An excellent report from WSJ about the overuse of urea in the state of Punjab, India. This is a textbook example of government policies that incentive the exhaustion of resources for short-term gain and constituency appeasement. A lesson that must be taken into account as we explore a new green revolution for Africa, that hopefully won't rely as much on finite inputs. Article LINK
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Event: Are the International Commitments to Ending Hunger and Increasing Global Food Security Real?
The year 2008 was the year of global food crisis; 2009 was the year of global promises to end food crises. Will 2010 be the year in which action happens?
The US Government has provided critically important leadership over the past year and the President pledged $3 billion for global food security at the G8 Summit in l'Aquila. The Administration has been developing and consulting on a whole-of-government food security initiative, with an implementation plan expected in the near future. The arrival of a new USAID Administrator with a strong recent background in agriculture and food security is expected to help accelerate implementation at USAID and in other agencies. The UN community - FAO, IFAD, and WFP - and the World Bank have already increased funding for agriculture and food security and are putting new mechanisms for additional into place. And the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) is getting some traction at national and regional levels while gaining recognition from the donor community as a useful framework for coordinating actions in Africa.
SID-Washington will host a panel of experts to consider the questions, helping participants to assess whether or not we can expect that the results in 2010 will match the rhetoric of 2009.
Panelists:
Christopher Delgado, Strategy and Policy Adviser, Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank
Brian Greenberg, Director, Sustainable Development, InterAction
Allan Jury, Director, US Relations Office, World Food Programme
Michael Yates, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade, USAID
Moderator:
Emmy Simmons, Independent Consultant, former USAID Assistant Administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade
To RSVP, please click here.
When: Thursday, February 18, 2010, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
(2:30-3:00 p.m.: Following the event there will be a SID-Washington Young Professionals "members-only" Q & A discussion with the panelists)
Where: Chemonics Auditorium, 1717 H St. NW, Washington, DC
The US Government has provided critically important leadership over the past year and the President pledged $3 billion for global food security at the G8 Summit in l'Aquila. The Administration has been developing and consulting on a whole-of-government food security initiative, with an implementation plan expected in the near future. The arrival of a new USAID Administrator with a strong recent background in agriculture and food security is expected to help accelerate implementation at USAID and in other agencies. The UN community - FAO, IFAD, and WFP - and the World Bank have already increased funding for agriculture and food security and are putting new mechanisms for additional into place. And the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) is getting some traction at national and regional levels while gaining recognition from the donor community as a useful framework for coordinating actions in Africa.
SID-Washington will host a panel of experts to consider the questions, helping participants to assess whether or not we can expect that the results in 2010 will match the rhetoric of 2009.
Panelists:
Christopher Delgado, Strategy and Policy Adviser, Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank
Brian Greenberg, Director, Sustainable Development, InterAction
Allan Jury, Director, US Relations Office, World Food Programme
Michael Yates, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade, USAID
Moderator:
Emmy Simmons, Independent Consultant, former USAID Assistant Administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade
To RSVP, please click here.
When: Thursday, February 18, 2010, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
(2:30-3:00 p.m.: Following the event there will be a SID-Washington Young Professionals "members-only" Q & A discussion with the panelists)
Where: Chemonics Auditorium, 1717 H St. NW, Washington, DC