Suchergebnisse

This book is a collection of essays by Southern African scholars which focus on the changing dynamic of the Southern African region. It attempts to analyse the past and at the same time project the future of the regional states in the context of the changes in South Africa. While in the past the destabilisation policy of the South African government focused on the military option, the essays in this book accept that the most likely scenario for Southern Africa is that the South African economy can be used as a destabilising factor. The significance of the above is, that, in spite of the changing complexion of South Africa, the regional states should still be wary of the economic power of South Africa. (DÜI-Hff)

Max Weber (1864-1920), generally known as a founder of modern social science, was concerned with political affairs throughout his life. The texts in this edition span his career and include his early inaugural lecture The Nation State and Economic Policy, Suffrage and Democracy in Germany, Parliament and Government in Germany under a New Political Order, Socialism, The Profession and Vocation of Politics, and an excerpt from his essay The Situation of Constitutional Democracy in Russia, as well as other shorter writings. Together they illustrate the development of his thinking on the fate of Germany and the nature of politics in the modern western state in an age of cultural 'disenchantment'. The introduction discusses the central themes of Weber's political thought, and a chronology, notes and an annotated bibliography place him in his political and intellectual context.

'Thatcherism', as attitude of mind and style of action, has dominated the agenda and tone of British politics during the 1980s. Supporters and critics alike have acknowledged the bold scope of the campaign launched by the Prime Minister 'to change the heart and soul' of the nation. Here nine contributors, of differing political persuasion, come together to offer a variety of approaches to, and conclusions about, 'the Thatcher Phenomenon'. Their essays review the concept of Thatcherism; its impact on the Conservative Party and on the forces of Opposition; its effect on Cabinet government and on society at large; its significance in terms of economic and foreign policy; and the validity of the claim that its record entitles it to enjoy some truly historic status

The aim of this study is to assess the nature and magnitude of potential domestic sources of conflict and the conditions under which they might become salient, contributing to the acceleration of certain political trends which, in turn, may induce instability in the Gulf; the study looks first at the religious, social and economic factors of domestic instability, it then attempts to evaluate which policies could ameliorate or accentuate these states' vulnerabilities, it examines policy choices and the various types of mechanism open to governments in attempting to confront the prospect of internal challenges; the role of the existing political institutions is examined together with their ability to adapt by combining both the perpetuation of the status quo and apparent change. (DÜI-Sdt)

The overall impact of COVID-19 on food security and agricultural food systems was not known in the initial phases of COVID-19. However, during the last five months of unfolding of the diseases in Pakistan, COVID-19's effect on lives and livelihoods, more so for the poor, is gradually turning economic access to food for masses difficult. According to World Bank Group, South Asian countries may face food security challenges both in terms of supply and demand if not properly managed especially for marginalized sections in the society1. Pakistan is no exception to it. Already it is understood that food insecurity as per National Nutrition Survey 2018 is 36%2 – almost matching the poverty numbers (39%)3. These numbers are now set to deteriorate given current circumstances. Although currently, the virus spread in Pakistan seems to be under control, the novelty of this disease has brought uncertainty. Any surge in cases and resultant restriction on mobility may lead to strain the food system in countless ways in the coming weeks and months. All of this will have, and is already having, significant negative effects on food supply chain, which is a complex web of interactions and of actors: inputs, producers, processors, marketers, transporters, storage, consumers, etc.

Vertical farming seems like the perfect solution to tackle land-scarce Singapore's unique food security challenges. Given Singapore's energy mix, however, a more holistic analysis will help measure and manage the performance of vertical farms to support the local agri-food industry's role in Singapore's sustainable development agenda.

IPS' Monthly Bulletin brings to you our work across an array of research themes. In this issue, we feature articles from our researchers on the themes of health and agriculture. We're pleased to share that an article written by IPS Research Fellow, Dr. Manoj Thibbotuwawa for Development Asia (DevAsia), the Asian Development Bank's knowledge collaboration platform on 'Why the Transition to Smart Farming Is Critical in Sri Lanka' is currently featured under Trending Topics on DevAsia's homepage. In this article, Dr. Thibbotuwawa cogently argues that Sri Lanka must continue to develop and adapt technological innovations for the agriculture sector to become a more productive contributor to the national economy. We also have details of our recent webinar on challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic in apparel supplying countries organised in collaboration with CPD, Bangladesh and Southern Voice. IPS' Research Economist, Kithmina Hewage made the keynote presentation at this event alongside Research Director, CPD, Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem. This issue's 'Inside IPS' segment features Research Officer Chathurga Karunanayake who will be migrating overseas in June. IPS thanks Chathurga for her stellar contributions and wishes her the best of luck! As always, we hope you find this issue insightful and welcome your feedback to make our content even more engaging.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic has witnessed remarkable economic growth over the last 3 decades, quadrupling per capita income between 1989 and 2019. However, this growth was accompanied by widening inequality as the economy generated limited job opportunities outside of agriculture. This report explores the potential linkages between the agriculture and tourism sectors and emphasizes the need to develop synergies between them for an inclusive post-pandemic recovery. Major recommendations of the report include investing in infrastructure and human capital and promoting digital connectivity in agriculture and tourism enterprises.

