Obama and Farm Subsidies

Just from the Washington Post:

Obama Goes After Farm Subsidies

In a speech just concluded announcing two more economy appointees -- CBO chief Peter Orszag to the Office of Management and Budget and Robert Nabors (House Approp. Comm.) to be his deputy -- President-elect Obama gave an example of one piece of wasteful government spending: farm subsidies.

Obama cited a GAO report out yesterday that said from 2003 to 2006, "millionaire farmers" got $49 million in farm subsidies despite earning more than the $2.5 million cutoff in annual income.

"If it's true," Obama said, "it's a prime example of waste."

With the announcement, Obama joins a long and largely defeated line of presidents and officials who've tried to kill farm subsidies, a perk as deeply ingrained in a nation built on the Jeffersonian Agricultural Ideal as any other.

Subsidies have been constructed and preserved by powerful Midwest lawmakers and are very difficult to pry loose.

To the president-elect, we say: Good luck with that. Let us know how it works out for you.

Orszag, Obama said, "doesn't need a map to tell him where the bodies are buried in the federal budget."

One place to start digging is the Nation's Breadbasket. The president-elect may be wise to be on the lookout for a Combine Army motoring to Washington to preserve the subsidies.

Pics from Nicaragua

Events on Agriculture and Development for the DC Area

The Basics of Feeding a Hungry World: Secure Land and Water Access and the Outlook for a Hungry World

Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Hogan and Hartson LLP
Fulbright Center, West (located on 13 West)
Location: 555 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC, (Nearest metro station is Metro Center)
MORE INFO


Saving Niger: Addressing the Long Term Food Crisis in Northern Sub-Saharan Africa

Monday, November 17, 2008
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
122 Cannon House Office Building
RSVP: Contact Larry Wilcher of PRC at lwilcher@prcdc.org or 202-467-5030.


Invest in Women Farmers to Bolster Rural Economies, Ensure Food Security

Date: Dec. 9, 2008
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Place: ICRW, 1120 20th St. N.W. Suite 500 North
Washington, D.C. 20036
MORE INFO

Obama and International Development

Hi There folks,
The Obama team just released an statement describing, on broad terms, their vision of US's foreign assistance programs. Remember how during the vice-president debate Senator Biden was ask what are some of the promises he may not be able to deliver? His answer: foreign aid. So the question remains: how is president-elect Barack Obama and his team going to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of USAID and other international development platforms given the current financial crisis and budgetary constrains, not to mention unprecedented expectations in the developing world? well, time will tell.



President-elect Barack Obama

Campaign Commitments on Development


MDGs

President-elect Obama committed to making the Millennium Development Goals American policy. By the end of my first term, he expects to see progress to meeting the MDGs, including reducing by half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day and suffering from hunger, and reversing the number of new HIV infections and malaria cases.

Funding

He committed to doubling U.S. foreign assistance, to $50 billion by 2012. In the wake of the economic crisis, Senator Obama and Senator Biden said on several occasions that they would “slow down” achieving this goal, though they have not at any point said that it is no longer a goal.

Health

Obama pledged to expand the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by adding at least $1 billion a year in new money and was a cosponsor of the reauthorization bill. He supported increasing funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and a willingness to remove the 33% cap on U.S. contributions.

He would establish “Health Infrastructure 2020” to work with developing countries to invest in the full range of infrastructure needed to improve and protect both American and global health. He pledged to increase funding for child and maternal health and ensure that increases in other important areas - including HIV/AIDS - do not come at the expense of child health and survival programs. He would expand access to vaccinations, increase research into new vaccines, and expand access to reproductive health programs.

He supports the goal of ending deaths from malaria by 2015 by building on the $1billion per year commitment to malaria in the recent PEPFAR reauthorization and dramatically expanding access to mosquito nets and access to ACTs.

Water

He would expand access to clean water and sanitation through increased funding of up to $1.3b annually and support for innovative programs like 'play pumps'.

Education

Obama plans to capitalize a “Global Education Fund” with at least $2 billion in funding towards the goal of universal access and would leverage this funding through the World Bank’s Fast Track Initiative. He supports passage of the Education For All Act.

Aid Reform

Obama will look at creating a cabinet-level position for development aid. He committed to coordinate and consolidate PEPFAR, the federal Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), and other foreign assistance programs into a streamlined U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Debt Cancellation

He committed to fully funding debt cancellation for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), pressing for reforms at the World Bank to ensure that poor countries receive grants rather than loans, and leading a multilateral effort to address the issue of “odious debt.”

SMEs

Obama pledged to provide initial capital for a Small and Medium Enterprises Fund (SMEs) that would be administered through the federal Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

Agriculture

Obama committed to launch the “Add Value to Agriculture Initiative” to spur research and innovation in this area.

Add Value to Agriculture Initiative (AVTA). Agriculture provides a livelihood for the majority of the world’s poor, and it is the sector that will be hardest hit by climate change. In order to increase the incomes of subsistence producers, decrease the pressure on shrinking arable lands, and minimize the vulnerability of commodity exports to global price shocks, an Obama administration will launch the AVTA Initiative. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are committed to spurring research and innovation aimed at bringing about a Green Revolution for Africa, by partnering with land grant institutions, private philanthropies and business to support agricultural processing through increased investment in research and development for improved seeds, irrigation methods, and affordable and safe fertilizers. They will also make critical investments in providing the package of tools needed to allow poor farmers to succeed in the agricultural market, including by providing training in regulation and quality control standards and by increasing finance and financing instruments for rural enterprises as well as access to markets

350 Jobs on International Development

Hola gente,
There you go, hundreds of jobs! follow the "4 Job Seekers" link to find more info and feedback about job hunting on International development. For those in the Washington Area, stay tuned for long list of events on international development going on this month in the area and some stories about my recent trip to Nicaragua.

