Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Indonesia’s Fight Against Tuberculosis

Indonesia's Fight Against Tuberculosis
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently working with the Indonesian government in the next step in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). Indonesia has already had significant success in fighting the disease and USAID is helping fund research to help the country completely eliminate fatalities caused by TB.

Last year, USAID granted Indonesia The Champion Award for its exceptional accomplishments for the category of “Work in the Fight Against TB”. Indonesia’s work with the World Health Organization (WHO) has helped decrease the number of TB-related deaths and raise awareness about the disease, as well as bolster the opening of new treatment centers. Today in Indonesia, more than 88% of people with TB have been successfully treated.

When patients have only been partially cured through treatment, TB sometimes resurfaces as multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. USAID’s latest initiative in Indonesia will focus on helping fund research and treatment centers to help find new solutions to the public health threat of MDR TB. Indonesia will likely accomplish the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of fighting TB in the very near future.

– Kevin Sullivan

Source: Global Post
Photo: CRW Flags

13-Year-Old Developed Lion Lights to Protect Cows

13-Year-Old Developed Lion Lights to Protect Cows
13-year old Richard Turere developed Lion Lights to protect his cows. Growing up in the Masai community near Nairobi, Kenya, Richard was responsible as a young boy for taking care of his father’s cows. In an area of poverty, livestock is very valuable to individual families and the loss of a cow or bull can be devastating.  The Masai community borders the Nairobi National Park which has little fencing to keep the animals in, resulting in the death of some cows by lions that had wandered out of the park.  Richard knew there had to be a solution and after trying several methods to try to deter the predators, he concluded that lions were afraid of moving light. When Richard would walk around the cow pasture with his torch, the lions would stay away.

Taking an old car battery, a blinking light, and an old flashlight, Richard used solar power to run a system that randomly blinks lights throughout the night. He calls them Lion Lights. In the last two years since he set up his Lion Lights, his family has had zero problems with lions. Richard has also installed the Lion Lights in several of his neighbor’s pastures.

The invention has led Richard to the opportunity to attend a well-known school and landed him a TED talk.  It can be viewed here. An impressive 13-year old, Richard’s ability to solve a problem in his community is an excellent example of the importance of equipping and empowering communities to lift themselves up and provide for their own needs. Rather than a handout, this community was changed by the invention of a then 11-year old boy.

– Amanda Kloeppel

Source: TED

Global Universal Threats

Global Universal Threats
Bujar Nishani, the Albanian President, asserts that crime, poverty, and terrorism are interconnected and that together, they create new global universal threats. The president also said that development, security, and human rights are interconnected. Thus, there is a push for international organizations to shift their focuses to meet the change in global challenges.

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established to protect Western countries against the threats of the Soviet Union. However, after the Cold War, these threats shifted as the political environment of Europe changed. The President asserts that the “central role of NATO throughout this process has been strengthened in guaranteeing the security of the Euro-Atlantic zone.” The shift in NATO’s priorities has occurred in recent years due to the new global threats which arose after the Cold War. Some of these priorities included: the Partnership for Peace, separate relations with Russia and Ukraine, dialogue with Mediterranean countries, and more.

In recent years NATO has been involved militarily to fight against terrorism and other new global threats. In order to improve NATO’s abilities to address these threats, the Prague Summit of 2002 established 3 key goals which included establishing a NATO Reaction Force. The U.N. Organization expressed the need for major reform of NATO’s capacity so that new global threats are efficiently addressed. The President also stated that “very powerful countries feel unimmunized and even vulnerable when faced with the asymmetric dangers of global effects,” and thus, countries have been increasingly more cooperative with each other to fulfill their responsibilities of improving security, maintaining peace, and tackling these global threats.

– Leen Abdallah

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Earth Day 2013–13 Things You Can Do

Earth Day 2013--13 Things You Can Do
On April 22, the world will celebrate Earth Day.

Earth Day is a great opportunity for eaters, farmers, and food businesses to make changes in their diets, shopping habits, and production practices that will promote sustainable, healthy food throughout the year.

