05 July 2012 - Private sector-led agribusiness brings with it opportunities but also dangers.
The G8 summit last May ended with a pledge to end hunger in Africa and a plan to inject $3 billion into African agriculture with the aim of “catalysing private sector investment in African agriculture”. This record investment, derived entirely from the private sector, appears to stem from a realisation that previous aid commitments have failed, as well as perhaps an assessment of government priorities in an environment of Western austerity.
The G8’s position represents a significant leap of faith in market-friendly agriculture four years after the 2008 global food crisis when increasing food prices led to unrest in a number of developing countries. For its alleged ability to promote business opportunities in low income markets, offer inputs and links to markets for small-scale producers, agribusiness was recently elevated by the International Fund for Agriculture and Development as a key driver of hunger reduction. The primary objective of the G8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a shared commitment to increase investment into African agriculture, luring investors to Africa’s food markets on the premise of favourable returns and low tax rates. It will initially be launched in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania.
For the complete article, please see ThinkAfricaPress.
The momentum for climate action we are witnessing is extraordinary. Throughout 2019, millions of people took the streets all around the world to join the youth climate movement's school strike. Yet at this year’s most important climate politics meeting, the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, most governments were far from committing to sufficient action to avert dangerous climate change. Dr. Beatrice Mosello and Dr. Virginie Le Masson explain how to move things forward.
Climate action is best achieved through multilateral efforts involving an array of actors and stakeholders. The news coming out of climate talks can also be as wide and varied. To keep you posted on the latest happenings surrounding COP25 we'd like to share with you 10 of our favourite Twitter accounts.
If the United Nations is to effectively deal with climate-related security risks, it needs expert support from every region. That’s where the Climate Security Expert Network comes in.