Key articles and information on global poverty.

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The Top 10 Most Important Current Global Issues

current global issues

Among all the good in the world, and all the progress being made in global issues, there is still much more to be done. Given the overwhelming disasters that nations, including the U.S., have been or still are going through, it is important to be aware of the most pressing global issues.

Top 10 Current Global Issues

  1. Climate Change
    The global temperatures are rising, and are estimated to increase from 2.6 degrees Celsius to 4.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. This would cause more severe weather, crises with food and resources and the spread of diseases. The reduction of greenhouse emissions and the spreading of education on the importance of going green can help make a big difference. Lobbying governments and discussing policies to reduce carbon emissions and encouraging reforestation is an effective way of making progress with climate change.
  2. Pollution
    Pollution is one of the most difficult global issues to combat, as the umbrella term refers to ocean litter, pesticides and fertilizers, air, light and noise pollution. Clean water is essential for humans and animals, but more than one billion people don’t have access to clean water due to pollution from toxic substances, sewage or industrial waste. It is of the utmost importance that people all over the world begin working to minimize the various types of pollution, in order to better the health of the planet and all those living on it.
  3. Violence
    Violence can be found in the social, cultural and economic aspects of the world. Whether it is conflict that has broken out in a city, hatred targeted at a certain group of people or sexual harassment occurring on the street, violence is a preventable problem that has been an issue for longer than necessary. With continued work on behalf of the governments of all nations, as well as the individual citizens, the issue can be addressed and reduced.
  4. Security and Well Being
    The U.N. is a perfect example of preventing the lack of security and well being that is a serious global issue. Through its efforts with regional organizations and representatives that are skilled in security, the U.N. is working toward increasing the well being of people throughout the world.
  5. Lack of Education
    More than 72 million children throughout the globe that are of the age to be in primary education are not enrolled in school. This can be attributed to inequality and marginalization as well as poverty. Fortunately, there are many organizations that work directly with the issue of education in providing the proper tools and resources to aid schools.
  6. Unemployment
    Without the necessary education and skills for employment, many people, particularly 15- to 24-year olds, struggle to find jobs and create a proper living for themselves and their families. This leads to a lack of necessary resources, such as enough food, clothing, transportation and proper living conditions. Fortunately, there are organizations throughout the world teaching people in need the skills for jobs and interviewing, helping to lift people from the vicious cycle of poverty.
  7. Government Corruption
     Corruption is a major cause of poverty considering how it affects the poor the most, eroding political and economic development, democracy and more. Corruption can be detrimental to the safety and well being of citizens living within the corrupted vicinity, and can cause an increase in violence and physical threats without as much regulation in the government.
  8. Malnourishment & Hunger
    Currently there are 795 million people who do not have enough to eat. Long-term success to ending world hunger starts with ending poverty. With fighting poverty through proper training for employment, education and the teaching of cooking and gardening skills, people who are suffering will be more likely to get jobs, earn enough money to buy food and even learn how to make their own food to save money.
  9. Substance Abuse
    The United Nations reports that, by the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 185 million people over the age of 15 were consuming drugs globally. The drugs most commonly used are marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, amphetamine stimulants, opiates and volatile solvents. Different classes of people, both poor and rich, partake in substance abuse, and it is a persistent issue throughout the world. Petitions and projects are in progress to end the global issue of substance abuse.
  10. Terrorism
    Terrorism is an issue throughout the world that causes fear and insecurity, violence and death. Across the globe, terrorists attack innocent people, often without warning. This makes civilians feel defenseless in their everyday lives. Making national security a higher priority is key in combating terrorism, as well as promoting justice in wrongdoings to illustrate the enforcement of the law and the serious punishments for terror crimes.

With so many current global issues that require immediate attention, it is easy to get discouraged. However, the amount of progress that organizations have made in combating these problems is admirable, and the world will continue to improve in the years to come. By staying active in current events, and standing up for the health and safety of all humans, everyone is able to make a difference in changing the fate of our world.