From Uganda and India to the United States, farmers are gaining economic stability and supporting healthy communities through sustainable agriculture practices, As eaters, we all can do our part to support systems that protect both human health and the planet.

This year Food Tank: The Food Think Tank is celebrating the ways everyone can protect the planet, on Earth Day, and every day this year.

Here are 13 recommendations from Food Tank for ways to support the future of food, health, and agriculture:

1. Eat more colors

The colors of fruits and vegetables are signs of nutritional content. A richly-colored red tomato has high levels of carotenoids such as lycopene, which the American Cancer Society reports can help prevent cancer, as well as heart disease. The relationship between nutrients and color is also true for other foods. Eggs that have brightly orange-colored yolks are also high in cancer-fighting carotenoids and are more likely to be produced by healthier chickens.

2. Buy food with less packaging

Discarded packaging makes up around one-third of non-industrial solid waste in industrialized countries, with negative impacts on the climate, and air and water quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s analysis of different packaging for tomatoes found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) clamshell packaging increases tomatoes’ associated carbon emissions by 10 percent. The most effective way to limit the impact of packaging waste is to prevent it. Choosing foods with less packaging can also be better for our waistlines since highly processed foods that are low in nutrients generally use more packaging than more healthy, less-processed options.

3. Choose seasonal produce

Earth Day offers a great opportunity to bring more seasonal fruits and vegetables into diets. Many farmer’s markets, including the New York City Greenmarkets, offer guides about which products are in season. Locally sourced, seasonal products can also be found at major grocery stores. Another way to get seasonal foods is to sign up for a weekly CSA, which provides a mix of fresh, seasonal produce throughout the year. Other programs, such as Siren Fish Co.’s SeaSA in San Francisco, offer seasonal meats and seafood.

4. Get in touch with agriculture

This time of year, many people are starting to plan vacations. A great way to skip the crowds, save money, and get both children and adults in touch with agriculture is to book a farm-stay through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). WWOOF runs networks in most countries around the world, offering individuals and families the opportunity to directly support small-scale family farmers. Participants spend a few days or weeks living with a host family and helping with tasks around the farm in exchange for free food and lodging.

5. Get creative in the kitchen

Shopping at farmers’ markets, which often have a wide selection of less-ordinary produce such as celeriac, sunchokes, or kohlrabi, can prevent “food ruts” by helping consumers try new foods. When looking for inspiration, many popular recipe blogs, such as smitten kitchen, allow users to search by ingredient, as well as season. Publications such as Diet for a Small Planet and The Boston Globe‘s new Sunday Supper and More e-cookbook series also offer tips on reusing leftovers to reduce food waste.

6. Invest in perennial crops

Perennial plants — plants that grow back every year — tend to hold water in the soil more effectively than annuals and help prevent erosion. Their extensive roots also allow them to better access nutrients and water, reducing the need for artificial fertilizer. Researchers from the University of Illinois found that perennial prairie grasses are up to four times as water-efficient as row crops such as corn and wheat. The Land Institute works to breed perennial varieties of corn, wheat, rice, and other annual crops.

7. Reclaim abandoned spaces

As populations continue to expand, especially in cities, reclaiming unused land and buildings for food production can help meet growing demand. One new model is The Plant, a former meatpacking plant in Chicago that has been converted into an indoor vertical farm. The Plant currently runs an aquaponics farm, growing plants without soil using waste from its manmade tilapia pools. It also offers shared kitchen space for small businesses and other services.

8. Build local and global food communities

A great way to get involved in food and agriculture issues is with Slow Food International, an organization with more than 1,300 groups around the world called convivia. These groups support healthy, sustainable diets and traditional food cultures. In addition to local initiatives, Slow Food convivia also arrange regional and international events on important food and agriculture issues, such as Slow Food València’s recent conference on the influence of food in health and disease.

