Archive for category: Development

Information and stories on development news.

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COVAX Initiative: The WHO Global Alliance to Create a People’s Vaccine

COVAX InitiativeThe COVID-19 pandemic arrived on the world scene at an inopportune time in terms of international relations, given the current state of global division and isolationist nationalism. Cooperation between nations is extremely important in containing a pandemic. However, this sentiment was sparse during the early stages of the virus’ spread due to the prevailing geopolitical climate. Now that COVID has expanded across the world and endangered millions, international cooperation is perhaps more important than ever in the urgent search for a vaccine. The World Health Organization, GAVI and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have united to form the COVAX Initiative: a program providing promise for both global teamwork and COVID mitigation.

What is the COVAX Initiative?

According to the WHO, COVAX is a coalition designed to “…accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.” The goal of the COVAX Initiative is twofold: to facilitate the creation of a vaccine and to ensure any eventual vaccine is made available to as many people as possible, regardless of national identity or socioeconomic status.

While many wealthy countries may succeed in vaccinating their populations without assistance from COVAX, all nations would still benefit from the Initiative: recent events have proven that in order to guarantee true safety from COVID-19, the disease must be eradicated worldwide. Thus, it is in everyone’s interest to provide access to as many people as possible. COVAX is working to create a coalition of member nations, both wealthy and poor, to achieve this mission.

Current Member Countries

A total of 172 countries have joined the COVAX Initiative so far. 80 wealthy countries have made commitments to the Initiative, including the UK, Norway and Japan. Additionally, 92 lower-income countries including Afghanistan, the Philippines and Yemen have become involved. According to the Director-General of the WHO Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, COVID presents a challenge that necessitates an unprecedented level of international cooperation.

Life-Saving Potential

COVAX aims to deliver two billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021. Currently, the COVAX Initiative has nine vaccines under development and is evaluating nine more. According to the WHO, these innovations imply that the Initiative has “…the largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio in the world.”

Healthcare workers will recieve the first round of vaccinations; higher-risk patients will receive the second round. Member nations will recieve doses in amounts proportional to their population. To ensure widespread delivery of the vaccine, the Initiative plans to help fund infrastructure development as necessary in poorer member countries.

The COVAX Initiative is built on the idea that, for anyone to be safe from COVID-19, everyone must be safe. The Initiative represents a positive step towards international cooperation, a crucial aspect of effectively eradicating this destructive and deadly pandemic. Once a functional vaccine is in circulation, the world’s poor will likely have the least access. This structural inequity means that projects like COVAX could save countless lives and prevent future resurgences of COVID.

– Dylan Weir
Photo: Wikimedia

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Using Digital Land Registry to Fight Poverty

Using Digital Land Registry to Fight Poverty
Land ownership rights and property titles are among the most critical yet inaccessible resources in developing countries. Property titles act as legitimate assets, allowing individuals to borrow important loans. However, corrupt recordkeeping practices in many countries make it difficult to prove land ownership. Without a legal title to property, it is impossible to access these financial tools and improve one’s economic standing. More than 90% of rural land on the African continent is unregistered. In India, legal ownership of land is a higher predictor of poverty than the literacy rate. In 2010, the value of unclaimed properties around the world, or “dead capital” was estimated to be $10 trillion. Today, that number has almost doubled. To efficiently provide legal property titles, a group entrepreneurs developed a way to provide digital land registry so people can have access to the.

Bitland

Bitland, a nonprofit founded by a group of entrepeneurs from the U.S., Denmark and Ghana, has introduced an innovative digital land registration system. It combines transaction records with GPS data and satellite photography to accurately document land borders and ownership. The organization utilizes blockchain technology to address land registry issues because of its low operational cost and high levels of transparency.

By serving as an intermediary between government officials and citizens who want to register land titles, the organization establishes transparency and ensures data integrity. The organization stores transactions simultaneously in multiple places throughout the blockchain, making them nearly impossible to alter. Prioritizing data security from the beginning stages makes it possible to automate the entire land registration process and streamline information flow to the system of records.

