Friday, November 20, 2009

Food or education? Public spending choices are never easy.

But in Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, the choices are particularly stark.

The government has made "food security" - which means making sure people have enough to eat - the top priority for government spending.

Read entire article by Nils Blythe.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Women in developing countries will be the most vulnerable to climate change, a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.

The agency said there was a disproportionate burden on those women and called for greater equality.

They do most of the agricultural work, and are therefore affected by weather-related natural disasters impacting on food, energy and water, it said. Read full article from BBC.

Monday, November 2, 2009

NKAYA, 11 September 2009 (IRIN) - Degradation of the environment is reaching alarming levels in Nkaya in southern Malawi, where people have to walk ever greater distances to collect firewood and water. Mayi Chambo, a village head in Nkaya, blamed charcoal makers for the deforestation. This is her story.