A. NEW INTERNATIONAL JOBS

Consultant - Management Information Systems Development
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Location: Rome, Italy
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51422.shtml

General Coordinator
Central America -- United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
Location: Guatemala
Last Date: November 11, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51417.shtml

Click "READ MORE" below to see all 350 job post from DevEx


Internship - Producer Business Unit
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO)
Location: Bonn, Germany
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51421.shtml

Senior Media & PR Officer
EveryChild
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 19, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51420.shtml

Disaster Risk Reduction Oficcer
Intermón Oxfam
Location: Mozambique
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51391.shtml

Senior NRM Technical Advisor
National Committee for Decentralization and Deconcentration Reforms
(NCDD)
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51389.shtml

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)
Location: Maastricht
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51419.shtml

Senior Energy Specialist - Energy & Climate Change
The World Bank
Location: Beijing, China
Last Date: December 1, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51418.shtml

Research Associates
Imperial College London
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51416.shtml

Project Manager
International Alert
Location: Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51415.shtml

Crop Genetic Diversity Specialist
The CIRAD - CGIAR Generation Challenge Program (GCP)
Location: Montpellier, France
Last Date: November 19, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51392.shtml

Indicorps Publications Intern
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51035.shtml

Financial Audits Development Practitioner (Core Support Team)
Cardno Acil Pty Ltd
Location: Papua New Guinea
Last Date: November 28, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51363.shtml

Judicial Performance and Monitoring
Cardno Acil Pty Ltd
Location: Papua New Guinea
Last Date: November 28, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51361.shtml

Country Director
CORD
Location: Chad
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51393.shtml

Business Proposal Manager
RTI International
Location: North Carolina
Last Date: December 8, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51390.shtml

Specialist - Internal Medicine
Medici con l'Africa Cuamm
Location: Beira, Mozambique
Last Date: December 8, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51388.shtml

Education Program Manager
Intermon Oxfam
Location: Western Bahr-el-Gazal, Sudan
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51384.shtml

Special Assistant to the Director General
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51383.shtml

Program Manager - Eye Care
Tulsi Chanrai Foundation
Location: Nigeria
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51285.shtml

Technical Adviser - Value Chain Promotion
Centre International de Développement et de Recherche Location: Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51370.shtml

Assistant Technique du Projet Partage
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51369.shtml

Climate Change Specialist
Asian Development Bank
Location: Manila, Philippines
Last Date: November 18, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51367.shtml

Agro-Economist / Socio-Economist
IBF International Consulting
Location: Mozambique
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51229.shtml

Communications Consultant
United Nations - Liberia
Location: Monrovia
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51316.shtml

Senior Expert - Institutional Capacity Building
ABU Consult Berlin GmbH
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Last Date: November 25, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51313.shtml

Business Services Co-ordinator
Traidcraft Exchange
Location: Gateshead, UK
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51098.shtml

Human Resource Specialist
Asian Development Bank
Location: Manila, Philippines
Last Date: November 18, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51368.shtml

Database Manager
Conservation International (CI)
Location: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51058.shtml

Agricultural Economist
Asian Development Bank
Location: Manila, Philippines
Last Date: November 18, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51365.shtml

EOI - National Governance Programme
Government of Botswana (GoB)
Location: Gaborone
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51218.shtml

Research Director - Africa
Family Health International
Location: Kenya
Last Date: December 7, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51323.shtml

Events Manager
Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC)
Location: New York, NY, USA
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51141.shtml

Country Director - Uganda
Students Partnership Worldwide
Location: Jinja, Uganda
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51292.shtml

Traffic Manager/Studio Manager
Comic Relief
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 10, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51057.shtml

Programme Director
Handicap International
Location: Moscow, Russia
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51354.shtml

Teamleider Marketing & Fondsenwerving
oneMen - MIVA
Location: Breda, Netherlands
Last Date: November 24, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51320.shtml

Coordinator - Development of NHDR
UNDP
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51311.shtml

Program Manager - Primary Health Care
Tulsi Chanrai Foundation
Location: Nigeria
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51288.shtml

Emergency WASH Cluster Coordinaor
UNICEF Somalia
Location: Jowhar, Somalia
Last Date: November 18, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51319.shtml

Intern - People and Ecosystems Program
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Last Date: December 1, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51356.shtml

Key Experts - Civil Service Reform
HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management Ltd
Location: Kyrgyz Republic
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51349.shtml

Budget Analyst
Land O'Lakes International Development
Location: Shoreview, MN, USA
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51357.shtml

Senior Expert - Public Administration Reform /Team Leader
ABU Consult Berlin GmbH
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Last Date: November 25, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51312.shtml

Field Manager
Wildlife Conservation Society Takamanda Mone Landscape Project (WCS-
TMLP)
Location: South West Province, Cameroon
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51315.shtml

Interim CEO - A Rocha South Africa
A Rocha International
Location: South Africa
Last Date: December 7, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51307.shtml

Community Conservation Internship
Community Centred Conservation (C3)
Location: Comoros Islands
Last Date: December 7, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51337.shtml

Head - Chronic Diseases Programme
ICDDR,B
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51270.shtml

Technical Advisor to Project Coordinator
Ministry of Education
Location: Dili, Timor-Leste
Last Date: November 17, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51264.shtml

Coordinator
CORAF/WECARD
Location: Kano, Nigeria
Last Date: November 13, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51333.shtml

Intern, ABS
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51334.shtml

Provincial Justice Coordinator
UNDP Afghanistan
Location: Afghanistan
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51348.shtml

Part-Time Research Assistant – Private Health Sector
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51346.shtml

Resident Journalism Advisor - Kyrgyz Republic
Internews Network
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51260.shtml

Country Director
Family Health International
Location: Malawi
Last Date: December 6, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51293.shtml

