News headlines for “Food and Agriculture Issues”, page 18
Beware Independent Central Banks
- Inter Press Service

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 23 (IPS) - US President Trump’s snide barbs against his appointee, US Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell, have revived support for central bank independence – long abused by powerful finance interests against growth and equity.
WHO Warns of Global NCD Crisis, Calls for Urgent Investment to Save 12 Million Lives By 2030
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 (IPS) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging global efforts to address and invest in tackling non-communicable diseases, and that by doing so, can yield economic benefits of up to USD 1 trillion by 2030.
The Humanitarian Sector is at a Breaking Point: Here’s How to Fix It
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, September 22 (IPS) - As world leaders convene in New York, September 22-30, for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, they will confront a humanitarian sector in crisis. With only 9% of the $47 billion requested for global humanitarian needs currently funded, the sector faces what UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher calls “a crisis of morale and legitimacy” alongside devastating funding cuts. So where do we go from here?
How Stigma Undermines Contraceptive Use Among Women in Sierra Leone
- Inter Press Service

FREETOWN, September 22 (IPS) - Eunice Dumbuya, a young activist in Freetown, Sierra Leone, still remembers being called promiscuous after getting a contraceptive implant a few years ago. She knew the risks of an unplanned pregnancy in her conservative country, so she made a choice.
Frontline of a Planetary Emergency: Africa Demands Climate Justice and Action
- Inter Press Service

The room at the Swiss Inn Nexus Hotel in Bole was silent but tense as Sunita Narain, one of the world’s most influential environmental voices, fixed her gaze on rows of African journalists, scientists, and policymakers. Her tone was gentle, but the words cut deep.
New Report Investigates Violence Against Women and Girls Through Surrogacy, Sparks Global Dialogue
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, September 19 (IPS) - A United Nations report calling for the global abolition of surrogacy has sparked intense debate among experts, with critics arguing that blanket bans could harm the very women the policy aims to protect.
Struggle For Water Continues Following Israeli Attacks on Lebanon
- Inter Press Service

BRATISLAVA, September 17 (IPS) - Just under a year into a fragile ceasefire, 150,000 people in southern Lebanon continue to deal with the potentially lethal aftermath of Israeli bombing, highlighting the devastating long-term effects of conflict.
Why the Awaza Declaration Could Rewrite the Future for the World’s Landlocked Nations
- Inter Press Service

AWAZA, Turkmenistan , September 16 (IPS) - The theater of diplomacy can be more revealing than the speeches. Under a scorching Caspian sun in Awaza, two marines lowered their flags with the precision of a ballet. The green silk of Turkmenistan, folded into a neat bundle before the UN’s blue-and-gold standard, fluttered briefly and vanished into waiting hands.
AfDB Commits 11 Billion Dollars To Support Early Warning Systems, Food Security in Rural Africa
- Inter Press Service

ADDIS ABABA, September 16 (IPS) - As increasingly frequent droughts and devastating floods are affecting agricultural productivity, leaving millions of people food insecure in Africa amid a lack of climate finance, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed USD 11 billion to support various climate-resilient and infrastructure projects in rural areas.
Closing the US$1.5 trillion Gap: How FDI can Help Achieve SDGs in Asia & the Pacific
- Inter Press Service

BANGKOK, Thailand, September 16 (IPS) - Over the past two decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) has been the single largest and most stable source of external development capital in Asia and the Pacific (see Figure).