9. DIY

Many Do-It-Yourself (DIY) food projects are easy and fun. Turning old t-shirts into produce bags to save plastic, starting seeds in eggshells, which can then be crushed for transplanting into the soil, and DIY foods such as homemade oat or almond milk can all add a creative twist to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture. Plus, they are lots of fun for families.

10. Cook in batches and freeze for later

Planning meals in advance can help reduce stress around cooking. It also helps reduce food waste, which is a big problem in industrialized countries A great way to reduce waste and make planning easy is to cook large batches of a single meal, such as soups or curries, which can be frozen and reused on short notice later in the week. Preparing large amounts of food at once saves energy during cooking, while freezing helps prevent nutrient loss in fruits and vegetables. For those days when there is more time to cook, tools such as Love Food Hate Waste menu planner shopping list can help organize grocery trips.

11. Brighten your outlook

At the recent Warwick Economics Summit in February, Warwick University Economics Professor Dr. Andrew Oswald presented his research on health and happiness, focusing on the link between happiness and consumption of fruits and vegetables. His team of researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables directly improves a person’s mental well-being, separate from other variables such as income level and how much meat a person ate. This research is supported by a similar study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found a link between patients’ blood-level of carotenoids, compounds commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and their feelings of optimism.

12. Use crop rotation

Crop rotation is an important way to preserve soil nutrients, prevent erosion, and protect against crop diseases and pests. In the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, agronomists at Agronorte have developed new varieties of rice and dry beans that are well suited to the region’s tropical climate. By incorporating rice and beans into their yearly harvests, local soybean farmers can reduce the spread of soybean rust and nematodes, two of the biggest threats to their crops. The system also improves soil quality and provides jobs at times when soy and corn are not harvested.

13. Embrace conviviality around the table

Talking and laughing while sharing food is a uniquely human experience. Conviviality, joyful and friendly interaction, is found at markets and around the dinner table, and it supports healthy relationships and healthy bodies. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition considers convivial food culture one of the most critical aspects of food and agriculture, alongside health, hunger alleviation, and sustainable development. Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Minnesota agree, reporting that the benefits of family dinners on children’s mental health and achievement levels depend on engagement with their parents at these meals.

Standing up for the future of people and the planet is important on Earth Day and every day. This week is a great chance to work toward making 2013 a year for sustainable food and agriculture!

– Katie Brockman

Source Huffington Post
Photo Catholic Web Services

Africa’s Economies Thrive During Global Recovery

Africa’s Economies Thrive During Global Recovery
The global community is slowly recovering from economic difficulties across the board. However, countries in Africa continue to grow at rates that surpass all but their Asian counterparts.

According to the International Monetary Fund, African economies will remain strong throughout this year and next. GDP for the region is expected to increase by 5.3 percent while certain countries will experience even larger growth rates. Mozambique’s economy is projected to increase by 8.4 percent while Nigeria will increase by 7.2 percent. Despite the drop in the value of gold, South Africa is expected to grow by 3.3 percent this year and 6.1 percent next year. In its entirety, the global recovery is occurring at a much slower pace.

These numbers do not seem that extreme unless they’re compared to the United States’ growth rate which is predicted to increase this year to three percent. This is up from last year’s increase of roughly 2.2 percent.

In tough economic conditions such as these, the United States is being left behind in the cultivation of African businesses and the economy. China has been extremely aggressive in creating these relationships and has been reaping the benefits of it. China’s total economic growth is set for 7.7 percent growth this year.

By having a lax or overcautious attitude regarding African investment (both philanthropic and purely business), it is very possible that the United States is missing out on being a part of future success.

– Pete Grapentien

Photo: A Never Ending Dream

Self-Maintained Delight Toilets in India

Self-Maintained Delight Toilets in India

Sanitation in developing countries is often a major issue, especially when it comes to public facilities. In a country such as India where the homeless crowd the streets and a general sense of cleanliness and street maintenance is disregarded, systems such as the Delight toilets are welcomed with open arms.