Project Coordinator – Ethiopia
Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Last Date: December 6, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51347.shtml

Conference Facilities and Meetings Manager
Carnegie Endowment (CE)
Location: Washington D.C.
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51344.shtml

Research Manager
amfAR
Location: New York, NY, USA
Last Date: December 6, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51343.shtml

Division Manager
African Development Bank (AFDB)
Location: Cote d'Ivoire
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51342.shtml

Gender & Human Rights Practitioner
Cardno Acil
Location: Papua New Guinea
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51341.shtml

Legal Officer
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Location: Vienna, Austria
Last Date: December 6, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51339.shtml

Programme Specialist - Economist
UNDP
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51338.shtml

Research Analyst - International Climate Policy
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Location: Washington D.C.
Last Date: December 6, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51336.shtml

Technical Capacity Manager - Sustainable Agriculture Division
Rainforest Alliance
Location: San José, Costa Rica
Last Date: November 27, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51335.shtml

Senior Expert Human Resources Management - Civil Service Reform
ABU Consult Berlin GmbH
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Last Date: November 25, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51314.shtml

Director of Finance and Operations
Counterpart International
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51330.shtml

Chief of Party
Counterpart International
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51329.shtml

Development Economist / Director of Impact Evaluation & Monitoring
KickStart
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Last Date: November 25, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51328.shtml

Indicorps Marketing/Brand Management Intern
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51037.shtml

Indicorps Technology Intern
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51036.shtml

Deputy Director- Mozambique
Family Health International
Location: Mozambique
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51254.shtml

Chief of Party
Counterpart International
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51308.shtml

Program Officer - Tourism and Conservation
Counterpart International
Location: Arlington, VA, USA
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51306.shtml

Consultant - Capacity Assessment
UNDP
Location: Juba, Sudan
Last Date: November 12, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51249.shtml

Policy Analyst
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51277.shtml

Country Programme Manager
UNIFEM
Location: Monrovia, Liberia
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51304.shtml

Program Coordinator
Counterpart International
Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51305.shtml

Short term Experts - Farm Accountancy Data Network
Mautner Markhof Consulting
Location: Eastern Europe
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51250.shtml

Farmer-to-Farmer (FTF) Deputy Program Director
Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA)
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51283.shtml

Expert - Evaluation finale du Programme d'Appui aux Capacités
Décentralisées
SudgestAid
Location: Cameroon
Last Date: November 13, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51247.shtml

Director - Financial Performance & Risk Management
CARE Canada
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51256.shtml

Program Coordinator
Africa Legal Aid (AFLA)
Location: Accra, Ghana
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51303.shtml

Resource Economist/Rural Sociologist
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51278.shtml

Technical Assistant - Value Chain Promotion
Centre International de Développement et de Recherche
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51302.shtml

Chief of Party - Integrated HIV/AIDS & Health Programming
RTI International
Location: Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51301.shtml

Science Writer/Editor
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
(ICARDA)
Location: Aleppo, Syria
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51300.shtml

Vice President and General Counsel
National Women's Law Center (NWLC)
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51255.shtml

Project Director - Mozambique
Family Health International (FHI)
Location: Mozambique
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51253.shtml

Monitoring and Evaluation Scientist
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51276.shtml

Expert - Market & Association Development
Development and Training Services, Inc. (DTS)
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51252.shtml

Head of Mission - Afghanistan
People in Need, Czech Republic
Location: Afghanistan
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51251.shtml

Head of Administration and Finance
Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
Location: Grozny, Chechnya
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51246.shtml

Coordinateur du Projet Regional Diabete
Handicap International
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Last Date: December 5, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51236.shtml

Regional Facilitator
Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific
(RECOFTC)
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51200.shtml

Resident Journalism Advisor - Legal Reporting
Internews Network
Location: Beijing, China
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51261.shtml

Chief - Policy, Programme Management & Evaluation (PPME) Unit
Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51284.shtml

Regional Manager - West Africa
Clinton Foundation
Location: West Africa
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51281.shtml

Research Associate/Senior Research Associate - Evaluation Division
Clinton Foundation
Location: Boston, MA
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51279.shtml

Information Services Coordinator
Bank Information Center (BIC)
Location: Washington DC, USA
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51275.shtml

Installation Manager - Museum
Asia Society
Location: New York, NY, USA
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51274.shtml

Content Manager - Information Center
Terre des hommes
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Last Date: December 4, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51273.shtml

Head of Fundraising Events
ActionAid
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51271.shtml

Intern
Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX)
Location: United States
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51266.shtml

Web Editor/Writer
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO)
Location: Bonn, Germany
Last Date: November 12, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51234.shtml

Campaigns Officer - Women's Rights
ActionAid
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51269.shtml

Consultant - Microfinance
Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM)
Location: Uganda
Last Date: November 26, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51268.shtml

Microinsurance Specialist
ACCION International
Location: Mexico
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51267.shtml

ICT Strategy for Agriculture Lead
Grameen Foundation
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51226.shtml

Program Interns
Trickle Up
Location: New York City, USA
Last Date: December 1, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51263.shtml

Water Management Adviser - Water Programme
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location: Gland, Switzerland
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51262.shtml

Indicorps Design Internship
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51029.shtml

Regional Programme Coordinator
Save the Children Regional Child Trafficking Response Programme
Location: Tirana, Albania
Last Date: November 22, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51245.shtml

Reporting Officer - External Resources Division
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51231.shtml

Legal Advisor
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51230.shtml

Team Leader - Human Resources Development
IBF International Consulting
Location: China
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51228.shtml

Intern - UN Advocacy Programme
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 28, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51225.shtml

West Coast Organizer - Fish Campaign
Food & Water Watch
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51223.shtml

Coordination and Information Officer
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51221.shtml

Forestry Officer - Arid Zones
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Location: Rome, Italy
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51220.shtml

