Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty (Journal of ASAP) is an open access international multidisciplinary journal published under the ISSN 2690-3458 (electronic edition) and ISSN 2690-3431 (print edition) by Academics Stand Against Poverty, a non-profit organization based in United States (EIN # 32-0324998). Co-Editors: Thomas Pogge, Yale University, New Haven, USA Michal Apollo, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland Indexed: OpenAIRE Google Scholar We are currently in the process of ensuring that the journal is indexed elsewhere.
Introduction to Special Issue on Indian Perspectives on Environmental Justice
India's environmental-justice discourse is shaped by two inter-related factors: grassroots community stewardship and environmental judicial activism. Based on the inter-play between law and society, these factors have played an important role in mitigating some of the challenges of development and implementing a balanced approach between development and ecology. However, the relationship between law and society has witnessed challenges, especially since the onset of neoliberalism, where the state has been going forward with its policies of development-led growth in the garb of public welfare and the common good. These challenges are extremely detrimental for the environment and also pose risks amid increasing climate and disaster vulnerabilities such as air pollution, rising heatwaves, floods, and depletion of natural resources. Law and society must work in unison within the broader principles of constitutionalism and rule of law for ensuring environmental justice.
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
Air Pollution and Reproductive Health of Women: A Case Study of Delhi National Capital Region
Air pollution in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) has emerged as a critical public health concern, with increasingly severe implications for women’s reproductive health. Exposure to pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO) has been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes, including infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight. Despite growing scientific evidence on these health risks, the gendered dimensions of air pollution remain insufficiently addressed within environmental governance frameworks in India. This paper examines the intersection of air pollution, women’s reproductive health, and environmental governance by analysing key policy interventions implemented over the past 15 years, including the 2010 National Green Tribunal Act, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the 2019 National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), and the 2021 Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Adopting a documentary analysis approach, the study draws on policy documents, academic literature, and available health data to assess the extent to which these frameworks recognise gender-specific health vulnerabilities and incorporate women into decision-making processes. The analysis finds that while these policies have contributed to pollution control, they largely remain gender-blind, lacking statutory provisions for women’s representation and failing to adequately address differentiated health impacts across socio-economic groups. The paper argues for the integration of gender-sensitive approaches in environmental policymaking, emphasising targeted interventions and the institutionalisation of women’s participation to achieve more inclusive and effective environmental governance.
Old Ghost, New Shadows: Resource Curse Dynamics and the Growing Illicit Flows in Africa’s Carbon Market
This essay explores the emerging threat of illicit financial flows (IFFs) within Africa’s expanding carbon market, drawing parallels to the historical “resource curse” seen in mining and oil. It illuminates how fraudulent project baselines, inflated offsets, and opaque shell companies allow foreign and domestic actors to exploit the continent's environmental assets for illicit gain. The essay adopts Polanyi’s theory of fictitious commodities and Akerlof’s information asymmetry to explain how market failures and a lack of transparency enable "carbon colonialism" and corruption. Detailed case studies from Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Liberia illustrate the socioeconomic harms caused, including land-grabbing and the displacement of local communities. To combat these systemic vulnerabilities, the author proposes a multi-level policy framework involving international oversight, blockchain-enabled registries, and robust community-led benefit-sharing. Finally, the essay advocates for structural reforms and regional cooperation to ensure Africa’s climate finance contributes to genuine ecological sustainability rather than further financial exploitation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
Education in Motion: Exploring the Use of Non-formal Education as a Pathway to Greater Civic Engagement Among African Youth
Africa’s This article examines how non-formal education (NFE) cultivates civic agency among African youth. Drawing on experiential learning theories and comparative case studies from Africa, it argues that NFE provides a transformative pathway for youth civic participation by integrating leadership, reflection, and practical engagement. Through analysis of programs such as Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program in Senegal and the Solar Mamas initiative in Zanzibar, the paper demonstrates that NFE fosters both collective and individual empowerment, albeit with varying levels of sustainability and institutional linkages. The discussion highlights the need for policy frameworks that integrate NFE into national systems without diluting its participatory essence. It concludes that the transformative potential of NFE lies in its non-linear, context-specific design and its capacity to bridge civic learning with governance participation.
