October 2014

WTO check on ‘consensus’ poses risk to poorer nations

The Japan Times, 28 October, 2014
The World Trade Organization’s director general, Roberto Azevedo, has called for an urgent shakeup of his institution. Last week, he declared the WTO to be in “the most serious situation [it] has ever faced,” and now he is convening crisis talks with member countries.
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$2.5tn shortfall for sustainable development in developing countries

The Guardian, 27 October, 2014
It is a welcome development that farmers in the vast Barind region in Rajshahi have started cultivation of other cereals in place of paddy as part of preparation for adapting to climate change.
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Drought and climate change in the Horn of Africa require responsibility and resilience

MINN Post, 22 October, 2014
While Ebola occupies the world’s attention, a humanitarian crisis is quickly unfolding in Somalia. In August, the Somali federal government declared famine in several regions.
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Azevêdo highlights “dramatic increase” in knowledge component of trade

WTO News, 20 October, 2014
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, in a speech to a conference of the Federal Circuit Bar Association held in cooperation with the WTO, the World Intellectual Property Organization and The European Patent Office on 20 October in Geneva, said that “the past two decades have shown that the TRIPS Agreement can provide a sound and balanced multilateral foundation for the growth of trade in knowledge-rich products and services.
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EU promises billions in sustainable development aid

The Financial Express, 10 October, 2014
It is a welcome development that farmers in the vast Barind region in Rajshahi have started cultivation of other cereals in place of paddy as part of preparation for adapting to climate change.
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Vietnam successful in alleviating poverty: FAO

Saigon Daily, 09 October, 2014
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) considers Vietnam a success story in the fight against poverty, FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva said.
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AfDB launches €33m ClimDev Africa Special Fund

Ghana Web, 09 October, 2014
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a €33million Fund on the sidelines of the Fourth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IV) in Marrakesh, Morocco.
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Obama to pledge new climate change help for other nations as leaders gather for UN summit

Main Street, 25 September, 2014
Many nations in the world may already be experiencing their peak yields for certain grain crops like rice, wheat and corn, but now two alarming new studies have been released that predict that the long-term security of our food crops be further compromised by climate change and.
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U.N. Pushes Climate-Smart Agriculture – But Are the Farmers Willing to Change?

IPS News Agency, 18 September, 2014
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to make a strong pitch to world political leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York on Sep. 23 to accept new emissions targets and their timelines.
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Developing Asian nations need to invest in sustainable transport, ADB executive says

Business Mirror, 17 September, 2014
Developing countries across Asia, including the Philippines, have a window of less than a decade to reverse current transport trends that encourage unsustainable solutions.
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Building a green economy

Financial Express, 15 September, 2014
The fast-paced growth and development in India witnessed in recent years, catering to basic needs and aspirations of a billion people, has put rigorous strain on the natural resources, causing almost irreversible damage to the environment.
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UN chief calls for commitment to South-South cooperation

Enewspaper, 14 September, 2014
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday called for commitment to South-South cooperation to ensure shared prosperity and sustainable development.
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Plant diversity in China ‘vital for global food security’

Farming UK, 09 September, 2014
With climate change threatening global food supplies, new research claims the rich flora of China could be crucial to underpin food security in the future.
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Trade may not guarantee food security for all

DaijiWorld, 09 September, 2014
As the demand for food rises with a growth in world population, trade may not guarantee food security to countries heavily dependent on imports for their food supply, says a study.
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