Public Relations Assistant
UNDP-EUBAM
Location: Odessa
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51217.shtml

Gender Specialist
UNDP
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51172.shtml

Peacekeeping English Project Manager - Turkey
British Council
Location: Turkey
Last Date: November 12, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51208.shtml

Policy Advisor - Regulatory Affairs
Institute of International Finance (IIF)
Location: Washington D.C.
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51213.shtml

Long-term Consultant - Forest Biodiversity Project Management
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
Location: Beijing, China
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51202.shtml

Research Director - Peace, Security & Human Rights Area
Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior
(FRIDE)
Location: Madrid, Spain
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51212.shtml

Senior Public Interest Fellowship
Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT)
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: December 1, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51211.shtml

Business Development Manager - India
Acumen Fund
Location: Hyderabad / Mumbai, India
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51205.shtml

Quantitative Research Analyst/Project Manager
InterMedia
Location: Washington D.C.
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51204.shtml

Lawyer/Senior Lawyer - Equality Programme
INTERIGHTS
Location: London, UK
Last Date: December 3, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51203.shtml

Short term Evaluation Consultant
ILO/IPEC
Location: Mali
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51175.shtml

Health Specialist
Development and Training Services, Inc. (DTS)
Location: Worldwide
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51188.shtml

Recruiter
Development and Training Services, Inc. (DTS)
Location: Arlington, VA, USA
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51187.shtml

Administrative Assistant/Office Manager
Aid to Artisans
Location: Hartford, CT, USA
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51178.shtml

Human Resources Manager
Development and Training Services, Inc. (DTS)
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51185.shtml

Operations Manager
Development and Training Services, Inc.
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Last Date: December 2, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51186.shtml

Geographic Division Analyst
AMEX International Inc.
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: November 11, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51169.shtml

Country Representative - East Timor
Progressio
Location: Dili, East Timor
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51160.shtml

Disability Technical Advisor
Handicap International
Location: Uzbekistan
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51156.shtml

Projects Manager - Middle East & North Africa
Article 19
Location: Amman, Beirut / Cairo
Last Date: November 25, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51155.shtml

Senior Finance Manager
Concern Universal
Location: The Gambia
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51147.shtml

Programme Director
HelpAge International
Location: Khartoum, Sudan
Last Date: November 17, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51122.shtml

Internship
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51030.shtml

Malaria Technical Coordinator
Merlin
Location: Somalia
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51136.shtml

Assistant Country Director
CARE USA
Location: Dhaka, Kabul and Khartoum
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51081.shtml

Prosthetic & Orthotic Trainer
Handicap International
Location: Sri Lanka
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51101.shtml

Manager of Well Baby & Child Clinics
Refuge Egypt
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51099.shtml

Doctor
Merlin
Location: Somalia
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51135.shtml

Associate Director - Media Advocacy
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK)
Location: Washington, DC
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51171.shtml

Head of Programs - Indonesia
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51170.shtml

Scientist
Family Health International
Location: Kenya
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51103.shtml

Internship - Partnership and Fundraising
Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51097.shtml

Youth Engagement Coordinator
Plan International UK
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 12, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51140.shtml

Governance Programme Officer
Plan International UK
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 12, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51138.shtml

National Director
RESULTS Japan
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51102.shtml

International Project Manager
ActionAid
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51144.shtml

Intern - Outreach and Networking
Femmes African Solidarite (FAS)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: December 1, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51132.shtml

Violence Against Women Support & Prevention Coordinator
Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS)
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51157.shtml

Chief Executive & Operating Officers
Opportunity International (OI)
Location: Various African Countreis
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51086.shtml

Indicorps Green Paper Internship
Indicorps
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Last Date: November 15, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51031.shtml

Economist - Project Coordinator
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Location:
Paris, France
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51152.shtml

Division Manager Regional Integration and Trade
African Development Bank (AFDB)
Location: South Africa
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51150.shtml

Global Youth Network Intern
ActionAid USA
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51145.shtml

Regional Manager
Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX)
Location: Asia
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51139.shtml

Financial Analyst
Symbiotics SA
Location: Mexico and Central America
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51137.shtml

Development Officer
Scholars at Risk (SAR)
Location: New York, NY, USA
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51134.shtml

Director
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Location:
Rome, Italy
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51130.shtml

Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Location: Washington D.C.
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51129.shtml

Regional Director - English Language Programs
AMIDEAST
Location: MENA Region
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51128.shtml

Financial Advisor
Uniterra
Location: Botswana
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51117.shtml

Consultant
Kosovo Enterprise Program (KEP)
Location: Kosova
Last Date: November 16, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51116.shtml

Consultant - Children at Risk Feasibility Studies
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 17, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51068.shtml

Consultant Fundraiser - India
Amnesty International
Location: Delhi, India
Last Date: November 13, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51017.shtml

Project Manager - Enhanced Public Trust, Security and Inclusion
United Nations Development Programme
Location: Georgetown, Guyana
Last Date: November 17, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51016.shtml

Coordinator - FSC Ireland
Forest Stewardship Council
Location: Ireland
Last Date: November 21, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51065.shtml

Editor-in-Chief
International Social Work (ISW-Sagepub)
Location: London, UK
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51091.shtml

Research Fellows
Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC)
Location: Birmingham & Southampton, UK
Last Date: Novmber 29, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51090.shtml

Senior Researcher/Research Associate
Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)
Location: Hong Kong
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51028.shtml

Médecin - Expert en Santé Publique
BTC-CTB
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Last Date: November 19, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51112.shtml

Chef de Programme
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location: Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo
Last Date: November 20, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51110.shtml

Specialists
Crown Agents
Location: Angola
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51109.shtml

Trainer In Laboratory Equipment
ECHO srl
Location: Gambia
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51072.shtml

Membership Manager
CIVICUS
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Last Date: November 24, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51108.shtml