– Chloe Turner

Photo: Flickr

 

 

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10 Facts About New Director of UNICEF Henrietta Holsman Fore

director of unicef
U.S. businesswoman and former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, Henrietta Holsman Fore, became the seventh executive director of the U.N. International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on January 1, 2018. Fore is replacing Anthony Lake as director, whose term began in 2010. The following are 10 facts about the new director of UNICEF.

  1. Fore was the first woman to hold the position of USAID administrator, which she served concurrently while being the director of U.S. Foreign Assistance from 2007 to 2009.
  2. Prior to her senior roles in the U.S. Department of State, Fore was the 37th director of the U.S. Mint. She initiated the 50 State Quarters Program and introduced laser engraving during her tenure.
  3. She was the chairman and CEO of her family’s investment and management company, Holsman International. She also was connected to at least 14 other companies, nonprofits and think tanks, according to her professional LinkedIn page, including the Aspen Institute, the Center for Global Development, General Mills and ExxonMobil.
  4. U.N. Secretary General António Guterres announced Fore’s appointment as executive director of UNICEF on December 22, 2017. The announcement received acclaim from multiple organizations, including the U.S. State Department and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
  5. Fore was chosen by Guterres in consultation with the executive board of the U.N. The executive director position of UNICEF has gone to the U.S. candidate since the organization’s creation in 1947.
  6. Fore is committed to modernizing and revitalizing foreign assistance. In a 2008 keynote address to the Center for Global Development, she discussed reforming priorities to meet the most critical needs, promoting program coordination among agencies and increasing the number of U.S. foreign assistance personnel.
  7. To Chief Executives Organization, American diplomat John Negroponte said, “[Fore] likes to roll up her sleeves…she’s an incessant traveler.” In a speech at the 2014 International Financial Forum, Fore said she had traveled to countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil and India.
  8. At the same forum, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described Fore as, “one of the best appointments that I made,” and as, “one of the best public servants I’ve ever met.”
  9. Fore’s appointment aids Guterres’ mission for gender parity at U.N. senior leadership levels by 2021 and throughout the whole organization before 2030. Current findings suggest there is an inverse relationship between women’s representation and seniority at the U.N.
  10. As executive director of UNICEF, Fore will head one of the most important agencies within the U.N. The organization’s budget was $5 billion in 2017, the second largest of the U.N. agencies.

In his announcement, outgoing UNICEF director Anthony Lake said, “Henrietta Fore will bring a wealth of experience to UNICEF’s work for children.” Her appointment certainly excites individuals committed to ending global extreme poverty, and it will be compelling to witness what UNICEF accomplishes under Fore’s leadership.

– Sean Newhouse

Photo: Flickr

Youth for the South Project to Empower Young Leaders in Global South

empower young leaders
Over the years, international organizations have taken tremendous strides in their universal effort to combat global poverty. In 2015, the United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals in an effort to end hunger and promote sustainability. There has been great advancement from countries such as Costa Rica and India, which have both made incredible achievements in meeting specific targets.

Furthermore, companies such as Volvo have also done their part by committing themselves to promoting a clean environment. Public-private partnerships are now becoming more common, as they offer opportunities for countries in the global south, who face immense challenges.

For these reasons amongst others, the U.N. recently launched a new initiative geared towards empowering young leaders in the global south.

Youth for the South

The project is officially known as ‘Scaling Up Southern Solutions for Sustainable Development Through Advanced Youth Leadership,’ or ‘Youth for the South.’ It will offer interactive sessions, on-site and on-the-job training, and distance learning for leaders of developing countries. Furthermore, it will provide an opportunity to younger generations to sit at the table, have their voices heard and come up with innovative solutions towards job creations.

The Global South-South Development Expo 2017 in Antalya, Turkey, delivered this initiative in November 2017, as part of their six-publication launch. The initiative is designed as a partnership between the U.N. Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), among others.

