Washington Post: Opinion: How to ensure the world’s food supply – America’s suffering from the region’s worst drought in decades raises the question, “Can we feed a world on its way to 9 billion people, given weather events, pressure on natural resources and changing diets?” But to create a food-secure world, we must make Africa part of the solution, as it “represents about 60 percent of the potentially available cropland in the world.” (Greg Page)
AFP: US gives last-minute extension to African textiles – Congress renewed duty-free access for textiles made in sub-Saharan Africa on Thursday, “giving a last-minute extension to rules estimated to have created hundreds of thousands of jobs.” Congress extended the provision until 2015. This duty-free access first took effect in 2000 under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). (Shaun Tandon)
NYTimes: In Uganda, an AIDS Success Story Comes Undone – Uganda’s sharp reduction of its AIDS rate has long been hailed as a success story, yet a new survey shows that “Uganda is one of only two African countries, along with Chad, where AIDS rates are on the rise.” HIV infection rates in the country have increased to 7.3 percent today from 6.4 percent in 2005, and many are questioning the effectiveness of the US AIDS-prevention strategy there. (Josh Kron)
Huffington Post: Namibia: A Different Africa – For solitary “natural beauty and the amazing tribes” of Africa, Namibia’s vast Namib desert makes it one of the least densely populated countries in the world. A trip to Namibia offers visits with ancient tribes, such as the Himba, cave carvings, the Skeleton Coast and bright sand dunes. (Charlotte Temple)