Gender Polarization in Voting: The Role of Negative Campaigning
Across the globe men tend to lean towards right-wing parties while women are more likely to vote left. In addition, there is a well-documented pattern which shows that negative campaigning tends to be more effective among male voters and that right-wing parties are more likely to employ negative campaign tactics. This leads to the question whether gender polarization in voting can be partially explained by men’s greater susceptibility to negative campaigning. To explore this, a large-scale expert survey (NEGex) was merged with a collection of post-election surveys (CSES Module 5) to extract a database of 45,000 respondents, covering 200 parties over 34 national elections. The results confirm the hypothesis that the gender divide is partly due to men being more susceptible to negative campaigning, which right-wing parties commonly use more than their left-wing counterparts.
Establishing environmental law clinics to strengthen environmental justice and the rule of law: a case study of the Sundarbans
Climate change arguably constitutes the foremost global challenge facing the world today. Its impact is multi-faceted and manifests itself through various unpredictable weather phenomena, the brunt of which is borne largely by vulnerable low-lying areas in the Global South. This is exemplified by the ecologically-endangered Sundarbans region, which contains the world’s largest mangrove forest, spread across the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Its inhabitants have suffered, with increasing frequency, from rising water levels and erratic weather phenomena, which imperil their very existence. These threats are exacerbated by man-made activities such as intensive agriculture and aquaculture, improper waste disposal, accumulation of hazardous materials, illegal construction and pollution stemming from unchecked tourism. The local inhabitants often lack legal recourse and are powerless to prevent such environmental degradation. In this context, this paper seeks to explore the potential that student-led legal aid clinics possess in providing a grassroots solution to this problem. Being incubated in law universities with established professional support networks, these clinics undertake grassroots-level work through active stakeholder consultation. By employing the case-study method, this paper will examine the functioning of an experimental environmental law clinic focused exclusively on the Sundarbans, with practicing lawyers, government officials, academics and students, both from India and abroad, as its participants. It will consequently assess the viability of such a bottom-up socio-legal approach. In doing so, this paper aims to catalyse, through its findings, the establishment of similar environmental law clinics in other ecologically sensitive areas, and to ensure that these clinics bring together lawyers, academics, activists and students in strengthening the cause of environmental justice as a larger goal underpinning the rule of law.
The African Paradox: A Land of Wealth, a People in Need
Africa’s vast natural wealth stands in stark contrast to its enduring poverty and economic stagnation – a contradiction rooted in colonial legacies that established extractive institutions and external dependencies. Today, the continent remains heavily reliant on raw material exports, with intra-African trade accounting for just 13.8% of total trade. This over-dependence has stifled diversification and reinforced structural vulnerabilities. This essay examines the historical and systemic factors that have shaped Africa’s economic trajectory, arguing that sustainable transformation requires industrialization, financial inclusion, and regional integration. It introduces three innovative economic models: skill-backed lending to expand financial access through competencies rather than collateral; apprenticeship-for-ownership programs to promote equity and transfer of productive assets; and the One-Continent, One-Supply Chain policy to build an integrated African production network. By investing in bold policy reforms, strategic regional cooperation, and community-driven enterprises, Africa can start a path toward economic autonomy and inclusive, long-term growth.
Resolving the Farmer-Herder Crisis in Nigeria’s Central Zone: The Contribution of Trade and Gender Inclusion
In concert with population growth, crime, and inefficient police action, climate change has driven the farmer-herder crisis in the central zone of Nigeria. The crisis has resulted in deaths, destroyed property and caused food insecurity. This essay studies the farmers and herders, who are the key players in this crisis. It also examines the efforts made to prevent, remediate, or mitigate the effects of these conflicts. These efforts have varied from the African Union to the government to civil society organisations. They have mostly been ineffective due to poor implementation. Trade and gender inclusion are suggested as essential contributory elements in resolving the farmer-herder crisis. While used in other crises, it is underutilized in farmer-herder crisis resolution literature. It is the conclusion of this essay that trade and gender inclusion would strengthen any strategies for containing and preventing the farmer-herder crisis.
Green Social Work: A Pathway to Social and Environmental Justice in India
India faces severe environmental challenges, including climate change, deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion, which disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Green Social Work (GSW) offers a crucial framework for integrating environmental sustainability with social justice, promoting inter and intra-generational equity and justice. This study explores the role of GSW in India, analysing its potential to address ecological and climate concerns through community organization, social action, and policy advocacy. Using an exploratory and descriptive research design, the article synthesizes existing literature to examine Indian social work practices that incorporate environmental consciousness. It highlights initiatives such as the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and grassroots interventions that strengthen resilience and sustainability. The findings emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach, positioning social workers as key agents in promoting ecological sustainability and sustainable development in India.