The crux of this project is to empower young leaders “to promote transformational change in their communities and countries, and to identify and adapt successful solutions.” Additionally, one of the major focal points is to enhance leadership development programs that will meaningfully impact the youth population across various sectors.

Part of this process will feature rigorous training by 30 to 60 young leaders selected by UNFPA from six developing countries. The trainees will not only possess the qualifications needed, but they will also maintain a strong personality, as they are most likely to influence their communities when they return.

Their performance will be monitored by representatives and staff of various U.N. agencies.

The Global Stage

The majority of the poverty that exists across the world is in the global south, which is why the development of this project should be effective to create universally meaningful change. This initiative will feature numerous phases tailored to meet the needs of those who lack basic training. The first phase will include agriculture and rural development, social protection, sustainable energy and youth employment.

UNOSSC urged the importance of working with the youth, as some 85 percent of the world’s youth are now residing in the global south. UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Alanna Armitage, emphatically spoke of the advantages that the youth will gain as part of this project launched to empower young leaders.

The initiative will help make important gains “at a personal level, really strengthen young people’s leadership by providing them with the skills and opportunities to build their own personal leadership.”

Improving Global Participation

Despite the strong contribution that developed nations provide in direct foreign assistance towards developing countries, the majority of them still do not meet the U.N.’s expectations. The irony is that countries like Turkey, who do not account for much of the world’s economy, are the second largest of humanitarian donors, spending $6 billion on humanitarian assistance.

One high-level U.N. representative noted that the 2030 agenda’s central promise to leave no one behind will “be elusive if [these] 91 countries … remain at the bottom of the development ladder.”

To empower young leaders is to empower our world. How this initiative will impact countries’ progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is yet to be determined; however, seeking to assist young leaders from developing nations by allocating the means to allow people to flourish comes at a vital time if we are to eradicate world hunger.

– Alexandre Dumouza

Photo: Flickr

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The Top 10 Most Thought-Provoking Quotes About Hunger

top 10 hunger quotes

Globally, around 795 million people lack access to adequate food resources. This equates to approximately one in nine hungry humans who do not have enough to eat. As these quotes about hunger will illustrate, hunger and malnutrition are self-perpetuating issues that affect a person’s mental ability, health, work and productivity. They constitute the world’s greatest public health risk, more pressing than AIDs, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

The good news is that hunger is preventable; the earth produces more than enough food to provide for all of its citizens. The problem lies in food access and apathy from developed nations. Solving world hunger involves investing in smallholder family farmers, healthcare, financial services and increasing women’s access to resources. The following are 10 of the greatest, most thought-provoking quotes about hunger that bring various perspectives to this complex issue.

  1. “If we can conquer space, we can conquer childhood hunger.” –Buzz Aldrin
  2. “It is an eternal obligation toward the human being not to let him suffer from hunger when one has a chance of coming to his assistance.” –Simone Weil
  3. “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.” –Dwight D. Eisenhower
  4. “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” –Mahatma Gandhi
  5. “We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and two-thirds hungry.” –Jimmy Carter
  6. “The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.” –John F. Kennedy
  7. “Hunger is not a problem. It is an obscenity. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
  8. “If you cannot feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” –Mother Teresa
  9. “It is important for people to realize that we can make progress against world hunger, that world hunger is not hopeless. The worst enemy is apathy.” –Reverend David Beckmann
  10. “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” –Pope Francis

For anyone moved by these quotes about hunger, there are many ways for individuals to get involved. Advocacy is essential, and contacting representatives is an easy and effective means of citizen involvement. Supporting hunger initiatives and awareness over social media is another simple option. On a local level, communities can provide meals for the hungry among them.

In the last 26 years, the number of hungry people worldwide has fallen by 216 million. With enough public determination, this amount will continue to drop until no one in the world goes to bed hungry.

