Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Wake Up and Smell the Organic Coffee Busani Bafana In 1992, the idea of replanting her father’s ruined coffee farm seemed foolhardy at the time. But in retrospect it was the best business decision that Dorienne Rowan-Campbell, an international development consultant and broadcast journalist, could have made. Nearly three decades later, ... MORE > >

Attacks on Human Rights Defenders: A Daily Occurrence in Latin America Emilio Godoy "We're in a very difficult situation. There is militarisation at a regional level, and gender-based violence. We are at risk, we cannot silence that," Aura Lolita Chávez, an indigenous woman from Guatemala, complained at a meeting of human rights defenders from Latin America held in the Mexican ... MORE > >

Agribusiness Is the Problem, Not the Solution Jomo Kwame Sundaram For two centuries, all too many discussions about hunger and resource scarcity has been haunted by the ghost of Parson Thomas Malthus. Malthus warned that rising populations would exhaust resources, especially those needed for food production. Exponential population growth would outstrip food ... MORE > >

Sexual Violence Surging in South Sudan Tharanga Yakupitiyage Women and girls continue to face the brunt of violence in the northern region of South Sudan with persistently high and brutal levels of sexual violence, a new report found. Despite the signing of a peace deal nearly five months ago, United Nations investigators have found an “endemic” rise in ... MORE > >

Mining Grabs Up Land, Deals Blow to Agriculture in Central America Edgardo Ayala Like an octopus, metals mining has been spreading its tentacles throughout Central America and dealing a blow to the region's agriculture and natural ecosystems, according to affected villagers, activists and a new report on the problem. "Where the mining company is operating was land that ... MORE > >

Q&A: Jamaica Pushes Climate Smart Policies to Secure the Future of its Food Supply Busani Bafana The island state of Jamaica is vulnerable to climate change which has in turn threatened both its economy and food production. But the Caribbean nation is taking the threat seriously and it has constructed a robust policy framework to support national climate action, particularly when it comes to ... MORE > >

Kenya’s Marginalised Say Nothing For Us, Without Us Justus Wanzala Julia Mutua is a resident of Kalawa ward in the semi-arid Makueni County in Eastern Kenya and a member of a women's farmers group that runs a poultry project. “Women are increasingly playing a key role in economically uplifting of their households, unlike before, but they need access to ... MORE > >

International Aid Feeds Hope and Fuels Confrontation in Venezuela Humberto Márquez The international food and medical aid awaiting entry into Venezuela from neighboring Colombia, Brazil and Curacao is at the crux of the struggle for power between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as "legitimate president" by 50 governments. The current ... MORE > >

Q&A: Suriname’s President Champions Preserving the World’s Forests Desmond Brown At the Bonn Climate Conference in 2017, Suriname announced its aspirations to maintain its forest coverage at 93 percent of the land area. For Suriname and other High Forest Cover and Low Deforestation (HFLD) nations, maintaining forest coverage is their contribution to saving the planet from ... MORE > >

Bringing #MeToo to the Fashion Industry Tharanga Yakupitiyage The global #MeToo movement has put a spotlight on sexual harassment and violence in various industries including the film and music industries. Is it now time for the fashion industry to address these issues within their supply chains, one organisation says. Coinciding with the Organisation for ... MORE > >

‘Today, We Declare Our Love to Our Forests and Ecosystems’ Desmond Brown High Forest Cover and Low Deforestation (HFLD) nations ended a major conference in Suriname on Thursday, with the Krutu of Paramaribo Joint Declaration on HFLD Climate Finance Mobilisation. Krutu—an indigenous Surinamese word—means a gathering of significance or a gathering of high dignitaries, ... MORE > >