The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Sound And Fury Every cause found a supporter at Seattle. Trade was never this politicised It was a victory for every rebel with a cause who had flocked to the us city of Seattle. The World Trade Organization's ( wto ) third ministerial trade talks, held between November 30 and …
The shrimp and turtle case brought up by the US against some developing nations highlights the tremendous influence civil society can wield to monitor environmental governance in other countries. It all started in 1989 when the US Congress passed a law to prohibit the import of shrimp harvested in ways …
It was yet another trade fight and just another instance of the US bulldozing its way to achieve its own purpose. But this time the fight ensued across the border with its neighbour, Canada. Utilising the conflict resolution norms stated in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the US …
Some of the chaos outside seemed to permeate into the Convention Center. It was just another day before attention shifted from the protests outside to the proceedings of the meet, and differences between political groups within the wto began to emerge. There were three main groupings: the us, the European …
The issue that surfaced first at the protest meetings outside the Seattle Convention Center and was touted by many as being the reason for the collapse of the talks was transparency within the World Trade Organization (WTO). The seriousness of the issue became apparent when even delegates at the Seattle …
Anyone familiar with the seemingly endless trade wars between the US and the European Union (EU) would not be surprised about their 1998 battle over the beef trade. It started in the 1980s, when the EU first placed a domestic ban on the use of hormones in cattle breeding. The …
Researchers have found that healthy people eating up to seven eggs a week did not have an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. "Our study does not mean that people should go back to the typical Western diet. But, eggs per se , do not deserve such a bad …
britain has agreed to clearly label its beef exports to other European countries to leave no doubt for consumers over where they originated, an European Commission (ec) spokesperson said recently. The spokesperson also said that under the agreement, European consumers would see a label on British beef
Marinating a steak before grilling not only improves its flavour and tenderness but also decreases the production of carcinogenic compounds. The latest evidence for this comes from Mark G Knize, scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, as part of a study financed by the National Cancer Institute. Marinating …
Led by the Worldwide Fund for Nature ( wwf ), conservationists have warned that if the growing trade in shahtoosh wool does not stop, the Tibetan antelope, known as chiru , will become extinct. There is a ban on the nefarious trade since 1979 under the Convention on International Trade …
saudi arabia has banned the import of beef from South Africa because of concerns over "mad cow' disease, despite assurances from South Africa that its beef is safe, reported the daily Asharq al-Awsat . The South African government says the country has never been affected by the disease, which came …
Can foodgrain production in India be increased further? I see no reason why foodgrain production in the country cannot be increased. To think that only Punjab represents the entire country, is wrong. In many areas foodgrain production can be increased by using increased inputs, like fertilisers. We tend to compare …
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth. In this case, the meek dosa and the meek samosa may hold the key to the future of food security in the world. It is, therefore, time to dislodge the burger and make it give way to its humble cousins
About 100 of the world's remaining mountain gorillas have been killed as a result of the protracted civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, say conservationists. Poachers have slaughtered the gorillas for meat in the Kahusi Beiga National Park near the Rwandan border. The forest director says that the …
It is widely agreed that the bse scare (popularly known as the madcow disease) in the United Kingdom was badly handled by the ministers and officials responsible for food safety. Other governments might have noted and carefully learnt. Not so the government of neighbouring Belgium. In January 1999, a chicken …
after a three-year battle , the ban on British beef exports has finally been lifted. On July 14, the European Commission ( eu ) ruled that sales would resume from August 1. The ban was imposed on March 1996, after scientists identified a potential link between bse ( popularly known …
following the "dioxin in food' scare in the country, the Belgium government has confirmed its plans to withdraw and destroy pork products with more than 20 per cent fat content held in slaughterhouses and storage depots in the country and overseas. The measure is related only to products originating from …
the mad cow disease and the dioxin scare in Europe has spelt doom for kangaroos in Australia. The animal has increasingly come under threat in the wake of export of large quantities of kangaroo meat to Europe in recent weeks. "Kangaroo meat is ideally suited for barbecue and char-grill, and …
The Caribbean National Park of Tortuguero is gearing up yet again as the nesting season of the endangered green sea turtles has just kicked off. Already 13 poachers have been detained and more than 600 stolen turtle eggs and five adult carcasses have been confiscated. Tortuguero's 34 km of uninterrupted …
Eggs have been a controversial food in the recent years with conflicting claims about its nutritious content. Critics claim that they are dangerous as eggs contain as much as 210 mg of cholesterol. Because of this, the theory goes, eating eggs result in heart diseases. But egg supporters keep reassuring …