– Anna Parker

Photo: Flickr

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Five Development Projects in Niger

Development Projects in NigerNiger is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Despite receiving aid from foreign entities, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. These five development projects in Niger work to address several of the root problems contributing to poverty and instability in the country.

Niger Solar Electricity Access Project (NESAP)

With an average of only 14.3 percent of its population having access to electricity, Niger remains among the least “electrified” countries in the world. However, in 2017, the World Bank approved the sponsorship of the Niger Solar Electricity Access Project (NESAP).

This project is designed to increase solar energy access to rural and peri-urban areas, where access to electricity drops to 5.4 percent. It consists of four components: market development and research, rural electrification, solar hybridization and access expansion and technical assistance and implementation support.

Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) Initiative

RISE consists of a number of humanitarian programs by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that focus on food security, nutrition and sanitation. It also includes programs designed for the health of women and small children, combatting malnutrition and monitoring compliance to health-related legislation.

National Malaria Control Program (NMCP)

As of 2013, malaria affected 32 percent of the population, and it remains the leading cause of death for Nigeriens. NMCP works to combat malaria by establishing a stable supply chain committee. Furthermore, it improves the availability of commodities and the overall performance of malaria prevention efforts.

Niger’s National Education and Training Sector Program

The government of Niger launched a 10-year program expanding into 2024 that tackles the prominent education issue in the country. Currently, the 30 percent literacy rate in the country highlights a need for increased access and quality of education. USAID has also partnered with the Nigerien government to assist with development projects in Niger.

These projects are aimed at raising the quality of education, especially for females, who suffer from the 18 percent gender gap in school enrollment. The program focuses on building community efforts toward education and active parental involvement. It also works to build a reading culture to increase the literacy rate and knowledge retention.

Water Mobilization Project to Enhance Food Security in Maradi, Tahoua and Zinder Regions (PMERSA-MTZ)

PMERSA-MTZ, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), aims primarily to build water collection and mobilization infrastructure. It also attempts to strengthen activities that benefit farmers and herders.

Since 2011, it has successfully built wells, thresholds, dams, ponds, boreholes, water banks, dikes, ravines and more. It also continues to train experts and livestock assistants to build capacity for production. Among its other initiatives, the PMERSA-MTZ continues to promote income-generating activities for Nigeriens and contribute to environmental protection and soil conservation efforts in the region.

These active development projects in Niger have consequently improved the quality of life for the country’s population. By working toward minimizing the root causes of poverty in Niger, these programs can boost the development of the country and its citizens’ ability to sustain themselves.

– Francesca Colella

Photo: Flickr

Five Important Development Projects in Montenegro

5 Development Projects in Montenegro

With only about 600,000 people living within its borders, Montenegro is one of the smallest countries on the Balkan Peninsula of Eastern Europe. Its small status, however, has not diminished its government’s desire for growth and development.

In fact, Montenegro’s somewhat vulnerable economy is set on a path to become part of the European Union by 2020. With the deadline fast approaching, Montenegro, along with the World Bank, have committed a whopping $144 million for 2018 (compared to only $3 million in 2017) toward development projects in Montenegro designed to kick start domestic development.

One of the following five development projects in Montenegro could very well be the key to nation’s economic and political future.

Montenegro First Fiscal and Financial Sector Resilience Policy-Based Guarantee

This is a tremendously important economic stimulation project that aims to reestablish trust between investors and Montenegro’s flux-prone economy. The public financial sectors are at the epicenter of this reform, as a staggering $93 million has been allocated to rebuild investor confidence and stabilize public debt levels for Montenegro’s most infringed people.

Specific measures of the reform include a reduction in wage for government officials, increased supervision of nonbanking financial sectors and pharmaceutical market reform, making medication more accessible and affordable. This is the first of a two-stage fiscal program that Emanuel Salinas, the World Bank Country Manager for Montenegro, believes will help the country “overcome today’s challenges and achieve strong sustained and inclusive growth.”