Specialist, International Systems and Development - Kenya
Family Health International (FHI)
Location: Kenya
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51026.shtml

Chief Executive Officer
World Microfinance Forum Geneva
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51027.shtml

Resident Journalism Advisor
Internews Network
Location: Chad
Last Date: November 30, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51024.shtml

Chief Technical Advisor
Better Work (IFC / ILO)
Location: Port au Prince, Haiti
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51023.shtml

Africa Human Rights Education Regional Project Manager
Amnesty International
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51019.shtml

Africa Human Rights Education Regional Project Coordinator
Amnesty International
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Last Date: November 23, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51018.shtml

Project Managers - Food Security and Livelihoods
Danish Refugee Council
Location: Zalingei and Nertiti, West Darfur, Sudan
Last Date: November 14, 2008
http://216.197.119.113/jobman/publish/article_51015.shtml

GREAT NEWS: MacArthur Foundation Commits $15 Million for Master's in Development Practice Programs

Finally, a good, compresensive master's program for those interested in International Development. See THIS website for more information about this great initiative.

MacArthur Foundation Commits $15 Million for Master's in Development Practice Programs

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced a $15 million commitment to seed the creation of Global Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) programs at up to twelve universities worldwide over the next three years.

First recommended in a MacArthur-funded report from the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice, the two-year MDP programs will provide rigorous professional training for future leaders in the field of sustainable development, with an emphasis on practical, cross-disciplinary knowledge from the health, natural, and social sciences and a strong focus on leadership and management skills. Courses will cover topics such as agronomy, climate change, and tropical diseases and will be supplemented by two summers of field training. The first program to be announced will begin at Columbia University in the fall of 2009.

"Courses in the new MDP programs will train students to address the complex challenges contributing to poverty in proven, practical ways," said MacArthur Foundation president Jonathan Fanton. "It is our hope that MacArthur’s investment will not simply fund this initial group of schools, but will also encourage other universities to establish similar programs. We expect that these programs will quickly become self-sustaining, and that they will set a new standard for development education. We welcome the time when the MDP will become as familiar and ubiquitous as the MBA."

Columbia University's program will focus on:

• Health Sciences - nutrition, population sciences and reproductive health, basic epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious disease, health policy, health system design and management
• Natural Sciences and Engineering - agriculture, forestry and fishery management, water management, energy, engineering, environment and climate science, information management systems and design
• Social Sciences - anthropology, economics, education, politics and international political economies, statistics
• Management - project design and management, budget planning and financial management, commodities management, communication and negotiations, critical self-reflection, geographic information systems and decision making tools, institutional resource and human resource management, monitoring and evaluation

SID-Washington Fall 2008 Career Fair

Reader, this is a good opportunity for those looking for a job....don't forget your business cards
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Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Academy for Educational Development
8th Floor Conference Center
1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009

The date of the SID-Washington Fall 2008 Career Fair is fast approaching.

Due to the popularity of this event, we are strongly encouraging everyone to register by Monday, October 20th to guarantee their participation at this most exciting and informative event.

If you have not yet joined SID-Washington, this is the perfect opportunity to do so, since in addition to our extensive membership benefits, you will also receive a discounted admission to the Career Fair.

To register for the Career Fair by mail, please click here to download a registration form that you can mail to us, along with a check, to:
The Society for International Development
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 720
Washington, DC 20009

To register online, please visit http://www.sidw.org/event/2008/fall-2008-career-fair.

Aid Plan Aims to Help Poor Farmers Reach Markets

an excellent initiative....

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 -- In an ambitious move to combat the global food crisis, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday unveiled an experimental public-private initiative that could transform rural agriculture in undernourished parts of Africa and Latin America by helping small farmers sell their surplus crops at competitive prices.

Rather than only delivering food to hungry nations, this partnership between the world's richest philanthropy and the U.N. World Food Program promises to help build a sustainable farming infrastructure across the developing world.

The Purchase for Progress program will give poor farmers, many of them women with little or no access to commercial markets, a chance to move beyond subsistence living with opportunities to sell their milk, grains, produce and other products to reliable buyers. During a five-year pilot period, it hopes to increase the incomes of 350,000 farmers in 21 countries and give them a path out of poverty.

"This is not your grandmother's food aid," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program. "This is a revolution in food aid, where food aid becomes a productive investment that not only feeds today but produces solutions for tomorrow."

Funded largely by the Gates Foundation, the program is part of the foundation's broader $900 million investment in agricultural development, with many of its efforts made in concert with foreign states and public institutions. The initiative is the latest example of how software giant Bill Gates, who stepped down this summer from Microsoft, is committing his time and fortune to trying to create a results-oriented brand of philanthropy focused on taking risks to achieve lasting impact.

Announcing the Purchase for Progress program here flanked by the presidents of three African nations, Gates said he hopes the effort linking poor farmers to commercial markets will be successful enough that it becomes "self-sustaining," no longer needing private funding.

"It transforms the way that small holders are able to get to market, whether it's helping them with guaranteed purchase, helping them with their storage, understanding crop quality," Gates said. "It will increase the supply of food, and it will increase the well-being of these farmers."

Purchase for Progress is one of several public-private hunger initiatives expected to be announced this week in New York, as world leaders converge at the U.N. General Assembly to draw attention to the Millennium Development Goals, a series of benchmarks aimed at slashing the poverty levels in the world's poorest countries by 2015.

Former president Bill Clinton will announce at his philanthropy conference on Thursday that Yum! Brands, the parent company of such fast-food chains as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, is donating $80 million over five years to purchase 200 million meals for school-age children.

This is part of a five-year campaign by the restaurant behemoth to provide hunger relief to the poorest people in the United States and worldwide. The company's 35,000 restaurants in 111 countries are pledging to donate $200 million worth of prepared foods to community soup kitchens and food banks, Yum! Brands chief executive David Novak said.

