Gates Foundation spends $1.7B on farming in Africa – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have pinpointed a focus on agriculture as an effective way to fight hunger and poverty in Africa, investing $1.7 billion to date – but its leaders say it could take 20 years to see the results of that work. Some people have been helped, and the foundation expects more will be in years to come, but agricultural development happens slowly, said the foundation’s deputy director of global development. (AP)
‘Billions lost’ in harvest waste in sub-Saharan Africa – Food losses in sub-Saharan Africa could be greatly reduced and billions of dollars a year could be saved by tackling the problem of post-harvest waste, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said. A new report produced with the World Bank estimates the value of post-harvest grain losses in sub-Saharan Africa to be around $4 billion a year – a loss which could provide food to 48 million people for a year, according to the FAO. (AFP)
Is Africa getting tough on China? – CNN reports that African leaders are “making tougher contractual demands on their Asian counterparts,” as part of a “growing political pressure to leverage Africa’s wealth better and for Africans to rewrite the terms of their relationship with Chinese investors.” South African President Jacob Zuma, among other political leaders, are voicing their desire for more equitable business deals in terms of long-term investments, infrastructure maintenance, job creation and skills transfer. (Robyn Curnow, CNN)
Nigeria gets first freedom of information law – Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, approved the Freedom of Information bill, a law that gives citizens of Africa’s most populous nation access to public records for the first time. The new law gives government bodies seven days to produce requested information. It also makes it a criminal offense to destroy records. (AP)
UN-led alliance says 2,500 youths infected daily with HIV – A UN-led alliance urged young people to change behaviors that increase their risk of contracting AIDS, and called on their elders to provide leadership, education and support. The joint report says that around the world some 2,500 young people are infected daily with HIV and argues that poverty and unemployment must be addressed “because they can push young people into prostitution.” (Washington Post)
