- Observing the evolution of the theory of evolution
- Via Marginal Revolution, a video on wine and cereal pairings. I can't quite decide whether to be intrigued or absolutely mortified, or whether to simply laugh it off given that all food and wine pairings are allegedly a scam, anyway
- Sub-Saharan African states are falling behind other regions in terms of competitiveness. While there have been some improvements in the past year (with Uganda registering as most improved), sub-Saharan states as a whole have slipped down the global rankings since they were first listed in 2000
- Freakanomics has a great piece on African entrepreneurship, which highlights the creative ingenuity present across the continent
- Bilateral relations between China and Cuba are at their best time in history, according to Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo. Oh, and the U.N. has declared Castro a "World Hero of Solidarity." Makes you stop and think, doesn' it?
- Think your DSL is faster than a pigeon? Think again
- On this September 11, 2009 please take a moment to remember all those who sacrificed their lives eight years ago today. We will never forget
Loan collateral - Italian style
Hang on to those bottles of wine and that prosciutto - you may soon be able to use them as collateral in Italian banks! From The Guardian:
The Italian bank Credito Emiliano has long stored hundreds of thousands of parmesan wheels*, worth about ¤300 each, in warehouses as collateral while they age.
Since the bank can sell the cheese if creditors default, it can afford to offer low interest rates to an industry which is suffering from recession and supermarket discounting.
Legs of cured ham, or prosciutto crudo, weighing about 10kg, can sell for hundreds of euros after months of curing in controlled conditions, while bottles of Brunello di Montalcino are regularly snapped up for the same amount.
"We may start off with accepting wine as collateral, but I would prefer the Italian banking association to launch an industry-wide scheme which involves a range of products," said Zonin. "This will help producers in times of crisis as well as when the economy picks up."
Talk about financial innovation! Imagine: a bank vault filled entirely with wine, cheese and ham. How lush! Similar - though not necessarily as 'high end' - initiatives are employed to provide banking to the poor across the developing world. USAID's Rural SPEED program in Uganda, for instance, enables farmers to use their crops as collateral for a loan worth 80% of its value, and sell it later when prices increase. Admittedly, a vault filled with maize isn't as exciting as one filled with wine, but both initiatives do serve to help farmers overcome both the cyclical nature of farm income as well as a general lack of access to credit. Hooray!... and yum!
*link not included in the original Guardian article, but added by Yours Truly...
Noteworthy...
I had it in my mind to write something substantial here today, as there is indeed very much to talk about. Unfortunately I'm a bit under the weather and fear that any attempts at coherent argument or analysis will fall flat - and fast! Ergo, today's noteworthy reads...
Fred Kaplan asks: What's Bill Clinton doing in Pyongyang?
Perhaps the answer has something (or everything) to do with news that Burma is secretly building nukes
A great project in northern Uganda - Women's Income Generating Support - headed by Chris Blattman and Jeannie Annan provides women with grants and business training
Might China agree to an oil embargo on Iran?
What to do about climate change induced migration in Ghana (and arguably elsewhere)
Uncle Sam's African footprint
This week's issue of The New Statesman has a curious map tracking America's 'military footprint' around the world (i.e. the global distribution of American military bases):
Many African states have been - and remain - quite vocal over their displeasure with the presence of such bases, maintaining that they constitute a direct violation of their sovereignty. Equally so, other states appear quite enthused to garner the assistance of the United States military in dealing with various regional issues. While I do certainly have my opinions on the matter, none are yet fixed in stone. What are your thoughts on U.S. military presence in Africa?
Chinese agricultural techniques and African development: a hope for better things to come
China has been having a bit of a rough go here on China in Africa this week. First it's found to be de-industrializing other developing nations, then peddling fake drugs in Africa, its media outlets producing questionable maps, and today victimizing African labourers. Not at all a very rosy picture! There is good news, however: a report commissioned by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and prepared by my colleagues at the Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Stellenbosch, finds that the very technologies employed in China's agricultural boom might be appropriate - and indeed highly beneficial - in the African context.
The report - "The Relevance of Chinese Agricultural Technologies for African Smallholder Farmers: Agricultural Technology Research in China" - finds that of particular benefit are water-saving technologies and soil-related techniques such as tilage and planting methods. Evidently, small-scale African farmers face similar challenges as do their Chinese counterparts, and there is much in the way of technology and knowledge exchange that might benefit the former. According to the report, Chinese experts are especially focused on seed and rice technologies, particularly in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Rapid advances in seed technology and new plant varieties have been a major factor in China's crop production increases, and it is believed that similar advancements may facilitate an agricultural boom across Africa.
In Mozambique, a 52 hectare agricultural demonstration centre is planned west of Maputo, at Boane. According to the report, crops will be planted this year to test whether the Mozambican climate is suited for various varieties of seeds, including maize, rice, vegetables and fruit. In Kampala, Uganda, Chinese contractors are building an aquaculture demonstration centre. The centre is envisaged to generate knowledge for fish farmers, fishers and researchers in the country.
The agricultural sector employs approximately 65% of Africa's population, and is the largest private sector on the continent. Poor agricultural planning, weak land tenure policies, and a low capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and markets have, however, generally hindered the sector from becoming a productive, profitable business. While the Chinese are incapable of ameliorating all these troubles, they may do well to provide the relevant technologies to farmers and place Africa's agricultural sector back on track to success. Fingers crossed.
A new take on the bottom (three) billion
Three billion individuals. That's the approximate number of people that would be scrapped if we were to eliminate the bottom 5% global GDP contributors, the vast majority of which are found in either Africa or Southeast Asia. 81 countries comprise this bottom 5%. Together they represent half of the 192 UN member states and nearly 43% of the world population.
What would the world look like without them? Via Strange Maps we are offered a glimpse:
In reverse order of magnitude the 81 countries are:
Zimbabwe, Burundi, DR Congo, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Malawi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Niger, Afghanistan, Togo, Guinea, Uganda, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Rwanda, Mozambique, East Timor, the Gambia, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Lesotho, Ghana, Haiti, Tajikistan, the Comoros, Cambodia, Laos, Benin, Kenya, Chad, the Solomon Islands, Kyrgyzstan, India, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mauritania, Pakistan, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Ivory Coast, Zambia, the Yemen, Cameroon, Djibouti, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Nigeria, Guyana, the Sudan, Bolivia, Moldova, Honduras, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Bhutan, Egypt, Vanuatu, Tonga, Paraguay, Morocco, Syria, Swaziland, Samoa, Guatemala, Georgia, the Congo, Iraq, Armenia, Jordan, Cape Verde, the Maldives, Fiji and Namibia.
It is equally curious to note which countries are not included among the bottom 5%. Any surprises?
Oil for Uganda
UK oil explorer Heritage Oil and its partner Tullow Oil have made a "world class" oil discovery in Uganda.
The finding by the Giraffe exploration well could be the largest discovery in the Lake Albert Rift Basin to date.
Reserves in the well and a linked discovery known as Buffalo, which was discovered in December, may come to more than 400 million barrels of oil.
From, the BBC
China backs Uganda's trade zone plan
From today's Business Daily:
Proposals for a vast trade zone near Lake Victoria in Uganda have won Chinese backing worth around $1.5 billion over the next three years.
It could be one of the region’s largest private investments though insiders say the zone is still a long way from getting off the ground.
The plans are for a free trade zone of 200 square miles, which would have a major impact on Uganda’s economy.
Chinese money would fund a new port and logistics centre, an airport, roads and telecoms infrastructure, facilities for manufacturing companies and financial services, an agriculture training centre and residential and entertainment areas.