Since many developing regions lack stable infrastructure and access to electricity, Bitland plans to implement solar-powered centers and Wi-Fi hubs. These centers will also offer educational resources to locals wanting to increase their knowledge and involvement with the project.

Bitland in Ghana

Bitland began testing the system in Kumasi, a city in southern Ghana. Like many developing countries, Ghana faces corrupt administration in the public sector which creates significant obstacles for those registering their land. Nepotism and poor infrastructure perpetuate property disputes, often at the expense of citizens. Approximately 78% of land in Ghana is unregistered, preventing thousands of people from accessing their capital and securing finances for basic needs like housing, food and running water.

Bitland plans to expand its services further across the African continent over the next five years. A secure digital land registry system will help to democratize property ownership and unlock land capital.

Long-term Benefits

Advances in digital registry technology can help to improve the living conditions of many people in developing countries. In combination with progressive social policies, it has the potential to promote economic opportunity and well-being. Farmers and small business owners can benefit from the financial tools a comprehensive and functional land registry system unlocks. These systems can also aid in natural disaster recovery and relief, as well as solving land disputes which are typically handled solely by government entities.

Bitland is working to make its platform available to regions with nonexistent or poorly functioning land registry and title services. These efforts reinforce the United Nations’ outlined Sustainable Development Goals, which include eradicating poverty and providing inclusive employment and economic growth for all. Untapped property rights undermine the progress being made towards these goals. Through a combination of innovative digital land registry processes and community-based education programs, Bitland aims to mitigate corruption and bring transparency to land ownership.

 – Sylvie Antal
Photo: Flickr

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3 Organizations Improving Living Conditions in Myanmar

Living Conditions in Myanmar
The term “living conditions” encompasses all the major necessities in life, shelter, food, safety, water and electricity. In recent years, living conditions in Myanmar have vastly improved, as shown through formal statistics and public opinion. For instance, public electricity in the nation has increased by 8% between 2015 and 2017 while connectivity also increased, with 82% of households owning phones. Public opinion polls of citizens reflect these positive statistics. Specifically, 91% of Myanmar residents believe when today’s children grow up, they will have a better standard of living than themselves. Many major organizations, including those discussed below, have helped to create such great strides.

3 Organizations Improving Living Conditions in Myanmar

  1. CARE: CARE is a worldwide organization working towards ending poverty while focusing on social justice. The organization emphasizes gender equality, with over 55% of its efforts focused on assisting women and girls. As of 2019, CARE and CARE’s partners have helped 130 million people in 100 nations through its programs. CARE has been assisting those in need in Myanmar since 1995. Currently, it is focusing on improving living conditions for Myanmar’s women and girls. Many long-term plans have been developed for the nation, such as the Rural Long-Term Program 2013-2028 and the Urban Long-Term Program 2013-2028. Both of these plans focus on protecting women from humanitarian emergencies and increasing their economic opportunities.
  2. Action Against Hunger: Action Against Hunger takes a different approach to improve living conditions around the world. It is an organization concentrated on ensuring food security and access to water. Internationally, Action Against Hunger has aided 21 million people in 2018 alone. Another focus of the organization is fighting child malnutrition by assisting in emergency food and water aid. Action Against Hunger has been bettering living conditions in Myanmar since 1994 through its numerous programs. One of its major programs works to expand safe access to water by fixing water infrastructure and making wells. Additionally, after providing access to water, the organization guarantees long-term access through training and creating groups of community members to manage their water. These Action Against Hunger programs have an expansive reach throughout Myanmar and have made a lasting change in many lives. In 2018 alone, its water, sanitation and hygiene programs reached 19,460 people and food security programs reached 23,790 people in Myanmar.
  3. Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity improves lives worldwide by creating adequate and affordable shelters for impoverished people and disaster victims. In 2019, the organization improved the lives and houses of 7 million people while also training another 2.3 million people. Since its establishment in 1976, it has helped over 29 million people worldwide. The organization has been working to better living conditions in Myanmar since 2008. It began its work in the nation after a  cyclone destroyed many homes. The organization partnered with World Concern to restore 1,700 homes in the most heavily impacted region of Myanmar. On top of rebuilding houses, Habitat for Humanity successfully assisted over 950 Myanmarese families in gaining access to clean water and health centers. Currently, the organization continues to assist families across Myanmar.

