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The Ecological Disaster of Palm Oil: Why It’s Time to Embrace Climate-Friendly Alternatives
Palm oil is in so many products that it’s quite hard to avoid. But as Jim Richards at milkadamia points out, tropical forests are being burned at an alarming rate to produce it, contributing greatly to global deforestation – which generates 15% of the planet’s total carbon emissions. He makes a passionate case for the need to switch to palm oil-free products, and discusses some sustainable alternatives.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
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Analysis: Why Cash Transfers Are an Efficient Method of Reducing Food Insecurity
With high levels of mobile phone and internet penetration, coupled with advanced digital technologies in the financial sector, Kenya has favourable conditions for cash transfers to the most vulnerable populations. However, corruption and lack of reliable data on beneficiaries can derail efforts to make all Kenyans food secure during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Tackling the COVID-19 Hunger Crisis in Africa: How Digital Networks Can Empower Small Farmers and Avert a Looming Disaster
COVID-19 is bringing even wealthy nations to their knees, but it’s dealing the deadliest blow to the world’s most vulnerable people – including smallholder farmers in Africa. And as Leesa Shrader at Mercy Corps points out, this is rapidly turning a health crisis into a hunger crisis. She explores how tech-powered solutions can help them survive the pandemic and build resilience for the future.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
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Tech Helps Cashmere Herders, Hazelnut Farmers Fight Soil Erosion in Asia
Nakimo benefited from a programme by social enterprise Mountain Hazelnuts that aims to find sustainable uses for fallow land and prevent soil erosion - an increasing challenge for small-scale farmers in the Himalayan nation.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Viewpoint: Coronavirus Shows Smallholder Farmers Need Help to Thrive
The Covid-19 has revealed how vulnerable the agri-food value chain is to abrupt external shocks, hence the urgent call for stakeholders to help build resilience in the sector.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: COVID-19 and Food Security: Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Markets
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the potential vulnerability of the world’s food supply chains. This is galvanising governments in emerging economies to boost domestic production through new agricultural inputs and investment in agri-tech and logistics networks.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
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Ethical Labels Not Fit for Purpose, Report Warns Consumers
Certification schemes may serve to mask human rights abuses and allow government inaction, study claims
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Entrepreneurship
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The COVID-19 Pivot: How Five Nonprofits and Community-Based Enterprises Have Adapted in Response to the Pandemic
As COVID-19 has upended entire industries, businesses and non-profits everywhere have had to adapt to survive – sometimes shifting completely from their traditional services. June Sugiyama at the Vodafone Americas Foundation explores how five participants in the OpenIDEO COVID Business Pivot Challenge have quickly adjusted to provide innovative solutions to the crisis.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Health Care, Technology