Global Issues
News headlines for “Food and Agriculture Issues”, page 26
How Computational Biology Is Zoning in on the Future of Agriculture
- Inter Press Service
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois, May 22 (IPS) - When pioneering agronomist and father of the “Green Revolution” Norman Borlaug set out to breed a disease-resistant, high-yielding variety of wheat, he spent years laboriously planting and pollinating different specimens by hand. He manually catalogued every outcome until he landed on the variety that would transform farming and avert famine. The result was even greater than expected: it is estimated that he saved more than a billion people worldwide from starvation.
Using AI as an Ally: What the latest UNDP Human Development Report Means for Latin America, Caribbean
- Inter Press Service
DOMINICA, May 22 (IPS) - The 2025 Human Development Report warns of slowing human development progress, with disparities between rich and poor nations widening. It’s highlighting both the challenges and immense potential of artificial intelligence to improve lives.The United Nations Development Programme’s 2025 Human Development Report (HDR) says crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to ‘the flatlining of decades of progress in the Human Development Index,’ with Latin America and the Caribbean facing unique challenges and opportunities.
HeForShe Campaign Tackles 'Sex for Fish' Abuse Malawis Lakeshore Communities
- Inter Press Service
LILONGWE, May 22 (IPS) - Women in fishing communities in Malawi's lakeshore districts of Nkhotakota and Mangochi are frequently targets of sexual exploitation for fish, a practice commonly known as 'sex for fish.' A recent report by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has unearthed disturbing accounts of women being coerced into transactional sex to access fish from male boat owners, exposing a widespread violation of their rights.
The True Cost of America's Retreat: How USAID Cuts Threaten Millions of Lives
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, May 22 (IPS) - In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that upended humanitarian efforts globally, leaving millions of vulnerable people without lifesaving services. The administration's decision to slash American international aid by 83% is creating daily tragedies in the world's most fragile regions.
Malnutrition Plagues Children and Pregnant Women in Afghanistan
- Inter Press Service
MARJA DISTRICT, HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, May 20 (IPS) - Bibi Gul, a pregnant woman from Helmand’s Marja District, walked two hours to reach the nearest health center in search of treatment for her moderate malnutrition.
Explainer: How Germs Outsmart Antimicrobials and Why Its Making Us Sicker
- Inter Press Service
BULAWAYO, May 20 2025 (IPS) - More people are dying from once treatable infections because the medicines we rely on are no longer working as they should. The culprit? A growing health threat called antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
‘Our Legal Challenge of the Funding Freeze Is Testing the Judiciary’s Ability to Check Executive Power’
- Inter Press Service
May 19 (IPS) - CIVICUS speaks with Eric Bjornlund, President and CEO of Democracy International, about the impacts of the US foreign aid freeze and the resulting legal challenges the Trump administration is facing. Democracy International is a global civil society organisation (CSO) that works for a more peaceful and democratic world.
Explainer: What Rural Communities in Tanzania Need to Know about Carbon Trading and Land Rights
- Inter Press Service
DAR ES SALAAM, May 19 (IPS) - As global demand for carbon credits rises, Tanzania has become a magnet for carbon offset projects. From Loliondo in Arusha to Kiteto in Manyara, foreign firms and conservation groups are looking for land to capture carbon and sell credits to polluting industries in the Global North. The growing interest in carbon trading has sparked hope, confusion, and concern— putting millions of hectares of village land and the livelihoods of people who depend on it at risk.
How Should the United Nations Respond to Its Funding Crisis?
- Inter Press Service
SAN FRANCISCO, California / APEX, North Carolina, US, May 16 (IPS) - While it may be difficult and painful, the UN Secretary-General is right to embrace change, believe Prof. Felix Dodds and Chris Spence
The United Nations has been called many things in its time:
A Shift in the Sands: The Reshaping of Global Influence in the Gulf
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, May 16 (IPS) - The Gulf's most powerful weapon isn't a military, a United Nations (UN) Security Council seat, or a legacy of global diplomacy. Choosing multilateralism and mega-projects over militaries and old-world diplomacy, they are tipping the scale without firing a single shot. Their approach is more modern, where money, alliances, and an active vision for the future are the weapon of choice.
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