The award of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the UN's World Food Programme highlighted a serious problem facing the planet: availability of food. Southeast Asia is by no means immune to hunger even though the region is a major producer of food.

The recent announcements in Parliament to raise Singapore's food self-production level from the current 10% to 30% of total food needs by 2030, the "30 by 30" strategy, have raised some pertinent questions on capacity, investment and exportability.

Demand for food in Asia and the Pacific is increasing, but so are the challenges farmers face. These include shrinking natural resources, degrading environments, and declining labor availability in addition to climate change and disaster risks. This report examines how policymakers can invest in agriculture to help tackle these challenges and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. It identifies the investments required in different subsectors to achieve food security in the region.

Agriculture in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is characterised by food self sufficiency and dominated by small, family owned operations. Farmers sell surplus agricultural products left over after their own consumption to local markets to earn money, while agricultural exports other than the staple food of rice are produced mainly on plantations funded by investment from other countries. Thanks to diverse temperature zones and abundant precipitation, the Lao PDR is rich in land suitable for stable agricultural production. However, the current division of farmland into small plots makes it difficult to improve farming efficiency through mechanisation. Large scale farming is also difficult under the current scenario of farmland development. In the food processing sector, Lao companies produce items such as canned corn and processed coffee products. However, other products fail to reach the safety or quality standards required for export to developed countries. Since, in principle, products intended for consumption in developed countries must be produced at plants certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the like, export opportunities in the Lao PDR are presently very limited. Although various agricultural products that could be used as materials for processed food products are grown, it is difficult to secure a massive stable supply of these in the absence of market functions for collecting products. Further, the presence of intermediaries and consignees in the supply chain has raised the cost of available products for a massive supply. These problems have become a bottleneck for the food processing sector in the Lao PDR.

The principal Philippine development challenge is poverty. While some progress has been made, it remained high at 20 percent in 2018.1 In addition, poverty incidence is much higher in rural areas (36 percent) compared to the urban areas (13 percent).2 Among the basic sectors, farmers have the highest poverty rate. In 2015, the poverty incidence of farmers was at 34.3 percent, exceeding the national average of 21.6 percent.3 As such, any effort to address and reduce poverty in the Philippines must focus on rural areas and agriculture. The rural economy has been characterized for many years by the low income levels of agricultural workers, low levels of rural employment, lack of food security, weak agricultural competitiveness, and an overall high level of rural poverty. The sector employs more than a quarter (26 percent) of the workforce in the country.

Le système européen d'échanges de quotas de CO2 constitue le pivot de la politique climatique européenne visant à mettre la société sur une trajectoire sobre en carbone aux meilleures conditions économiques. Ce système a été affaibli par la faiblesse de sa régulation, par un chevauchement indésirable avec d'autres politiques publiques et par l'ampleur de la crise économique et financière qui a fait plonger le prix du quota sur le marché.Ce Cahier de la Chaire Economie du Climat tente d'identifier les conditions permettant de réussir le passage à la phase 3 du marché (2013-2020). Il tire les leçons historiques de huit années de fonctionnement qui révèlent l'extraordinaire sensibilité du marché à tout changement même modéré des conditions de l'offre et de la demande. Il évalue ensuite, à l'aide du modèle ZEPHYR-Flex, les différentes interventions des pouvoirs publics actuellement discutées pour faire remonter le prix du quota sur le marché ; ces simulations révèlent le risque de report des difficultés sur le futur en brouillant un peu plus la visibilité dont ont besoin les acteurs sur le long terme.Il propose enfin de tirer les leçons de la politique monétaire en esquissant ce que pourrait être le mandat d'une Autorité Indépendante de Régulation, en charge d'une gestion dynamique de l'offre de permis et dont la mission principale serait, à l'instar d'une banque centrale, d'assurer une articulation optimale entre les différents horizons temporels de la stratégie climatique.

Le système européen d'échanges de quotas de CO2 constitue le pivot de la politique climatique européenne visant à mettre la société sur une trajectoire sobre en carbone aux meilleures conditions économiques. Ce système a été affaibli par la faiblesse de sa régulation, par un chevauchement indésirable avec d'autres politiques publiques et par l'ampleur de la crise économique et financière qui a fait plonger le prix du quota sur le marché.Ce Cahier de la Chaire Economie du Climat tente d'identifier les conditions permettant de réussir le passage à la phase 3 du marché (2013-2020). Il tire les leçons historiques de huit années de fonctionnement qui révèlent l'extraordinaire sensibilité du marché à tout changement même modéré des conditions de l'offre et de la demande. Il évalue ensuite, à l'aide du modèle ZEPHYR-Flex, les différentes interventions des pouvoirs publics actuellement discutées pour faire remonter le prix du quota sur le marché ; ces simulations révèlent le risque de report des difficultés sur le futur en brouillant un peu plus la visibilité dont ont besoin les acteurs sur le long terme.Il propose enfin de tirer les leçons de la politique monétaire en esquissant ce que pourrait être le mandat d'une Autorité Indépendante de Régulation, en charge d'une gestion dynamique de l'offre de permis et dont la mission principale serait, à l'instar d'une banque centrale, d'assurer une articulation optimale entre les différents horizons temporels de la stratégie climatique.