UN: World failing to meet HIV/AIDS targets – A U.N. report released Monday indicates that “the world is falling behind in its pledge to reduce HIV/AIDS infections and improve treatment, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.” The report says that “funding for anti-HIV/AIDS projects has been inadequate . . . and a U.N. goal to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 may not be met.” Over 7 million people in “low- and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral treatment in 2011, and the goal is to more than double that total to 15 million people in 2015.” (CBS News)
African farmers grow trees as a natural crop fertilizer – One of the most “challenging long-term barriers to agricultural production and sustainability in Africa is poor and degrading soil quality.” A new report from the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability suggests that Fertilizer Tree Systems (FTS) has the potential to double corn production in soil with low amounts of nitrogen, an essential plant nutrient. FTS are cheaper to implement than purchasing fertilizers and “represent a more holistic approach to soil management.” (CSM, Isaac Hopkins)
Rubio’s Global Vision: A Lot Like Obama’s – Senator Marco Rubio has a “surprisingly centrist foreign policy vision,” as he “recognizes the need for international partnerships, [and is] in favor of foreign aid and the defense of human rights.” Rubio has “outlined a strategy of pragmatic internationalism” that acknowledges that isolationism is impossible, “multilateralism reflects enlightened self-interest,” and that foreign aid is essential in securing U.S. objectives and exporting our values. (CFR, Stewart M. Patrick)
Nigeria Seeks to Become Food Exporter – West Africa currently imports a significant portion of the food it consumes, leaving the region “vulnerable to volatile international market prices.” Every year, Nigeria spends $8.2 billion important basic foods, and Nigerian President Goodluck Johnson called the country’s 11% increase in food imports this year “unsustainable” and “promised to make Nigeria a major food exporter during the next few years.” Officials say the “home-grown food will create jobs, stabilize food prices and help build a more equitable distribution of wealth.” (VOA, Heather Murdock)