As shown through these three organizations, there are many different strategies for humanitarian aid. Increasing women’s opportunities, creating safe water accessibility, providing food security and creating shelter are all essential to the development of improved living conditions both in Myanmar and across the world.

– Erica Burns
Photo: Flickr

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Multinational Corporations in Developing Countries

Multinational Corporations in Developing Countries
Multinational corporations (MNCs) have a global presence, even in developing countries. There are over 80,000 companies that drive the 21st-century economy. For example, Coca-Cola sells its product in nearly every country and has established over 900 bottling facilities worldwide. MNCs have propelled the GDP of their parent countries, most notably the United States, Japan, China and Western Europe, but how do their international operations affect developing countries?

It is difficult to say whether multinational corporations in developing countries are decidedly ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ One must consider many perspectives before making that judgment. However, researchers have identified a variety of positive and negative impacts applicable to most MNCs.

Individual Wellbeing

Multinational corporations in developing countries employ millions of people, but the quality of these jobs is often low. When Coca-Cola instituted a bottling facility in El Salvador, its supply chain hired sugar cane harvesters. El Salvador needed this hiring surge, as its poverty rate is 25.70%. However, an Oxfam study discovered that many workers receive less than the minimum wage. Additionally, harvesters face physical risks (burns, lacerations, exhaustion). This is because their work entails cutting cane stalks with a machete in chemically treated agricultural fields.

Perhaps the most notorious examples of worker exploitation in developing countries are sweatshops. These facilities in MNC supply chains provide employment with long hours, low wages and unsafe working conditions. An estimated 250 million children work in sweatshops worldwide, working over 16 hours a day to provide products for the clothing and toy consumer base.

Some experts argue that sweatshops are helpful to local populations because they provide job opportunities that would otherwise not be there. This defense, the “Non Worseness claim,” essentially states that sweatshops are better than nothing and that even if there were regulations on improved wages and working conditions, the jobs would be outsourced to a place where those restrictions do not exist. Defenders of MNC sweatshops often cite this controversial idea.

Economics

At first glance, it may be easy to claim that MNCs are unequivocally good for developing countries’ economies. After all, they provide jobs that were not present before, even if they are dangerous and pay low wages. Additionally, MNCs bring in capital flow to developing countries by building factories, which require construction workers and surrounding infrastructure, thereby stimulating economic development in host countries.

However, beyond the short-term benefits, the economic value of multinational corporations in developing countries becomes rather hazy. Most of the profit produced by an MNC subsidiary in a developing country goes to the company’s parent country. In the case of El Salvador, most profits generated by cane harvesters return to Coca-Cola’s executives in the U.S.

When multinational countries flood the economic landscape of developing countries, small businesses and local entrepreneurs find it difficult to compete. Thus, host countries develop a kind of dependency where they cannot break off from the MNCs’ influence in fear of rising unemployment. They also cannot compete with MNCs because of their established production methods.

Solutions

The Human Rights Watch and other humanitarian nonprofits have called for supply chain transparency in MNCs, particularly clothing and footwear industries, to publicize and improve working conditions in sweatshops across the globe. These corporations would have to provide specifics about factories manufacturing their products beyond the general tag: “Made in China.”

Additionally, the social inequities surrounding MNCs appear to be a result of their intentions. Paying low wages, building factories with unsafe working conditions, and outsourcing production relate to a key goal of MNCs: the corporate mantra, “maximize shareholder value.”