Whose Justice? Forest Rights, Civil Society, and the Remaking of Environmental Governance in the Western Himalayas
In the Western Himalayas, the idea of justice in forests begins with the people who live alongside them. Here, forests are not just resources but part of everyday life, memory, and community rules. This paper follows the journey of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur as they work to claim Community Forest Rights (CFRs) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. For twelve months, I travelled between villages, joined local meetings, spoke with elders and women leaders, and studied the records and campaigns of these groups. The aim was to see how CSOs come together, how they deal with traditional authorities, and why CFRs have not been implemented despite active mobilisation. The study finds that CSOs differ in form and approach but share the goal of keeping forests in community hands. They have slowed down some development projects and revived old conservation practices, yet face stalled claims due to unclear rules, official resistance, and competing economic plans. Customary systems in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur remain essential, though not always open to all voices. Without changes to how claims are processed and without broader inclusion in decision-making, these rights are likely to remain on paper. Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to all the regional civil society organisations for their insights and for participating in interviews for this study of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Also thankful to all tribal members of both communities for their insights for the paper. Funding: This research received no external funding. Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflicts of interest.
Coastal resilience, (mal)adaptation, and justice in Chennai
India’s central and state governments have proposed large-scale projects to promote coastal resilience. The ongoing efforts to adapt to frequent episodes of urban flooding in Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, have led to thousands of people being displaced from urban centres to peri-urban areas. This “relocation” of population with the ostensible goal of climate adaptation has led to adverse impacts on coastal ecology and local livelihoods. It has significantly undermined the goals of improving coastal resilience and climate justice, and constitutes a process of maladaptation. What are the root causes of the apparent contradiction between climate adaptation and climate resilience interventions promoted by national and subnational governments? Drawing on field research involving key-informant interviews and analysis of ongoing policy developments, we show that maladaptation results from a lack of democratic decision-making and a failure of accountability. We conclude that policy responses for climate resilience and adaptation are mediated by the socioeconomic and political context. Under a policy context that excludes most of the city’s residents from participating actively in the policy process, decision-makers do not pay heed to the interests and perspectives of low-income residents. Skewed policy responses are not only unjust; they are also ineffective. The “resettlement” of residents from the city’s slums into the ecologically sensitive zones in the surrounding areas, and a failure to prevent the siting of infrastructure in ecologically sensitive areas of peri-urban Chennai, have led to continued degradation of the city’s ecology. Future research must consider proposals for introducing mechanisms of accountability in climate resilience and adaptation.
Digital Shadows in Illicit Financial Flows: Unraveling Nigeria's Cryptocurrency Paradox and Illuminating Pathways to Financial Integrity
Nigeria’s lead in global cryptocurrency adoption amidst a slumping economy presents a fascinating paradox. This raises, inter alia, concerns about the factors driving cryptocurrency adoption and its potential for illicit financial flows in the country. Consequently, this study aims to identify the key factors facilitating the use of cryptocurrency for illicit financial flows in Nigeria, assess its impact on the country's economy, and propose workable solutions to address the challenges. Leveraging extant literature, an interview, and Davis' Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for empirical analysis, the paper identifies the decentralized nature of the blockchain and the anonymity provided by mixers, tumblers, and privacy coins as “perceived usefulness”, and the relatively higher cost and delays of international transactions with commercial banks in comparison to the blockchain as the “perceived ease of use”. The paper further submits that a porous legal framework guides the use of cryptocurrency in Nigeria, which is part of the enabling factors of on-chain illicit financial flows in the country. This is despite recent policy shifts, including the introduction of Nigeria’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), which have not effectively addressed these issues. The research concludes that, notwithstanding the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, they also present opportunities for financial inclusivity.
The illicit Organ Trade: Biographical, Anatomical, Economic and Legal Aspects
A kidney can cost up to USD 200,000. Humans have two kidneys but normally require just one to live. Individuals can donate one to relatives for altruistic reasons. But to pay USD 200,000 - or any other amount - to obtain a kidney, no country in the world allows that. Except for Iran. This global blanket ban has pushed the trade of organs underground and it now ranks as the fourth most lucrative illegal activity – behind only drugs, arms, and human trafficking. Rising incidence of end-stage kidney disease will increase demand for replacement kidneys, both gifted and bought. This essay studies this trade using two case studies, one of a Nigerian leading legislator arrested in the UK for getting a kidney for his daughter and another on kidney demand in Iran where trade in organs is permitted. The global value of the trade is studied, and literature gaps are discussed. The inadequacies of the current system are highlighted and improvements suggested, based on best practices around the world.