"We're inspired by the fact that there are so many kids out there who die because they can't eat," Novak said. "It's a huge problem and has only gotten worse, so it's even more timely that we commit."

The company will roll out a marketing campaign Thursday in its restaurants to persuade its customers to donate toward anti-hunger causes, and pop star Mariah Carey is releasing a single with sale proceeds going toward the cause.

Hunger around the world is so chronic, scholars say, that it far outstrips the financial resources committed to fight it. The number of hungry people worldwide has ballooned over the past year to 923 million and threatens to grow further, Sheeran said.

The problem is growing against the backdrop of a food price shock that is roiling world markets and igniting street riots. Over the past three years, world food prices were estimated to have surged by 80 percent, outpacing the 78 percent jump during the Soviet grain emergency of 1972-75.

"There's a need for a much larger international response," said Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist and founder of the Millennium Promise Alliance, an anti-poverty nonprofit organization. "The Gates Foundation is playing an important role in helping people become aware of this, but in this case no single action is going to be decisive."

The Purchase for Progress program, to be administered by the U.N. World Food Program, is being funded by $66 million from the Gates Foundation, $9.1 million from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and $750,000 from the Belgian government. Program planners said that if the pilot program is successful, it will be expanded.

The presidents of Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and the first lady of Guatemala hailed the initiative as a catalyst to help poor farmers in their countries who are cut off from markets, roads, transportation and storage for their surplus crops.

"This will go a long way in building the capacities of the farmers," said Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

About 1.1 billion people live on $1 a day or less, and more than seven in 10 people around the world depend on work in agriculture for food and income, said Rajiv Shah, agricultural development director of the Gates Foundation.

"In order to help farmers and small farmers in part move out of poverty, you need to help them improve productivity," Shah said. "But you also need to improve access to markets and create the financial and commercial incentives so that farmers are rewarded for their additional efforts."

In a preliminary test of the program last year in Uganda, poor farmers achieved dramatic results, Shah said.

Buffett, an environmentalist and businessman whose father, investor Warren Buffett, has pledged much of his fortune to the Gates Foundation, said the program provides "a critical link" to existing efforts to boost crop production.

"Agriculture development is the most effective way to combat poverty and pull these people in these populations up into a higher level of food security," Buffett said. "It's important to realize that we can all work on the production of the supply side, but without something to pull that through to the market, we'll never be successful in our efforts

The Gates Foundation’s Agricultural Policy Portfolio

The Gates Foundation’s Agricultural Policy Portfolio

With Speaker: Prabhu Pingali, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Chair: Mark Rosegrant, IFPRI

Thursday, September 11, 2008

3:30 – 5:00pm

The majority of the world’s poor people depend on agricultural production to sustain their livelihoods and those of their children. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the leading private-sector philanthropic organizations supporting agricultural development. It is actively working to put an end to the cycles of poverty and hunger by promoting the development of tools, knowledge, and policies that enhance farming skills, increase productivity and incomes, and create opportunities for small farmers and their families that enable them to escape poverty. In 2007, the foundation allocated over $600 million to agriculture–related projects. Dr. Pingali will discuss the Foundation’s priority areas for supporting agricultural development with a particular focus on agricultural policy.

Dr Prabhu Pingali is Deputy Director and Head of Agricultural Policy and Statistics, Agriculture Development Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mark Rosegrant is the Director of the Environment and Production Technology Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC.

Seminars & Conferences
International Food Policy Research Institute

Email: s.hill-lee@cgiar.org
Fax: (202) 467-4439
Phone: (202) 862-8107

Want to practice your Spanish and learn about Fabretto Children's Foundation (the organization where I work) and its work on rural high school curriculum? Check out this video.

Debating the Rising Food Prices

The Economist has started a pretty interesting debate on the Global Food Crisis. Using a traditional format with a virtual DEBATE HALL, the magazine is offering opening, rebuttal and closing arguments on opposing views in the debate. The debate also invites readers to contribute with comments and vote for the most convincing argument.

The preposition: "There is an upside for humanity in the rise of food prices"

Homi Kharas, Senior Fellow at the Wolfensohn Center for Development, supports the proposition

Dr. Joachim von Braun, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute opposes the preposition

Check it out so you can read their excellent arguments pro and con. Also, participate, the comment section is equally rich.

From AIARD Ag-Biotech Updates

News and articles on Agricultural Biotechnology. Spread the word

• Scientists Genetically Engineer 'Super Carrot' Rich in Calcium Source:Natural News
• Japan Finds Unauthorised GM Rice in China Products Source:Reuters
• Improved Seeds for Central Asia Source:FAO Newsroom
• New Global Soil Database Source:FAO Newsroom
• International Conference for Peanut Genomics and Biotechnology Source:Crop Biotech Update
• Cassava for Food and Energy Security Source:FAO Newsroom
• GM Papaya with Improved Resistance to Mites Source:Crop Biotech Update
• Insect Antifreeze Protein Confers Cold Tolerance in Tobacco Source:Crop Biotech Update
• Negative Attitudes 'Hindering' China GM Commercialisation Source:SciDev.Net
• Farmers Urged to Join "Greener" Revolution Source:FAO Newsroom
• Study Predicts Crop-Production Costs Will Jump Dramatically in 2009
  Source:University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
• BASF Plant Science Takes Amflora Case to EU Court Source:BASF
• Pepper Gene Enhances Potato Stress Tolerance Source:Crop Biotech Update

Agirculture development in Morning Edition

Good series from NPR's Morning Edition. Broadcast by Dan Charles, the series explore different aspects of agriculture in Honduras: Ag Investment; Supermarket Revolution; and tmrw GMO's. Stay tuned

People for development

That's right, the cute pictures cost People Magazine $14m and all of it (as far as i know) is going towards development....or at least organizations that work on issues of international development, especially global health endeavors .