But MNCs do not need to operate according to this objective. At the very least, maximizing profits is not the only objective that they can strive for. Many MNCs, such as Ben and Jerry’s and Patagonia, have altered their practices to become benefit corporations. This role includes adding the goal of benefiting the public good to their company mission. Through this method, MNCs have a chance to reverse social injustices by redirecting their profits into improving the social, environmental and economic processes in developing countries.

– Christopher Orion Bresnahan
Photo: Flickr

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How SpinCycle is Helping Impoverished Populations

SpinCycle Helping Impoverished Populations
Richard Hewitt, a product design student at Sheffield Hallam University, devised the idea for the SpinCycle while volunteering at an orphanage in Burundi, Africa. Hewitt experienced how tedious and time-consuming it was to wash over 30 loads of children’s clothes by hand. He became dedicated to finding a more efficient solution. In 2010, Hewitt invented the SpinCycle: a bicycle-powered portable washing machine. He customized the machine to easily attach to the back of a bicycle so users could wash their clothes while also getting exercise, saving time and money. Another advantage of this bicycle-powered solution is that it can easily circulate throughout small communities to ensure that everyone’s laundry is washed quickly and affordably. Therefore, SpinCycle is also very beneficial for individuals who have mobile laundry services. Here are five facts demonstrating how SpinCycle is helping impoverished populations.

5 Facts About the SpinCycle

  1. Though created in the U.S., the product trials took place in Africa. Richard Hewitt returned to Burundi in 2012 to test out the first SpinCycle. Since Burundi inspired the idea, Hewitt figured it was the most appropriate place to test out the first re-designed SpinCycle. While in Africa, Hewitt met a young man who worked as a clothes washer in the small village of Ngozi. Hewitt gifted the first SpinCycle to that laundryman, equipping him with a cycle-powered full laundry service.
  2. The SpinCycle started as a mandatory college project. To fulfill his Product Design major at Sheffield Hallam University, Hewitt had to complete and present a self-directed project. After his experience in Burundi, Hewitt decided to center his project around the construction of a cycle-powered washing machine. This earned him top grades and recognition from his teachers as well as national media recognition from supporters all over the world.
  3. Hewitt’s vision for the SpinCycle was that of a “micro-enterprise in the developing world.” In every aspect of the design process, Hewitt considered the needs of impoverished communities, including those of the Burundi village community. Therefore, Hewitt designed the SpinCycle to save time, energy and water for those who lack access to these basic necessities. Additionally, Hewitt wants the SpinCycle to be easily accessible for populations without available electricity. He hopes to help provide better resources to impoverished people around the world.
  4. SpinCycle plans to open a factory in Africa to distribute the machine to impoverished populations. Twenty-eight of the poorest countries in the world are in Africa, making Africa the poorest continent on earth. Therefore, Richard Hewitt and other SpinCycle investors are planning to open a SpinCycle factory in Africa, centralizing the company near the majority of its user base. SpinCycle also plans to partner with charities and other non-governmental organizations throughout Africa to distribute the SpinCycles to communities without electricity.
  5. The SpinCycle could also be useful after natural disasters. Storms and natural disasters, both in the United States and abroad, largely impact a community’s electricity. Losing power typically prevents individuals from showering, cooking and doing laundry. The SpinCycle does not require any electricity, however, allowing users to wash their clothes without interruption. The SpinCycle is helping impoverished populations in remote areas. However, many individuals worldwide could use and appreciate the invention as it is cost-effective, easy-to-use and environmentally friendly.

Richard Hewitt transformed a college project into a tangible invention that is helping the world’s poor. The SpinCycle is helping impoverished populations by saving time, water, energy and money. More importantly, though, this invention encourages innovation and growth in these poor, rural communities that could improve life in many societies for years to come.

