National Journal: A Haitian Push on Farm Bill – Haiti is one of the top 10 recipients of food aid from the U.S., and the abolition of its tariffs has “routed the domestic food economy, driving farmers into the slums of Port-au-Prince.” In reality, “American food aid – the contours of which are defined by the [2012] farm bill – is a boon for U.S. agribusiness.” Timi Gerson, director of advocacy for the American Jewish World Service, explained that “while we strongly support foreign aid generally, we can point to other areas in our foreign assistance where the end goal of development is not necessarily what shows up in the policy. What shows up instead is a donor-driven vision.” (Christopher Snow Hopkins)
VOA: The World Food Program Assists Africa’s Drought-Stricken Sahel – The WFP is responding to the hunger crisis in the Sahel region with “a focus on women and young people, especially small children because they are the most vulnerable.” Food prices in the region are still abnormally high, livestock herds and savings haven’t been replenished, and humanitarian needs are enormous. The WFP has established various programs, including cash for work programs, food for work programs, and irrigation programs to help communities and business thrive under these difficult conditions. (Bettina Luescher)
Devex: The future women want – Women in developing countries constitute 43 percent of agricultural workers, yet they don’t the same access to land and credit as their male counterparts. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that “giving women equal access to fertilizers, seeds, tools and other agriculture support would result in 100-150 million fewer hungry people.” The sustainable development dialogue at Rio+ 20 conference must actively address issue that “reduce women’s poverty and lower the harmful impact on health and the environment.” (Nanette Braun)
AFP: Malawi to receive $157 million IMF loan – The IMF is providing a three-year, $157-million loan to “fix its troubled economy which has been hit by global aid suspensions.” Malawi met IMF demands last month to devalue its currency to secure a resumption of the foreign aid it desperately needs. The new government has made efforts to “change the policy environment and begin to address Malawi’s chronic imbalance between foreign exchange earnings on the one hand, and the demand for foreign exchange on the other.”
