-scale farmers. These specific funds aid in the development of essential infrastructure, including greenhouses and vertical farming systems, which maximize land use efficiency and crop yield.
Community-Supported Agriculture Creates Synergy
One innovative solution that’s picking up steam is the concept of community-supported agriculture (CSA). This model links residents directly with local farmers, permitting them to subscribe to regular deliveries of fresh produce. This arrangement benefits both parties: consumers obtain access to locally grown, organic produce, while farmers get a firm grasp on a stable market and income. Recently, local CSA programs launched a “30 by 30” initiative where the goal would be to locally produce thirty percent of its nutritional desires by the year 2030, indicating an increasing interest among Singaporeans to support small-scale farming.
Technological Advancements Revolutionize Farming
Welcoming and embracing technology has become a key base for empowering small-scale farmers. Vertical farming, which is a practice that requires cultivating crops in vertically stacked layers, has gained popularity for its ability to maximize space utilization. The vertical farming market in Singapore is predicted to grow rapidly in the next three years, as reported by the Singapore Vertical Farming Association. Furthermore, hydroponic and aquaponic systems are increasingly unified into urban farms, decreasing water usage by up to 90% compared to conventional methods.
Education and Training Foster Innovation
A crucial part of empowering Singapore’s small-scale farmers lies in the benefits they’ve received from a heightened emphasis on education and skill development. Specialized courses, workshops and seminars are equipping farmers with the most recent sustainable practices and business strategies. According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, students who are enrolled and have graduated from these programs are taking great strides towards adding talents for farms of the future. Just recently, “20 students from the aquaculture discipline in Temasek Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic have been placed in internships at 10 local fish farms.” Although this is just the beginning, the knowledge transfer empowers Singapore’s small-scale farmers to optimize their operations and adapt to the evolving landscape of modern agriculture.
Creating a Robust Market Ecosystem
Supporting small-scale farmers demands generating a thriving market ecosystem. Local restaurants, markets and supermarkets are realizing the value of sourcing from nearby producers. Not only does this ensure a steady demand for farmers’ products but also reduces carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation.
A Holistic Approach for a Sustainable Future
With all that being said, the multifaceted approach to empowering Singapore’s small-scale farmers combines government support, community engagement, technological innovation, education and a robust market ecosystem. By cultivating these elements, Singapore is taking massive steps towards achieving stronger and healthier food security and sustainability. As the city-state continues to prioritize these initiatives, it enters the path to creating a resilient agricultural sector that not only supports local farmers but at the same time, contributes to the well-being of its citizens and the environment.
– Nathaniel Scandore
Photo: Flickr