Industrial Waste Management and Cleanup Project

Montenegro, which literally means “black mountain,” is home to stunning cliffs that run for miles along the Adriatic Sea. Sitting on a grassy knoll overlooking this country’s sloping wild rivers and beautiful clear lakes, one would never imagine that there are disposal sites so contaminated that $68.9 million have been set aside in a direct effort to have them remediated and safe for habitation.

This cleanup project aims to reduce public health risks, such as air pollution and soil erosion, as well as vitalize the country’s tourism sector. The contaminated sites are to be leveled and blanketed by more than 30 centimeters of uncontaminated soil and future waste disposal will be in strict accordance with Montenegrin and E.U. legislation.

Revenue Administration Reform Project

Corruption is a pervasive problem for all facets of bureaucracy in the Montenegrin government. High levels of organized crime activities, such as loan sharking, drug smuggling and human trafficking, have found their way into the offices and juries of Montenegro.

This tax reform project, newly commissioned by the World Bank, is looking to bring functionality back to the countries ravaged revenue administration. Approved on July 31, 2017, this program, if successful, will be vitally important to Montenegro’s mission of joining the E.U.

Montenegro Energy Efficiency Additional Financing

These sustainable energy development projects in Montenegro look to pick up where their original 2008 counterpart leaves off. The additional $6.8 million in funding will help continue the very same efficiency programs that were able to provide nine educational facilities and six health care facilities in Montenegro with energy savings that ranged between 30 and 65 percent. For a country that imports an entire third of its energy, the savings have been two-fold. Montenegro is also one of the only Balkan countries that is actively advancing toward a green future.

Montenegro Institutional Development and Agriculture Strengthening Project

Somewhat famous for its grapes, Montenegro boasts an export of $15 million of wine a year. These development projects in Montenegro intend to manage public funds and focus them more on the agricultural sector, where near 70 percent of Montenegro’s rural population resides. This program has helped thousands of farmers acquire new farming machines and storage units. Ultimately, the project intends to implement a more modern agricultural system in the coming years.

Development projects in Montenegro that focus specifically on domestic improvement radically improve the quality of living for the people working and living on the land. Although there is still much more work to be done, the path is clear for Montenegro to become a fully developed nation. The strides being made by Montenegro today should inspire other Balkan countries to do the same.

– Nicolas Lennan

Photo: Flickr

Toward the Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Lebanon

Toward Sustainable Agriculture in LebanonThe famous concept of permaculture, developed first in 1978 by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, has recently been integrated into the Lebanese agricultural system, particularly in the rural areas of the country. Permaculture is a design science aiming to combine knowledge and culture with habitats and human agricultural systems. It utilizes the principles of ecology and anthropology to ensure the ethical reproduction of the diversity, resilience and uniqueness of natural ecosystems.

Through the application of these ethical principles in their daily lives, people gradually transform into productive producers rather than simply being passive and dependent consumers. Therefore, permaculture not only unifies local communities through the development of teamwork skills and resilience, but also paves the way to a more sustainable agricultural system and environmentally friendly future.

The rural areas of Lebanon implemented permaculture in 2014, after countryside residents received training and workshops organized by the SOILS: Permaculture Association Lebanon. With a goal of initiating the creation of sustainable agriculture in Lebanon, Rita Khawand, a former Lebanese actress, co-founded the SOILS organization after winning a social entrepreneurship competition led by environmental and sanitation based non-governmental organizations in her hometown. According to Khawand, Lebanon needs such a creative process, as it helps humans in “respecting nature and man.”

Alongside Khawand’s vision, Fadi Kanso, a Lebanese agricultural scientist, joined the SOILS community following the completion of his education in Germany to invest in permaculture with the aim of implementing sustainable agriculture in Lebanon. Kanso highlighted that the main problem in Lebanon is the farmers’ dependence on monoculture, a tendency that seemed to be catastrophic during severe climate shifts where some people witnessed huge financial losses as they relied only on a single crop species.