Through their very own Jolie-Pitt Foundations (no website), funds will be used to help organizations such as International Finance Facility for Immunization, UNITAID, Advance Market Commitments, Debt2Health, Product Red and others.

Putting aside the international debate over aid effectiveness, I think is great that Vivienne and Knox (the babies' names) will be contributing to the work of these organizations. More important though, this move is part of a larger trend in which traditional mechanisms for development are being replaced or complemented by the collaborative efforts of unlikely partners. The timing couldn't be better, the challenges posed by the food crisis need creative and exhaustive approaches. I hope to see more Brads and Jolies as well as Bills and Melindas, the little they can do will be appreciated by many.

PS. Keep watching Babel in your PC!

On the news

• Good Article from USAToday about funding for International Ag research: Money for Crop Research Just a Drop in the Bucket
• From Since Daily: Traditional Forms Of Agriculture: Unexpected Degree Of Diversity, Time-honored Principles
• From IPS another perspective on the Doha debate: TRADE: New World Order in Doha’s Wake
• from IFPRI some good articles on AIDS: Strengthening Families Affected by HIV/AIDS and the Food Crisis
• Good list of book reviews by the New Agriculturist
• And from Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León, Director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, an oped from Forbes:
  

  'The absurd goal of "food sovereignty" has made a comeback in a number of countries both poor and rich and is being used as an argument to resist and cancel the liberalization of agricultural markets. This position--most clearly exemplified by France--is ironic because agricultural protectionism, not freer markets, is what has aggravated the problem"...
  

Pics from the Plot

OKRA

Spiral Garden...26 herbs! -3 used :(

blueberry, squash and basil

The plot

Doha-ha

Hola Gente,
We have already seen the signs of protectionism around the world as the preferred response to the food crisis. Yet, these signs have been coming from governments responding to their concerned constituencies that see their daily life threatened and demand immediate actions.

Now, the hope that a global platform, such as Doha, would counterweight all these nonsense policies has been scattered precisely under the argument of protectionism. The irony is that the countries that have precisely benefited the most from trade (China and India) were the ones that staunchly opposed any concession that would exposed their consumers to new exports.These actions left developed countries with little incentives to reform their own protectionist agricultural agendas.
Left my Cristal ball at home to predict what's next....See bellow a compilation of articles in the subject;
The Economist: The Doha round...and round...and round

IPS: BRAZIL: Doha Failure a ‘Triumph of Protectionism’, Say Trade Sources

Center for Global Development: Doha Collapse No Surprise But Extremely Unfortunate -- Especially for Developing Countries AND Food Security Fears Undermine Doha Trade Talk

World Bank- IFC blog: The collapse of Doha

go ahead and eat those kiwis

From a interesting article in the NYT that list "10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List" here is number 3:

3. Forbidden fruits from afar. Do you dare to eat a kiwi? Sure, because more “food miles” do not equal more greenhouse emissions. Food from other countries is often produced and shipped much more efficiently than domestic food, particularly if the local producers are hauling their wares around in small trucks. One study showed that apples shipped from New Zealand to Britain had a smaller carbon footprint than apples grown and sold in Britain.

It's a shame they don't provide a link or source for the apple study. Yet, the article does give you hint about how the whole local vs. imported debate is not as straight forward as some may think.

Harvest

Nothing like spending an afternoon picking tomatoes, corn, and beans, fruits of months of hard
work. Get a plot in you local community garden!



More picture to come soon. Older pics here

Lessons from the food crisis: patchwork will not mend our vulnerable system

From the South Centre Bulletin, It concludes that:

• sustainable agriculture for domestic food security, meeting the needs of local markets and supporting local farmers must be prioritised
• the limits of the industry-led agri-food market must be recognised and more than short-term buffers for the poor must be put in place
• seed aid and provision of fertiliser is rightly being advocated as an immediate answer to the current food crisis but in the medium-long term it is not a solution for seed security and may create more problems than it solves, such as distorting farmers local seed systems

News and Links

• International food aid locally purchased in the new Farm Bill. Pros and cons
• Mozambique, an example of how food aid should be done
  
• In Lesotho, a landlock country with very low food production, the food crisis is making things even worse
• From IFPRI Helping Women Respond to the Global Food Crisis and Physical and Virtual Global Food Reserves to Protect the Poor and Prevent Market Failure
• An unpopular French president criticizes a much needed yet unpopular reform of the EU's farm sector
  

the wrong response to the food crisis

Also, here is an paper from professor Sumit Roy Visiting Senior Research Fellow Jadavpur University on the food crisis a what countries are and should be doing.
On the same subject here is another interesting perspective of the food crisis published by Oxfam "The Time is Now: how world leaders should respond to the food price crisis"

Best,

New bloggers

Hi there,
I've added two new links to the blogger side bar. The first one is Chris Blattman's Blog, an Assistant Professor of Political Science & Economics at Yale University, Chris blogs about international development and economic growth. Check out his post on the Kennedy School's MPA/ID, one of the programs listed under "Career Programs in Development". Since we're taking about the Kennedy school, here are the links to professor Rodrik and Mankiw, both teach at the school and have great, readble blogs.

I also added the link to the Bayesian Herey. This blog also has a comprehensive list of post on advice for people interested in careers in International Development. Although more directed to economist, check his post on skills needed to work on international development agencies.

Hope this helps those of you considering careers in Int Dev.

Urban agriculture in Washington DC

The Washington Post just added another video to their series on Community agriculture in the DC area. this third video showcases the advances of the Glover Park Community Garden in Northwest Washington.

My plot in another DC community garden does not look as nice as this one. We have a lot of empty plots, a illegal dumping , and a construction equipment for a nearby construction.