Qur’anic ecological ontology, poverty, and the climate crisis: Ecological and economic correctives
This article argues that the Qur’an’s ecological ontology, anchored in mīzān (balance), amānah (trust), and khalīfah (stewardship), and operationalised through ijtihād (independent reasoning), tafsīr (exegesis), and shūrā (consultation), constitutes a normative and policy-ready framework capable of addressing the joint crises of climate breakdown and poverty. Using close textual analysis of Qur’anic āyāt (verses) alongside classical and modern scholarship, I show how Qur’anic injunctions ‘for those believe’ against fasād (corruption) and isrāf (wastefulness) translate into redistributive, sufficiency-based economic model aligned with planetary limits.
Cybercrimes and the illicit financial flows in Myanmar
The rapid expansion of online gambling in Southeast Asia has created an alluring yet deceptive environment, promising financial gain while fostering fraudulent activities and illicit financial flows. This study explores the intersection of online fraudulent gambling and transnational organized crime in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Myanmar. Criminal syndicates exploit regulatory loopholes and weak enforcement to orchestrate scams, including rigged games, catfishing schemes, and human trafficking. The anonymity of digital platforms enables large-scale fraud, such as the "pig-butchering" scam, which inflicts severe financial and psychological harm on victims. Beyond individual losses, online scams fuel money laundering, economic destabilization, and corruption, while exacerbating social problems like addiction, debt, and family breakdown. Vulnerable groups, including the young, elderly, and low-income populations, are disproportionately affected, but even wealthy individuals from the West are targeted. Myanmar’s ongoing political instability has further enabled these illicit operations, allowing criminal networks to exploit weakened regulatory structures and facilitate money laundering linked to arms and resource smuggling. This research underscores the urgent need for national, regional, and global cooperation to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance enforcement mechanisms, and mitigate the growing threat of online gambling-related crime in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
Logging in: Dismantling the Dark Web of Africa’s Timber Industry
Timber is one of Africa’s most valuable natural resources and has long played a vital role in shaping local economies. In recent decades, however, the continent’s forests have become deeply entangled in the global illegal timber trade, which is estimated to be worth up to $157 billion annually. As international demand for tropical timber has grown, so too has the scale of unlawful harvesting and export across Africa. This paper explores how Africa has become a key supplier of unprocessed timber to global markets. Despite efforts to promote legal and sustainable logging, enforcement has been inconsistent and easily undermined. Corruption, regulatory gaps, and a general lack of political resolve have allowed illegal operators to move timber with minimal resistance. These conditions have weakened conservation efforts and facilitated illicit financial flows. The paper analyses the actors involved in the illegal trade and the reasons behind its persistence. It concludes by outlining practical reforms aimed at improving transparency and reducing harm to both people and forests.
Addressing the Causal Factors of Poverty in Muslim Mindanao: Perspectives from Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young
This paper intends to discuss the nature and consequences of the institutional causal factors of deprivation in Muslim Mindanao. Poverty can be attributed to clannish rivalries, failures in peace agreements, a shadow economy controlled by local bosses, and a patronage system of government dominated by the elites. Historical as well as structural injustice are the direct causes of poverty in the region. Exclusion is anchored in centralised rule, which denies Muslim Filipinos their basic rights to human well-being. The existing approaches to improving the standard of living in Muslim Mindanao do not address the control of political dynasties, enabled by political power brokers who want to perpetuate their vested interests. Following the ethical frameworks of Thomas Pogge and Iris Marion Young, I argue that overturning the problem of poverty in the Bangsamoro requires the levelling of the playing field by introducing grassroots-based political parties who in turn, once in power, can dismantle the dominance of influential clans and families by introducing inclusive and competitive economic policies that can promote equitable wealth distribution within the region.
