Devex: Bridging the gap between agriculture and nutrition – The Leverhulme Centre for Integrative Research on Agriculture and Health is calling for better methodologies and broader involvement of research organizations in order to better understand the link between agriculture and nutrition. The new report suggests greater research on the “effects of agricultural policies on nutrition, [on the] indirect effect of agricultural changes on nutrition,” and on cost-effectiveness. Their ultimate goal is to increase farmers’ income and production in order to solve food scarcity and potentially end malnutrition. (Jenny Lei Ravelo)
AFP: Hopes high for resolution in S. Africa mine standoff – World number three platinum producer Lonmin and mediators were “optimistic about a breakthrough in talks with workers Thursday to end a three-week strike after violence left 44 people dead.” The company hopes that the workers will agree to a “peace accord” before they begin negotiations on workers’ wage demands.
CNN: Opinion: Is oil-rich Angola a development success? – Ten years after the end of its civil war, Angola “has been transformed into a regional African power with a strong economy,” yet poverty is still widespread. Between 2002 and 2008, Angola experienced double digit growth in GDP annually and the country is the second largest producer of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this growth, Angola has been unable to escape the ‘resource curse,’ and research shows that “resource-rich countries with little political accountability have trouble converting resources into development.” (Arne Wiig and Ivar Kolstad)
IPS: Sweden to Fund Innovations in Water Sector – At this week’s international water conference, the Swedish government announced a “new finance instrument called Water Innovation Challenge Fund whose primary objective is to capture, promote and implement innovative new ideas and new technologies in water resource efficiency.” (Thalif Deen)