Kanso also stressed the negative impact of the overwhelming amount of pesticides administered by the farmers in the country, as it led to a reduction in crop fertility by a yearly rate of 15 percent. Moreover, these toxic chemicals also manifest adverse effects through their contribution to the development of health problems, such as minimizing the levels of iron and magnesium in the body which are absorbed from the consumption of certain types of fruits and vegetables.

One of the main advantages of the SOILS organization’s permaculture project in Lebanon is its role in achieving food security for refugees through manuals designed to help vulnerable populations create their own microgardens, and thus have access to the necessary food products. Permaculture can eventually aid the government with the burden of limited resources, which has become a significant concern following the Syrian war crisis and the immigration of millions of Syrian citizens to Lebanon.

Rita Khawand and the SOILS community are striving to transform Lebanon from an underdeveloped non-environmentally friendly community to a developed country with a sustainable agricultural system by uniting entire regions to fight for a better and improved future. From the Bekaa region in the north to the village of Saidoun in the south, the dissemination of permaculture is becoming a national success as local residents indulge themselves in Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) courses and learn how to overcome all financial and environmental challenges.

Despite the numerous fallbacks witnessed during the past few years, the positive impact of permaculture has created a sense of optimism among Lebanese citizens in their ability to succeed in the improvement of their country and their contribution in the development of sustainable agriculture in Lebanon.

– Lea Sacca

Photo: Flickr

Credit Access in Tunisia Boosts Economic Growth

Credit Access in Tunisia Boosts Economic GrowthCredit access in Tunisia has recently helped boost the country’s struggling economy by fostering the development of small businesses. Still, investment in improved credit access remains an active task.

Obtaining Credit Access in Tunisia

Currently, obtaining credit in Tunisia as an individual or as a small business consists of a lengthy, arguably difficult process.

“The overall offer of inclusive financial services in Tunisia remains fragmented, incomplete and difficult to access,” according to a 2015 World Bank report.

Very small, small and medium enterprises (VSSME) face various obstacles in obtaining credit. This includes “a heavy reliance on collateral, insufficient financial products and a lack of SME transparency,” a release by the Middle East Investment Initiative (MEII) reported.

Franchises have also begun popping up throughout the country. This began occurring after the overhaul of the old regime that stifled the ability to create them. Former policies discouraged foreign countries from opening enterprises in Tunisia, making it nearly impossible for franchises to exist. Now that these policies have changed, franchises have a chance to flourish in the Tunisian market.

Individuals seeking credit may also find it difficult to obtain, even though studies have found that between 950,000 and 1.4 million people have a demand for it. This has led to most Tunisians relying on personal, often unstable, lending methods such as borrowing from friends or family.

In fact, only about 36 percent of the adult population finances through formal lending methods. A 2015 study by the World Bank and the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) found that 64 percent of the population has little to no access to formal financial services.

For families, expanding credit access in Tunisia directly affects household consumption and employment. It also gives VSSMEs and developing franchises a boost, allowing them to grow their businesses. This, in turn, creates jobs and stimulates the economy.

Organizations Working to Expand Credit Access

Partnering organizations have worked to expand credit access among Tunisian businesses. This has been achieved through projects designed to ease the process of credit access in Tunisia. MEII and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) established the Tunisian Credit Guarantee Facility (TCGF) to help provide sustainable lending to Tunisian VSSMEs and franchises.

TCGF intends to increase cash-flow lending. It boasts a $1 million loan size limit, $50 million guarantee facility and a 70 percent loan principal guarantee plus up to six months’ interest. Participating banks also receive technical assistance.

Many international donors support the expansion of credit access in Tunisia. This includes the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the World Bank Group/IFC.

Although improving credit access in Tunisia will not directly eliminate poverty, it plays an important role in stimulating social and economic growth. By investing in the increase of accessible credit, the Tunisian government and supporting organizations can help to improve the quality of life of the population and foster economic growth throughout the country.