– Ashley Bond
Photo: Wikimedia

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7 Factors Affecting Poverty in Lesotho

File:View of Lesotho.jpg

Lesotho is a small, landlocked country surrounded by South Africa. Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom (U.K.) in 1966, political instability and slow economic development have plagued the country. A high HIV prevalence further complicates poverty reduction efforts in Lesotho. Here are seven factors affecting poverty in Lesotho:

 

  1. Agriculture: More than 70% of Lesotho’s population lives in rural areas and depends on small-scale agriculture for their livelihood. However, periodic droughts in the region have led to poor harvests, exacerbating food insecurity. According to the World Factbook, between October 2022 and March 2023, 22% of the country’s rural population faced acute food insecurity.
  2. Gender Inequality: According to the World Bank, while Lesotho is currently more equal than its neighboring countries, gender inequality remains a widespread issue nationwide, ranking among the top 20% of unequal countries worldwide. Although the female labor force participation rate in Lesotho has significantly increased in recent years, women are predominantly employed in low-skilled jobs. As a result, in 2017/2018, households headed by women had a poverty rate of 55.2%, compared to 46.3% for households that men run. 
  3. Urbanization: Poverty in Lesotho is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. Urban areas have a 28.5% poverty rate, while rural areas have a 60.7% poverty rate. Despite Lesotho’s recent economic development, most improvements have occurred in urban areas, leaving rural areas behind.
  4. Education: In Lesotho, only 4.4% of the population resides in households where at least one individual has attended college or university, highlighting the scarcity of higher education. Among those who achieve a college education, the poverty rate is significantly lower, at just 8.7%.
  5. Government programs: In the past 20 years, the government of Lesotho has collaborated with international organizations to enhance protections for individuals with low incomes and to boost economic opportunities. Consequently, the national poverty rate decreased from 56.6% to 49.7% between 2002 and 2017.
  6. HIV: In Lesotho, there is a clear link between poverty and HIV. Nearly 24% of adults are living with HIV and access to treatment is crucial for preventing the virus’s spread and enabling those affected to lead normal lives. However, due to insufficient resources and lack of awareness, only about 57% of people with HIV are receiving treatment. This lack of support significantly affects their quality of life and hinders their ability to rise above the poverty line.
  7. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs): Though poverty in Lesotho is an important issue for the country’s government, NGOs are stepping in to fill gaps. Many international nonprofit groups, such as Caritas Lesotho, operate in the country. Caritas Lesotho seeks to help individuals escape poverty by teaching them technical skills. It focuses on vulnerable children and teaches them a trade such as farming or woodworking. Groups like Caritas Lesotho are slowly helping to improve the country’s economic situation.

Examining the causes of poverty in a country is essential in deciding how best to address the issue. Poverty in Lesotho will continue to be an issue for many years. However, the country is on the right track and will improve as education and economic opportunities increase.

– Jack McMahon
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Updated: June 29, 2024

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Innovating Global Healthcare With Medtronic

Innovating Global Healthcare
Access to adequate healthcare remains a challenge for people around the globe living in poverty. Continuously increasing healthcare costs exacerbate this issue and the final result is that more people in need are suffering as a consequence. The term “catastrophic health spending” refers to a person who spends more than 10% of their income on “out-of-pocket,” healthcare expenses. According to a report from the World Health Organization, 926.6 million people dealt with catastrophic health spending of at least 10% of their income in 2015. Furthermore, 208.7 million people endured health costs that were more than 25% of their income. These figures may indicate a need for innovating global healthcare, going forward.

Medtronic Improving Global Health Conditions

As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the third goal focuses on improving health conditions. Specifically, section 3.8 aims to reduce cost barriers to life-saving treatments and medicine. Medtronic understands the value of this mission and is one company leading the way for innovations in global healthcare. As part of the company’s commitment to “alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life,” Medtronic continues to combine technology and patient-centered care to improve access to health services and resources for vulnerable populations, worldwide.

Medtronic invests heavily in finding solutions for noncommunicable diseases (NCD), i.e. diseases that cannot spread from one individual to another. Often these are chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even hearing loss. In 2012, 68% of global deaths were caused by an NCD and while organizations are fighting to lower that number — approximately half of the global population are unable to access critical care.