The toilets are more or less remotely maintained. Everything inside the toilet from the flushing to the lights and fans is automatic. Having individual stalls function automatically greatly reduces the costs of keeping the toilets clean and also streamline their upkeep to a central monitoring agency. Water is conserved by judging based on the amount of time a person spends in the stall. The shorter amount of time, the less amount of water used to flush. To keep the stall clean, water is flushed every two hours.

Eram Scientific Solutions is the company that is building these toilets in cities such as Delhi, Kozhikode, and Kerala and hopes to install 6,000 more. Backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the systems will pay for themselves. Users will have to deposit a small amount of money to use the public facility (a commonality in most countries other than the United States). There is also an advertising room which charges companies anywhere from 1 to 5 rupees.

Keeping large cities such as Delhi and Mumbai clean is important in alleviating the stereotypes that developing countries carry with them. Not only do the Delight toilets help alleviate the image of a dirty and unpleasant city, but their model of sustainability will also facilitate more efficient and logical management of public facilities which usually tend to be misused and closed. While the toilets may not change the lives of those living in rural villages, and although they do charge a small fee, “The ultimate beneficiaries [of the Delight] are the urban poor who have no alternative access to hygienic public sanitation facilities.”

– Deena Dulgerian

Source: Co.EXIST

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UNICEF Focuses on Stunted Children

UNICEF Focuses on Stunted Children
One of the many harmful consequences of malnutrition in children is permanent “stunting” of the mind or body. The United Nations Children’s Fund is addressing this issue that affects more than 25 percent of children less than five years old. The organization is particularly concerned because “stunted” kids are put in a severe disadvantage for the rest of their lives.

According to Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, there are several ways to help prevent birth of stunted children. Some of these methods include advocating for breastfeeding, proper vitamin intake, and consuming clean water. Lake explains a child with access to these important elements is likely to have his or her brain and body develop normally. Children who do not receive the necessary nutrient are also put at risk for numerous other illnesses or even premature death.

The first two years of life are the most significant to a child’s health. Even in the womb, children are at risk if the mother is not dedicated to a balanced diet, drinking clean water, and consuming enough Vitamin A, iron, or folic acid. If a child does experience stunted growth or “stunting,” there is no way to reverse the damage after the age of two.

Anthony Lake describes “stunting” as “the least understood, least recognized and least acted upon crisis.” Unlike being underweight, stunted children can never be fully cured. Thus, the child must carry out his or her life with an underdeveloped brain and possible nerve and cell damage. Not only is this catastrophic for the child’s learning capacity and future career, but it is also detrimental to society as well.

Most stunted children live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In India, 48 percent of children under five years old suffer from “stunting.” All of these children will never have the chance to live up to their full potential. When new generations are unable to contribute intellectually and financially to society, the country’s entire economic system suffers. UNICEF is tackling the issue of one child at a time.

– Mary Penn

Source: News OK
Photo: CNN

Poorest Countries Showing Greatest Commitment to Combating Hunger

Poorest Countries Showing Greatest Commitment to Combating Hunger
Poverty is no match for combating hunger and undernutrition, something that some of the world’s poorest countries are proving to be true according to data collected by the Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index. Some of the poorest countries are staying true and strong to their political commitment to tackle the issue, which many economically strong countries are failing to do. These countries have the funds and means to address the issue, yet they fail to put forth the initiative to adequately address it.

Hunger and undernutrition affect people all across the world, in nations poor and rich. Thus, it is necessary for governments and people to be completely committed and put forth an effort to combat hunger, saving lives, improving quality of life, and allowing people to fully reach their capacities – both socially and economically.

The Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index (HANCI) “ranks governments on their political commitment to tackling hunger and undernutrition… to provide greater transparency and public accountability by measuring what governments achieve, and where they fail, in addressing hunger and undernutrition,” according to their website. Its data comes from 45 countries located across the globe and, according to the lead HANCI research, Dr. Dolf te Lintelo, the point is to “shine a spotlight on what governments are doing, or failing to do, towards addressing hunger and undernutrition.”