Multicultural Citizenship: Justice and Recognition of Difference for Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
The fundamental rights recognised in Brazil’s Federal Constitution seek to guarantee all individuals a life with dignity. It turns out that such rights have been marked by a process of transformations based on social relations, which today incorporates the recognition of the differences between different peoples and cultural diversity. The objective of this work is to analyse how Kymlicka's multicultural citizenship proposal manages to extend the protection of justice and fundamental rights for indigenous peoples by combining the guarantee of individual rights with collective rights. A theoretical approach was used, supported by secondary sources, and, as a methodological procedure, bibliographical, documentary, and descriptive research. Given the framework presented, it is found that multicultural liberalism promotes the implementation of fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples, with the protection of minorities and differentiated rights, but within state political barriers and without ignoring individual responsibility, and placing the discussion within a broader context.
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
Introduction to Special Issue Toward Food Security in Africa
Living well below 10% of the global average income, 34% of humankind and 65% of Africans have less to spend on food each day than what USD 3 can buy in the United States. The resulting nutritional deficits cause severe health problems, especially for children whose physical and mental development they permanently impair. Governments promise reform – often – but have achieved no progress during the last decade. In fact, the rapid ecological harms they continue to facilitate contribute greatly to food insecurity. Focusing on Africa, the present volume discusses food insecurity: what it is, the forms it takes, its distribution and its evolution over time, its main drivers with emphasis on responsible parties, and viable reforms toward food security for all.
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Academics Stand Against Poverty
Food or Fuel? The Case for a US Strategic Corn Reserve and Food-Fuel Throttle to Reduce Global Hunger During Food Price Spikes
Corn, at 47 billion bushels annually, is the second most produced crop globally, serving as a key staple food for billions. The U.S. is the world's largest producer and consumer, producing 13.7 billion bushels in 2023. Out of this, the US uses roughly 40% to produce fuel for cars and trucks, because of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), with 40% used for animal feed and the remaining 20% going to food and other uses. In recent years, world events such as Covid and the Ukraine war have caused food price spikes, resulting in severe hunger for the global poor, especially the millions at the margins of food affordability in Sub-Saharan Africa. It could be strategically beneficial for the US to adjust its corn storage and allocation policy. This paper sets forth two policy proposals: (1) Strategic Corn Reserve (SCR) to store corn for periods of soaring prices modeled on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR); (2) Fuel-Food Throttle (FFT) for flexible usage of corn as fuel or food depending on the situation. The benefits of these policies would significantly outweigh the costs, by reducing hunger in critical moments and countering foreign influence in poverty-stricken regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. To execute these bold policies will require either an executive order and/or congressional legislation, as well as developing pathways for storage and flexible use, which are outlined within.
Battling the Illegal Wildlife Trade Through Regulatory Finance: The Southeast Asian Context
The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a US$20 billion global industry, with significant environmental, economic, and sociopolitical harms. Fueled by a complex interplay of drivers and enabling factors, IWT poses concrete stumbling blocks for several UN Sustainable Development Goals. There is an urgent need for comprehensive reforms to address its multifaceted consequences around the world. In Southeast Asia, IWT is rampant as the region serves as a global hub for this black market. However, because of its characterization as an invisible threat, many aspects of IWT in the region remains understudied, particularly its relationship with illicit financial flows. In this paper, I look at the different economic and legal interventions to address IWT, focusing on regulatory finance. Adapting legal mechanisms from comparative jurisdictions, I propose three measures to be spearheaded by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community: first, to strengthen the implementation of existing financial crime instruments through specialized training and the utilization of emerging technology such as AI and blockchain; second, to append wildlife crimes as predicate offences to financial felonies, and; third, to utilize financial regulation instruments to fight poverty and support inclusive community development, encouraging communities to be proactive partners in long-term wildlife conservation.
Taming the Untamable: Rethinking, Regulating, and Revamping Hawala
This paper examines the Hawala system, an ancient remittance mechanism enabling money transfers without physical fund movement. Originating from medieval commerce in the Near and Middle East and China’s Tang Dynasty, Hawala now handles an estimated $100-$300 billion annually, operating in parallel with formal financial systems. Despite its vital role for unbanked communities, especially in South Asia and among migrant populations globally, Hawala is often associated with corruption and illicit activities, with post-9/11 links to terrorism and money laundering intensifying calls for its eradication. This study delineates Hawala’s historical roots, unique characteristics, and structure through illustrative examples. It dissects its widespread popularity, exploring geographical prevalence and competitive advantages. Focusing on India, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of Hawala’s socio-economic impact and regulatory complexities, advocating for a balanced dual-pronged approach to integrate Hawala into the formal economy without driving it underground.
