Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty?
TechTuesday again! here’s an interesting article from the NYT asking a rather intriguing question; can the cellphone be the savior of third world countries? This article shows how the mobile phone has benefited people from the developing countries by enabling them faster access to information, increasing income and becoming an important business tool. More interestingly, […]
Soaring food prices and the rural poor
IFAD The prices of basic food commodities have increased rapidly over the past three years. The threat to food security in developing countries increases in stride. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns that “the rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions.” “Responding effectively to the impact of higher food prices must […]
Ms Kruewan Chonlanai is the new AWCF Chairperson
The Board of Trustees (BOT) of AWCF has appointed Ms Kruewan Boonrin Chonlanai of the Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT), Thailand as its new Chairperson. Ms Kruewan has been working for CULT for almost 18 years now starting as Training Staff of the Education Department (1990-1994), then became Education Manager (1995-2004), then Executive […]
The End of Cheap Rice
Here’s a very informative presentation from CEDAC on the rice crisis in Cambodia. It also presents the need to support small farmers and adoption of “farmers’ innovations such as the Systematic Rice Intensification (SRI) and the MASIPAG rice breeding program” instead of the IRRI’s “second” green revolution nonsense. This powerpoint presentation was prepared by Winfried […]
New Publication: A Study of Emergency Rice Reserve Schemes in Asia
We are re-issuing this research paper as a contribution to a more vigorous discussion on the need for Asian countries to implement Emergency Rice Reserve Schemes. This has never been more timely as Asian countries are now facing serious socio-political problems generated by the ongoing rice/food shortages. This research paper originally published in the book […]
New publication: Alternative Framework on Trade and Development for the Philippines
This paper, jointly published by AsiaDHRRA and AFA, and written by Ping Peria, raises issues on the existing rules of the international trading system and its supporting mechanisms. It discusses the need for an alternative approach to the dominant trade and development framework beyond the WTO and the ASEAN focusing on agriculture and rural development. […]
Philippine rice crisis – reaping the 'fruit' of market capitalism
GRAIN Hybrid Rice Blog [the Philippine rice crisis is just one of] the signs “of an inherent crisis – that of market capitalism and trade liberalisation policies that many developing countries reliant on foreign debt are forced to accept. The Philippines is a good example of a country that was pushed to ignore its own […]
Profiting from hunger
Its HungerWednesday again and we found this insighful article from Grain about how global agribusiness firms, traders and speculators are raking in huge profits while much of the world is suffering from food shortages. GRAIN For some time now the rising cost of food all over the world has taken households, governments and the media by […]
Free Online Course: Networking in Support of Development
TechTuesday brings you this announcement of free online course on Networking in Support of Development. The Food and Agriculture Organization and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation invite applications from e-agriculture.org members to participate in a free four-day Online e-learning Course: NETWORKING IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT The First Course for Applicants in Africa […]
FFTC conducts workshop on Exploring bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides for safe and sustainable food production
FFTC | February 18 2008 LOS BAÑOS, PHILIPPINES – Excessive and inappropriate use of agrochemicals has undeniably resulted in negative and sometimes irreparable effects on the environment. In an effort to increase crop yield, the once fertile soils have become acidic due to heavy chemical fertilizer application. Degraded soils and groundwater pollution caused by chemical […]