Yet, Blair Community Garden keeps being a sanctuary for many of us who seek a refuge from the noise and pollution of the city. According to one of my garden neighbors, the garden started decades ago as a Victory Garden. I just hope that the growing interest for urban agriculture my ensure the survival of it for another couple of decades.

Thanks to the Washington Post and the folks at City Garden News for spreading the news

intersting links and more

hi there,
work and my garden keeps me very busy and away from my dear blog. I promise once i settle into my new hours i'll keep AGDES more updated.
In the meantime here are some interesting links:

1. from Brookins Institution: will rising food prices reduce poverty? (it can, but it won't)
2. the latest edition of New Agriculturalist on neglected species
   
3. another report from IFPRI on world food prices: High Food Prices: The What, Who,
   and How of Proposed Policy Actions
4. CNN covering urban gardens
5. Post from Mulchblog on the ethanol mandate and the food-fuel battle

enjoy!

from WSJ How to Continue the Fight Against Hunger

Excellent oped from Wall Street Journal

By NORMAN BORLAUG and PETER MCPHERSON
June 6, 2008; Page A13

At the Washington, D.C. offices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) there is a plaque dedicated to America's great statesman-general, George C. Marshall. It contains a quote from his epic 1947 Harvard commencement address, which spawned the Marshall Plan. The quote reads: "Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos."

Our government needs to rediscover that vision. We are in a world food crisis that stands to drive at least another 100 million people into hunger and exacerbate global instability.

Solving the food crisis will require emergency food aid in the near term. But greater food availability in the low-income, food-deficit nations cannot be achieved with one silver bullet. No doubt, greater availability of fertilizer is critical to any solution. Yet we also need a long-term vision of growth, and integrated investments that incorporates research, human and institutional capacity building, infrastructure, sound policy, markets and governance.

Food demand is growing fast. Studies have shown that as a country's income increases, so does the consumption of animal products and processed foods. These food products require more grain to produce the same calories. This demand will surely continue to grow.

About 75% of the world's poor still live in rural areas of developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, many of the very poor spend 80% of their income on food. When prices for grains double and triple in a year, we can expect not only large-scale malnutrition, but also major political and social instability. Developing countries and donors must commit to long-term solutions that increase agricultural production and rural incomes in the developing world.

Nearly three decades ago, the Green Revolution – and other advances in technology, production methods and related investments in agriculture – greatly increased food production world-wide, particularly in Asia and Latin America. Over time, food abundance was taken for granted as the supply outpaced population and income growth.

We need investment in the maintenance of successful varieties of crops, and the development of technologies to raise yield ceilings. Moreover, research to develop seeds more resistant to climatic stresses like drought must be dramatically accelerated.

Developing countries should use the food-price crisis to reaffirm their commitment to bolster food production. A few years ago, African heads of state committed to increasing expenditures for agriculture to 10% of their national budgets. But most of the countries have not reached this goal.

USAID must help developing countries produce more food. At one time, USAID led the donor world on agriculture, but there has been a long slide over the last 20 years. This slide was over several administrations and sessions of Congress, and was only interrupted by some additional resources a few years ago under USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios.

For many years USAID has invested far too little in agriculture. Its 2008 allocations includes little money for core funding for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, whose research centers were critical in developing the Green Revolution, new crop varieties that probably saved more lives in the 20th century than any other technology.

U.S. land-grant universities have been institutional marvels in agricultural science, teaching and the continuing education of farmers. Yet today, USAID has only meager engagement with U.S. universities in the area of solving hunger.

President George W. Bush recently requested a supplemental appropriations bill for food that includes $150 million for long-term agriculture work. This appropriation should be a first step in a return to sustained, substantial support for long-term agricultural development.

Food, agriculture and growth must once again become fundamental and sustained USAID objectives. Let's heed the words of George Marshall and focus our resources on hunger, poverty and desperation.

Mr. Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is professor of international agriculture at Texas A&M University. Mr. McPherson is president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Garden and Congressional Hearing

Hi Folks,
Sorry i've been out of touch for the past couple weeks, but i've been busy with my new job.
My garden is looking great, in particular the fava bean; they growing strong and tall. I cannot said the same thing about leafy green, slugs are feasting on then, probably because i put too much mulch. Anyway, I'll be posting some pics soon. In the meantime, for those in Washington, check out this Congressional Hearing on Agricultural Development


House Hunger Caucus Briefing Thursday, June 5th Long Term Solutions to the Food Crisis: Agricultural Development

Please join the House Hunger Caucus for a briefing on “Long Term Solutions to the Food Crisis: Agricultural Development”

10:30 AM on Thursday, June 5th in 2105 Rayburn HOB.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, food prices are up 57 percent from March 2007 to March 2008. Certain crops, such as wheat and corn, have increased at even faster rates, leaving many people in the world priced out of meeting their basic needs. While short term safety net programs and emergency food assistance are crucial to meet the immediate need, agricultural development is necessary to address hunger in the long term.

Panelists discussing agricultural development to address the food crisis will be:

• Cheryl Morden, Director of the North American Liaison Office of the International Fund for Agricultural Development
• Amit H. Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development
• Nick Minot, Senior Research Fellow of the International Food Policy Research Institute
• Peter O'Driscoll, Executive Director of Actionaid International USA

Representatives Earl Pomeroy (ND-at large), Jerry Moran (KS-01), Jim McGovern (MA-03) and Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) will co-chair the briefing.

We hope you and your staff will be able to attend this important briefing. If you have any questions about the briefing or the House Hunger Caucus, please feel free to contact Rachel Winch at 5-6101. Sincerely, s/ James P. McGovern, Jo Ann Emerson, Earl Pomeroy, Jerry Moran, Hilda Solis, Ray LaHood

Farm Bill and the Political Parties

From professor Mankiw's blog