The Influencing of Consumer Aspirations on Food Choice, Sourcing and Consumption Among Low-Income Households of eThekwini Municipality: A Pilot Study
Unhealthy foods, availed through food retail supermarkets, restaurant franchises, and the local street food market, have become everyday foods for the average South African. Reliance on unhealthy food results in high incidence of non-communicable diseases, which necessitate a transition towards healthy diets produced from sustainable healthy food systems. This study sought to understand factors influencing food choice, sourcing, and resultant food consumption behaviour among low-income households of eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. The study used the photovoice method to collect primary data and the inductive thematic approach to analyse the data. Results reveal that consumer food choice, sourcing, and consumption are influenced by deeply rooted aspirations for a superior lifestyle which drives perceptions about socially acceptable foods. These aspirations not only define and perpetuate an unhealthy diet but have the potential to suppress efforts towards development of sustainable healthy food systems. This study opens discourses on consumer aspirations in relation to food choice, sourcing, and consumption behaviour, which are critical to policy and programme development in promoting healthy diets among low-income households of South Africa.
Pork Knockers, Powder People, and a “Fully Criminalized State”: The Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows in the Surinamese Gold Sector
Gold is Suriname’s largest export, accounting for more than half of total exports in recent years. Suriname’s modern history has been marked by widespread corruption, economic instability, and state collusion with transnational organized crime networks. In this context, IFFs have flourished, in particular in Suriname’s gold sector. This paper demonstrates how gold has turned Suriname into a regional hub for money laundering and tax evasion operations. While otherwise a small regional power, Suriname’s role in the illicit gold trade extends its influence throughout northern South America and the Caribbean. Estimates of the scale of IFFs in the Surinamese gold sector are provided, as is a detailed account of the various harms of unchecked financial corruption. The paper concludes with concrete policy proposals for limiting the scale of gold-related IFFs in Suriname.
Exploring the Viability of Utilizing Agricultural and Rural Areas for Tourism: A Comparative Analysis of Farming Between Conventional and Agritourism Farms during the COVID-19 pandemic
This study compares the performance of conventional and agritourism farming to investigate how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected agricultural efficiency. The study was carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania, due to a comparatively high concentration of agritourism and conventional farmers. Regression analysis and the slack-based measure data envelopment analysis model (SBM-DEA) are used in this study to assess farming efficiency and identify the critical variables influencing the productivity of conventional and agritourism farmers. The application of the comparative approach is what sets this paper apart, as most researchers tend to examine conventional farmers and agritourism farmers separately leading to a noticeable methodological gap. The results reveal a significant efficiency gap, where conventional farmers outperformed agritourism farmers. This result shows how vulnerable agritourism farming is to external disruptions exemplified by COVID-19-related disruptions. Moreover, the study identifies the positive influence of training and direct sales-to-consumers on efficiency, while recognizing the negative influence of lack of value addition and production of export crops. These insights are important for designing targeted strategies to ensure a sustainable recovery post-COVID-19.
Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Youth Agripreneurship in Creating Employment and Food Security in Africa
Agripreneurship has huge potential to create employment, especially for youths and women, and thereby to reduce poverty in Africa. It is among the most promising sectors in Africa and an essential driver of economic development. But this potential has yet to be tapped. Through a review of relevant literature, this paper highlights the role of agripreneurship in creating youth employment in Africa and further highlights strategies for job creation for youth in agriculture. Secondary data was gathered from databases such as Google Scholar, John Wiley, Springer, SAGE, Scopus, and Taylor and Francis. If properly integrated, youth have the capacity to drive socio-economic development in Africa. However, despite its enormous potential, more work must be done to effectively incorporate youth in agripreneurship in Africa. The findings further indicate that youth participation in agribusiness can enhance youth employment and food production in Africa. Increased efforts to integrate youth into the food system will reduce the incidence of crime and poverty on the African continent. Government and development sector players must collaborate and form coalitions to tackle the challenge of youth unemployment collectively rather than in silos. Proper strategies and integration of youth in agripreneurship will increase job creation, food security, and income for many African farmers.
The Synergy of Food Sovereignty and the Politics of Malnutrition in Tanzania: What Works, Why and How?
