| November 2005
Agriculture | Health, HIV/AIDS
and Infectious Diseases | Millennium Development
Goals
H1 - The
Big Potential of Small Farms
Polak, Paul
Scientific American, September 2005, v293, #3, pp84-91
This article focuses on the work of international
organizations to improve economic conditions for farmers in developing
countries. The author profiles farmers in developing countries
who have raised their standards of living with improved farming
practices. He describes how affordable irrigation, the cultivation
of high-value crops and access to markets can help farmers in
the developing world grow more food and climb out of poverty.
He suggests that wider application of these and similar techniques
would have substantive impact on the world's effort to cut poverty
in half by 2015, as well as increase the food supply in anticipation
of population growth of three billion by 2050. Paul Polak
is president of International Development Enterprises, a U.S.-based
nonprofit organization working with small farmers.
Fulltext
H2 - Preparing for a Pandemic
Gibbs, W. Wayt; Soares, Christine
Scientific American, November 2005, #293, #5, p44-54
”One day a highly contagious and lethal strain of influenza will
sweep across all humanity, claiming millions of lives. It may
arrive in months or not for years--but the next pandemic is inevitable.
Are we ready?” This article focuses on our preparedness to fight an influenza
epidemic of global proportions as well as warnings from scientists
that newly evolved strains of influenza is inevitable and poses
a large threat to public health. W. Wayt Gibbs is senior writer.
Christine Soares is a staff writer and editor at Scientific American. Fulltext
Millennium Development Goals
H3 - The Utopian Nightmare
Easterly, William
Foreign Policy, Sep/Oct2005, #150, pp58-64
"This year, economists, politicians, and rock stars in rich
countries have pleaded for debt relief and aid for the world’s
poorest countries. It certainly sounds like the right thing to
do. But utopian dreams of alleviating poverty overlook some hard
facts. By promising so much, rich-world activists prolong the
true nightmare of poverty." William Easterly is professor
of economics at New York University, nonresident fellow at the
Center for Global Development. Fulltext
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