– Francesca Colella

Photo: Flickr

Efficiency Over Expansion: Sustainable Agriculture in Cambodia

sustainable agriculture in CambodiaFrom 2004-2012, Cambodia experienced a spurt of economic growth due in large part to an increase in rice production. During that time period, the country’s agricultural gross product increased by 8.7 percent.

But since 2012, the growth in agriculture has slowed. In 2013-14, agricultural gross product fell below 2 percent. Much of the past growth came from the expansion of cultivated lands, but this expansion may have reached its limits. In order for Cambodia to continue to grow its economy and support those who rely on agriculture, sustainable agriculture in Cambodia will become increasingly important to the country’s future.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is assisting Cambodia’s agriculture sector through the Feed the Future program. The program has trained over 193,000 farmers in new technologies. This has led to an increase in income among those in the farming industry as well as a 30 percent decrease in the number of underweight children in Cambodia.

USAID is continuing its work in Cambodia and has laid out its goals and expected results for the future. These expectations include continuing to help farmers increase sales and working with the private sector to grow and leverage investments in horticulture.

In September 2016, Kansas State University partnered with the USAID Feed the Future program to launch the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN). The center seeks to increase sustainable agriculture in Cambodia with a combination of private sector innovation, public sector improvement and training in sustainable agriculture techniques. These goals are accomplished in part by innovation labs and technology parks that highlight new technologies and strategies.

Another project funded by the partnership between USAID and CE SAIN is being run by Penn State University and focuses on the northern part of Cambodia. This program will work directly with 250 women in the agricultural industry. It will teach the women new farming techniques as well as how to successfully deal with climate change.

Rick Bates, a horticulture professor at Penn State, said that the program’s goal is “growing more food, on existing land, using fewer resources and in an ecologically friendly manner”. This sums up why sustainable agriculture in Cambodia is such a vital part of the country’s future. When the expansion of cultivated lands is no longer an option, new and innovative technologies can help farmers grow crops more efficiently on the land that is available.

– Aaron Childree

Photo: Flickr

Improving Economy and Environment: Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya

Sustainable Agriculture in KenyaAgriculture plays a large role in Kenya’s economy. The agricultural industry employs more than 40 percent of Kenya’s total population and more than 70 percent of the country’s rural inhabitants.

Any country can benefit from sustainable agriculture, but it is even more important that those with a heavy reliance on agriculture make sustainability a priority in their decision-making. Sustainable agriculture in Kenya can improve crop yields, stimulate the economy and help mitigate climate change.

Kenya is implementing a range of programs to increase sustainable agriculture. These are important steps to help the country build a prosperous future for all who live there.

Increasing Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya

One project working to increase sustainable agriculture in Kenya is the World Bank’s Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Project. This project saw tremendous gains in the area of environmental conservation by training farmers in sustainable farming techniques.

By 2015, 25,000 tons of carbon was captured with the use of methods implemented by the World Bank project. As a result, farmers in the area received carbon credits. Maize yields tripled over the course of three years and more than 30,000 farmers in Kenya have been trained.

Ace Africa has also been working to improve sustainable agriculture in Kenya by implementing what the organization calls Community Livelihood Programs. These programs deal with the problem of decreased soil fertility by teaching local farmers how to make organic compost. This compost not only improves soil fertility but also helps crops better fight against disease and increases carbon sequestration.

Incorporating Intercropping

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT) is another organization devoting itself to increasing sustainable agriculture in Kenya. One of the main techniques taught by CIMMYT is intercropping.

Intercropping improves crop yields by planting multiple different crops among each other in the same field. The organization also focuses on improving seed quality.

Sustainable agriculture in Kenya is making a positive impact on Kenya’s economy and also decreasing the country’s carbon footprint. This serves as a great example for the international community that economic and environmental interests do not always have to be at odds.

When sustainable development is a priority, increasing economic success and decreasing negative impacts on the planet are possible to achieve simultaneously.

– Aaron Childree

Photo: Flickr