Recent data from Tanzania's National Bureau of Statistics show the alarming extent of malnutrition: 35% of under-five children classified as stunted and 15% as underweight, demanding urgent intervention. This paper investigates the synergy between food sovereignty and politics of malnutrition in Tanzania, examining mechanisms, effectiveness, and strategies. It asserts that the interplay between food sovereignty and politics of malnutrition drives socio-economic progress and food security. Using a case study approach, the paper evaluates scalable food sovereignty projects in Tanzania. Interviews with stakeholders, including officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and experts, offered insights into the complex relationship. The paper explores “food sovereignty” theory alignment with case studies (the What), rationale for realizing the right-to-food in Tanzania (the Why), and operationalizing policies amid the “politics of malnutrition” (the How). The paper draws on political ecology theory by Bryant and Bailey to explore food sovereignty-malnutrition synergy. Findings reveal that successful food sovereignty projects enhance food security and reduce child malnutrition. Factors include agroecological practices, traditional food systems, women and youth engagement, and community resource mobilization, empowering communities and prioritizing nutrition. Food sovereignty proves transformative in Tanzania and similar contexts, yet structural/political changes are vital to challenging industrial agriculture and global markets. In general, the success of food sovereignty projects in addressing malnutrition in Tanzania illustrates the potential of food sovereignty as a transformative approach to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition. However, achieving food sovereignty requires challenging the dominance of industrial agriculture and global food markets.
Copyright (c) 2024 Academics Stand Against Poverty
Better Soils for Resilient Agricultural Production
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in improving food security and reducing poverty in Africa, as well as in promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation and general progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the agricultural sector employs 70% of the population and is estimated to contribute roughly 15% to GDP. But changing climate conditions and poor agricultural practices lead to soil degradation of up to 65% of agricultural lands in SSA, threatening food security. The “betterSoil” concept is a holistic and systemic approach that stresses the whole, considers essential regional aspects to link economic prosperity and sustainable agricultural practices, and addresses climate change. Its four simple principles – soil management, compost, biochar, and agroforestry – can unlock the potential of soils to restore soil organic matter, to protect soil fertility and biodiversity, and to sequester CO2 for the future build-up of humus in agricultural soils. Better soils can promote economic growth and development, especially in low-income countries hit hardest by climate change. Its four principles support the introduction of climate-positive practices that can be implemented anywhere. To harvest the benefits of large-scale soil improvement, farmers, governments, the African Union, individuals, the private sector, and practitioners must work together to bring theory on better soils into practice.
Debts, Human Rights, and the Poor: From London 1953 to Present Human Rights Violations
The London Debt Agreement’s 70th anniversary provides an occasion to compare present “debt management” with the extremely generous debt reduction Germany received in 1953. After triggering two World Wars, Germany's creditors, among them developing countries, allowed a German national to tell them how much Germany should pay — an absolutely unique feature in the history of sovereign debts. Arbitration for any arising disagreement and a limit on payments were stipulated while massive social expenditures were allowed. Naturally, Germany's role in the Cold War explains this unique agreement. This example contrasts most sharply with so-called “Structural Adjustment” programs forced on debtor countries since 1982, in which social expenditures have been cut and debt service payments have been maximized, violating debtor protection, human rights, and the Rule of Law as creditors have acted as judges in their own cause. Economies and especially the poor have suffered horribly. Creditors alone have decided. Only NGO pressure has introduced trace elements of debtor protection, all arbitrarily decided by creditors. Meanwhile, the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) have played an especially wicked role as debt administrators. After describing the London agreement and Indonesia’s similarly politically motivated debt relief around 1970, this paper will analyze the glaring differences in debtor treatments. Germany, an adamant hardliner, was especially vile on Spain and Greece, two benefactors who had forgiven German debts in 1953. After itself benefitting from relief, still not having fulfilled all stipulated obligations, Germany turned arguably into the staunchest opponent against treating other sovereign debtors (including countries that had generously forgiven German debts) in a decent, Rule-of-Law and human rights-based manner. This is difficult to understand – unless German governments after 1945 still believe that different rules should apply to Germans than to everyone else.
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COP28 is over, and the participants finally managed to agree on a consensus document. But it is childish superstition to believe that the outcome will really reduce greenhouse emissions. What is needed is a focus on two important reforms. After two weeks of wrangling over words at COP28, they finally adopted a consensus document recognizing the need for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions - down to zero by 2050 - with the for the COP apparently new insight that this requires a transition away from fossil fuels. Some see these sentences as a key historical event and landmark. Others regard them as trivial and meaningless because it remains completely open who should do what and by when to achieve the desired global target state.