3 Ways to Combat NCDs

An important part of Medtronic’s innovations in global healthcare stems from the idea of evolving medical practices. In the company’s efforts to combat NCDs, it concentrates on three areas: (1) capacity building, (2) community engagement and (3) sustaining programs. The capacity building portion of Medtronic’s commitment ensures that healthcare workers are well-equipped to understand their roles and responsibilities in the healthcare system. Moreover, it advocates for up-to-date training and professional feedback for workers. Medtronic’s community engagement aspect connects various organizations to broaden resources for populations in need of services. In this way, Medtronic scales back some of the barriers to care that many people face. Lastly, by gearing toward sustainable programming, Medtronic dedicates time to working with governments and policymakers to cultivate lasting change within the healthcare system itself.

Breaking Down Barriers with Programs & Patents

Medtronic has served more than 75 million people in more than 150 countries, since its start. It also has licenses to 47,800 patents — embracing the potential of new technologies to break down certain barriers. Patents for Humanity is a program of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and celebrates companies that use inventions to address humanitarian issues. In 2018, the program recognized Medtronic for its progress in innovating global healthcare. The patent in question was for a “portable, low-water kidney dialysis machine” that can be used for those who normally would not have access to traditional dialysis treatments.

Medtronic has also launched programs that integrate its technologies, combined with compassionate business models. Empower Health is one such program — utilizing a mobile tablet, an automated blood pressure machine, a glucometer and a new software application. The program allows healthcare workers to remotely monitor diabetic patients located in Ghana and Kenya. Through the software, clinicians can keep current on their patients’ status and can even send messages and write prescriptions.

While many challenges still face vulnerable populations all over the world, Medtronic is fostering new and exciting developments in the realm of global health.

– Melanie McCrackin
Photo: Flickr

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8 Facts About Health in Guinea-Bissau

Health in Guinea-Bissau
A former Portuguese colony with almost 2 million inhabitants, Guinea-Bissau is a small country located on the Atlantic coast in West Africa. The nation achieved its independence in 1973 but remains one of the most impoverished countries in the world, ranking 178th on the Human Development Index. Health in Guinea-Bissau is a complex issue as more than two-thirds of the country’s population lives in poverty. Today, Guinea-Bissau struggles with providing quality health services to its citizens. With the country spending an average of just $91 per person per year on healthcare, international aid could provide the country with an opportunity to modernize and expand its healthcare system. Here are eight notable facts about health in Guinea-Bissau.

8 Facts About Health in Guinea-Bissau

  1. The infant and maternal mortality rates are alarmingly high. While the infant mortality rate has decreased fourfold over the last 30 years, it still remains the fourth highest in the world at 85.7 per 1,000 live births as of 2015. The maternal mortality rate ranks as the 18th highest in the world at 549 deaths per 1,000 live births. An increase in the measles vaccination rate links to recent reductions in infant mortality. In order to lower the maternal mortality rate, the country needs more trained midwives, hospital buildings for child-delivery and better education for women and girls about pregnancy and childbirth.
  2. The nation’s COVID-19 response has been strict and largely effective so far. Guinea-Bissau had just over 2,200 recorded cases of COVID-19 and only 34 COVID-19-related deaths at the end of August 2020. The government ended a mandatory nighttime curfew in late July 2020 after success in mitigating the spread but it still requires citizens to wear masks in public spaces.
  3. Guinea-Bissau has seen continued success in immunization against measles. In 1990, just 53% of infants from 12 months to 23 months received a measles vaccine. By 2010, that number rose to 76% and today, 86% of Guinea-Bissau infants receive a measles vaccine.
  4. Life expectancy is rising but remains below the global average. Guinea-Bissau is far behind the global average life expectancy of 72 years. In 2018, the nation’s average life expectancy at birth was only 58 years. Despite this, the average life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau is 11 years longer today than it was in 1990 at just 47 years. Compared to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, the country is nearing the regional average of 62 years. If Guinea-Bissau remains at peace and healthcare access improves, life expectancy should continue to rise.
  5. The country sees repeated cholera outbreaks and continues to be at a high risk of further outbreaks. Guinea-Bissau has experienced six large outbreaks of cholera over the last 30 years. The largest outbreak came in 2005 when cholera infected 25,111 people and 399 died. The conditions in the country have not changed substantially from the most recent outbreak in 2012, leaving Guinea-Bissau vulnerable to further outbreaks.
  6. The birth rate has consistently decreased for 30 years. The birth rate in Guinea-Bissau decreased from 6.6 births per woman in 1990 to 4.5 births per woman in 2018.
  7. Trained doctors do not tend to stay in Guinea-Bissau for long. There are only three pediatricians, one anesthetist and 34 midwives in the entire country to serve a population of over 700,000 children and 1.1 million adults. Doctors leave the country at high rates in search of better living conditions and higher wages across the world.
  8. Rural populations lack access to healthcare. Around 50% of Guinea-Bissau’s population lives in rural areas with extremely limited access to healthcare. However, international aid organizations like Doctors Worldwide Turkey provide free services to the rural population for brief periods of time.