African countries, such as Malawi and Madagascar, were amongst the top countries showing “high commitment” to solving the problem of hunger. Yet, many African countries with robust economies, such as Nigeria and South Africa, showed very little commitment, bringing into question what seems to be the motive behind improving their economies as there has been little done to help those that are under-nourished and hungry.

The HANCI website goes into great detail as to which countries have high commitment and which countries fail in their commitment efforts, as well as interactive tools that allow people to explore the data. Visit it here: https://www.hancindex.org/.

– Angela Hooks

Sources: AllAfrica, HANCI
Photo: Hunger and Nutrition Blog

Stunting: Why Fighting Hunger is Important

Stunting: Why Fighting Hunger is Important
In a conference held in Ireland, Anthony Lake, the executive director of UNICEF, reminded us why fighting hunger is so important. A recently released UNICEF report stated that more than a quarter of children under the age of five are permanently stunted from malnutrition. Children who are permanently stunted lack the physical and intellectual capacity to achieve their full potential. If the 165 million children been exposed to better nutrition, breastfeeding, and clean water in their first two years of life, they could have reached normal brain and body development.

Lake has urged that fighting hunger is important because children who are permanently stunted will suffer increased vulnerability to illness and early death. In order to combat this, UNICEF believes children need increased access to Vitamin A, iron, and folic acid in the womb, as well as a balanced diet and clean drinking water in the first two years of life. UNICEF argues that the minimum requirements should without question be universally available to every child on the planet.

If a child is permanently stunted from hunger, their brain never properly develops. It is unfixable. While we can fix hunger later, once a child is permanently stunted there is no going back. These children will be at a disadvantage in school. They will not learn at as quick of a pace, nor as much as their peers. This is a clear violation of the child’s human rights. And worst of all, it is something that can be corrected.

Formats such as UNICEF conferences, while not always providing the brightest or happiest news, raise awareness. Learning statistics and facts behind global hunger and poverty have the power to motivate society to get more involved. Technology and international cooperation and funding can help put an end to this problem.  The permanent stunting of children serves as a reminder of why fighting hunger is important.

– Caitlin Zusy
Source: Medical Xpress
Photo: CNN

India Experiments With Cash Assistance Program

India Experiments With Cash Assistance Program

With social programs across the world, corruption and inefficiency are always an issue. In India, the Public Distribution System, or PDS, is the largest network that provides food and other necessities to the 350 million who live below the poverty line. Economists have recently begun to formulate an experiment to get aid directly to the hands of recipients in the form of checks that they can spend as they choose.

PDS currently uses ration cards which allow people to buy grains at a cheaper price. However, there are quite a few middlemen and illegal happenings which can end up leaving anywhere from five percent to 15 percent of the original amount to the ration cardholder. With this new proposition, however, the government must deal with many theories and statistics of failure and the possibility of biting off more than they can chew.

The cash system would require recipients to open bank accounts. Only 40 percent of Indians currently have a bank account due to the impracticality of it for rural dwellers who either do not have close access to a bank or are not able to pay the fees required to have one. The idea of banking correspondents has been suggested to counter this issue. These correspondents can be explained as human ATMs who physically go to villages and customers, allowing them to withdraw money.

Reetika Khera, an economist from the Indian Institute of Technology conducted a survey asking PDS users their preference for food vs. cash. Although two-thirds said they preferred food, Paul Niehaus of GiveDirectly (an NPO that works to transfer donations electronically to poor Kenyans) warns that surveys are not the best way to test the theories. Most people who are a part of PDS have been living in a paternalistic system, as Indian economists say, where they have become comfortable and accustomed to the ration cards and are told how to spend their benefits.

These cash systems have been implemented in Mexico and Brazil where families must meet certain benchmarks and goals in order to receive their benefits. Although India’s population is significantly larger, certain states which have already put this new system to use have noticed an improvement in the distribution of funds and a decrease in corruption.

– Deena Dulgerian

Source: Co.EXIST, NY Times