To improve health in Guinea-Bissau, the nation needs international aid and assistance in building and organizing its struggling healthcare system. Once back on its feet, Guinea-Bissau can work to improve even more areas of life.

– Jeff Keare
Photo: Flickr

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Entomophagy: Reduce Poverty by Eating Bugs?

Entomophagy Reducing PovertyEntomophagy is the practice of eating insects. Throughout history and across geographical areas, adopting this diet has been a common and beneficial practice. Approximately 2 billion people across at least 99 countries regularly eat insects for protein, vitamins, minerals and fat content compared to meat or fish. There are about 1,900 edible insect species, from which humans eat eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Insects of choice include bees, wasps, beetles, moths, caterpillars, crickets and grasshoppers. In recent years, researchers have explored this avenue and begun to consider the means by which entomophagy can reduce poverty.

Health Benefit

For years, insects have been viewed as a delicacy around the world. People eat boiled larvae with a nutty flavor and snack on crunchy beetles like popcorn. But bugs are also beneficial for their nutritional content: cooked grasshoppers, for example, can have up to three times the amount of protein and one-third the amount of fat compared to a hamburger. In low-income areas, insects are easily accessible from nature. People living in poverty could benefit significantly from this availability by either consuming them to prevent undernutrition or selling them at local markets to generate income.

Environmental Benefit

According to the UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research, insects are up to 20 times more efficient in converting food into edible tissue than cattle. Additionally, insects require far fewer resources and development to cultivate than other animals, which enables faster production (though this varies depending on the type of insect). Consuming insects offers a way to reduce crop-disrupting bugs without toxic or expensive insecticides. There is also little waste compared to cattle or other western proteins, which have to be processed and are only 40-50% edible. In contrast, people usually eat the entire insect.

Carbon emissions are lower in comparison to livestock. According to the Nutrition Bulletin from the Journal of the British Nutrition Foundation, the CO2 equivalent for beef is 2,058g/kg of mass gain, while insects have a CO2 equivalent of 68g/kg of mass gain. Many individual insect species leave an even smaller footprint.

Economic Benefit

The insect industry is diverse and can contribute to many markets. Silkworms are often used for fabrics and food, for instance, and weaver ants deter pests. The Chinese company HaoCheng Mealworm Inc. sells mealworms as flour, candy, condiments and instant noodles for human consumption. Also, this venture processes the worms into pet food for dogs, cats, birds and goldfish. Entomophagy provides economic contributions anywhere from street food businesses to commercialized companies.

Insect farming provides many employment opportunities for those living in rural areas of developing countries. Sericulture—the production and processing of silkworms—demands 11 workdays per kilogram of raw silk, a higher employment rate than any other industry. The majority of insect farming and gathering is performed on a relatively small scale through family-owned businesses, often in rural areas where employment and income are desperately needed.

Trading these insect-produced goods is essential for developing countries as well. Zimbabwe deals with countries including South Africa, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Many countries in Africa, Asia and South America export insects for food. Even Europe and the United States have begun importing these products despite the relative lack of consumption in Western countries.

Thailand has a particularly prominent market for insect consumption, with imports estimated at $10/kilogram. For comparison, beef is $3.03/kilogram, and glutinous rice is $0.82/kilogram. Additionally, Thailand’s imports of these products total $1.14 million per year.

Regulations and Compliance of the Emerging Insect Market

National and international organizations play a crucial role in regulating the insect market. The Dutch Insect Farmers Association has been vital in lobbying to promote legislation and policies designed to improve quality standards, compliance and legal trading of these products.

While most of the Western paradigm does not consider insects to be a tasty snack or gourmet meal, continuing to research and develop this emerging market could prove essential in fully utilizing entomophagy to reduce poverty in rural areas.

– Sydney Bazilian
Photo: Wikipedia

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5 Facts About Nigerian Email Scams


The 419 email scams, also known as Nigerian email scams, are a familiar frustration to anyone with an email address. The scams lure a victim by offering to share an investment opportunity or fortune they need the recipient’s help to obtain. They either ask for the recipient’s bank information or a small advance payment for travel or other expenses. Americans lost approximately $703,000 to these scams in 2018. While people carry these scams out from across the world, more than one-fifth of them originate in Nigeria. Here are five facts about Nigerian email scams and why they are so common today.

5 Facts About Nigerian Email Scams

  1. The Nigerian email scam has been around for centuries. In the late 16th century, Nigerian scammers would send letters to disenfranchised French people claiming to be the faithful servants of marquises murdered during the revolution. The letters explained that their masters left behind a large fortune and that they needed the recipient’s financial help to find it. Scammers then offered to split the fortune with recipients. According to a French detective of the time, the process was successful about one in every five attempts. People have adopted, adapted and passed this scam down for centuries.
  2. This scam escalated in the 1980s. When oil prices collapsed in the 1980s, Nigeria faced economic upheaval and increased government corruption. Literate, English-speaking Nigerians were now facing poverty and rising unemployment rates. This environment forced many to find unconventional ways of supporting themselves and their families. Through the 1980s, millions of paper 419 scams were sent across the world using counterfeit postage.
  3. Corruption enables the Nigerian email scam. Those who participate in the scam have little to no fear of being punished by Nigerian law enforcement. The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Interpol and other law enforcement offices are easily avoided through bribery. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, Nigeria has always been one of the most corrupt nations in the world. As Nigeria becomes more corrupt, resources become scarce and poverty increases. In 2017, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime considered corruption to be the third most important problem facing Nigeria, following the high cost of living and increased unemployment rates.
  4. Corruption equals poverty. Though the Nigerian government has made implemented large-scale poverty relief efforts, corruption, lack of continuity and absence of legal framework or policy often lead to the failure of these efforts. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the executive director of Transparency International’s Nigerian chapter, explains that many national relief efforts fail because they are conduits for siphoning public funds.
  5. Greed begets disillusionment. The government’s mismanagement of Nigeria’s oil riches led to 86.9 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty by November 2018. According to Apolitical, the level of corruption in Nigeria has led to public disillusionment and has undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of the government and its law enforcement offices. This environment is the perfect breeding ground for the Nigerian email scam.

It is important to understand that Nigerian email scams are just one consequence of many larger issues. Today, the email scam is the butt of many jokes, causing others to forget or ignore Nigeria’s struggles with poverty and corruption altogether. Despite this, many some are making efforts to reduce poverty and invest in a brighter future for Nigeria, meaning one day these scams may no longer exist.

– Caroline Warrick-Schkolnik
Photo: Pexels