WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

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The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

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We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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Two poems by Neide Sigaúque

by Neide Sigaúque
On 15 May, poet Neide Sigaúque was commissioned to perform two poems on the themes of the WIDER Development Conference The world at crossroads – securing the future generations held in Maputo, Mozambique.One cannot sleep here, let alone dream I am Neide Sigaúque,A womanfrom the southern side of the Third World,Mozambique, 'land of the good people'.I was born in an independent country —independently of my parents' liberation struggle,today dependent on external aid.A country with an economy...

Counting (on) the labour market to secure a just transition

by Haroon Bhorat, François Steenkamp
The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for all. The Agreement necessitates a transition away from fossil fuel-based economic production, particularly the use of coal as a source of energy. In 2021, coal constituted 36% of global primary energy supply, while accounting for 40.3% of global CO2 emissions.Whilst the use of coal as a primary energy source varies across countries, South Africa is...

Quantifying the economic impact of conflict traps

by Joan Margalef
As we look towards securing a brighter future for coming generations, we must address the complex challenges that threaten sustainable development and global stability. Among these challenges, conflict stands out as a particularly destructive one. In our latest research, we find that a country that falls into conflict is expected to lose 20% of its GDP per capita after 30 years, compared to if it had always been at peace. Even for small countries, this represents a substantial economic loss...

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    Blog
    Studying food price dynamics in Mozambique – insights from the field

    In Mozambique, analysing how and why food prices change is crucial. Understanding the dynamics of price formation is fundamental to mitigate the...

    Blog
    The poorest countries attract few foreign investments
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    The share of the least developed countries (LDCs) in global foreign investments is less than one percent. But positive developments have taken place...

    Blog
    Can agriculture be the key to Mozambican prosperity?: Report from the 2023 IGM Annual Conference
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    More than 70% of the Mozambican population depends on subsistence agriculture. As such, the agriculture sector is undoubtedly of fundamental...

    Blog
    Direct support to small scale farmers reduces poverty: What Zambia is doing right

    Over half of Zambia’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2015. In rural areas, where 89% of households are engaged in agriculture...

    Blog
    Long-term research in Tanzania sheds light on the reasons rural households diversify their income
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    Researchers and policymakers have long asked whether rural households in Africa diversify their income to spread risk or by seizing opportunities to...

    Blog
    Infrastructure spend: insights from the effect of a bridge across the Zambezi on maize prices
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    Investments in infrastructure – such as roads – typically aim to reduce transport costs, stimulate trade, and make new production activities viable...

    Blog
    Technology and supermarket chains can help strengthen southern Africa’s food systems

    Agriculture and agro-processing value chains have been under pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been particularly marked where they...

    Blog
    Finding keys for development in Africa
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    Economics researcher Aimable Nsabimana shares the relevance and inspiration behind his recent work with UNU-WIDER on climate change and human...

    Research Brief
    How can agro-processing value chains be developed to strengthen regional integration in Southern Africa?

    Regional integration in Africa has potential for increasing regional trade and contribute towards industrialization and economic development. Agro-processing trade offers numerous opportunities for southern Africa countries and is a potential area of...

    Research Brief
    Developing a Malawi–South Africa value chain for industrial hemp

    Diversifying the agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa is important for the combat against poverty and climate change. In Malawi there are plans for legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp, which would at best bring possibilities for...

    Blog
    Income generation and malaria in Uganda

    Several large-scale efforts have been made to combat malaria in the last decade under the Millennium Development Goals, and while these have led to a...

    Blog
    How are rural households in Viet Nam doing?
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    Viet Nam has seen major economic shifts which started in the 1980s and continue today. Many strides have been made as the country goes through...

    Research Brief
    Future climate scenarios for South Africa

    More intense climate changes are expected in South Africa if GHG emissions are not constrained. Increased GHG emissions are likely to result in increases in average annual surface temperatures and higher evaporation rates. Average precipitation...

    Research Brief
    Climate change effects on irrigation demand and crop yields in South Africa

    The demand for irrigation is likely to increase in South Africa as a result of increased temperatures and evaporation rates. Rain-fed agricultural crops are likely to experience a decline in average annual yields. This is particularly the case for...

    Research Brief
    Food production competitiveness and regional growth in southern Africa

    15-20% of local demand for poultry in South Africa is met by imports Evidence from Zambia suggests that capital investments in the value chain can increase local production Increased demand due to growing urban populations poses critical challenges...

    Research Brief
    Potential impacts of climate change on national water supply in South Africa

    Climate change risks for run-off and irrigation demand vary significantly across South Africa, with some regions expected to experience increased drying and others flooding Smaller impacts on water resources by 2050 are expected if global emissions...

    Blog
    Malawi's Farm Subsidy Benefits the Poor but Doesn't Come Cheap

    Malawi’s farm input subsidy benefits the poor and can be part of a viable national development strategy. Agriculture is Malawi’s main economic sector...

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    What Mozambique Can Do to Achieve Rapid Economic and Social Progress
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    In the more than two decades since democratic elections signalled a new era in Mozambique, a great deal has been accomplished. Nearly all development...

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    The Political Economy of Food Price Policy - An Interview with Per Pinstrup-Andersen
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    In this interview, Per Pinstrup-Andersen talks about the international project which has culminated in the book Food Price Policy in an Era of Market...

    Research Brief
    Children’s nutrition status in Mozambique

    Evidence obtained from detailed household surveys in Mozambique during the 2008-09 food price shock reveals just how pronounced the impact of food price inflation can be on children’s overall nutrition status. Moderate and severe underweight...

    Research Brief
    Burkina Faso – growth without poverty reduction

    Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, poor in natural resources, and with low levels of human development. Its economy remains agricultural and focused on food crops and cotton production. Over the last twenty years it has experienced...

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    How Can Governments Better Respond to Global Food Price Fluctuations?
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    Much of UNU-WIDER’s research in the last few years was initiated under the 2010-13 work programme on the triple crisis of finance, food, and climate...

    Research Brief
    The political economy of food price policy in Egypt

    The Egyptian food system has been affected by both global food markets and domestic factors. During the recent global food price crisis, an estimated 30–40 percent of the price fluctuations in the global food market were transmitted to Egypt’s food...

    Research Brief
    Policy processes and the global food price crisis 2007-08

    The recent food price crisis and the responses of the policy makers in developing countries provide an unprecedented opportunity to analyse the policy processes in these countries. Policy responses differed depending on the nature and magnitude of...

    Research Brief
    Food security in Bangladesh

    Global food price hikes during 2007-08 resulted in a sharp rise in staple food prices in Bangladesh, which in turn led to a significant rise in the number of households falling below the poverty line. On the political front, Bangladesh was run by an...

    Research Brief
    The political economy of food price policy in China

    The global food crisis in 2007–08 raised concerns everywhere, including in China. However, despite China’s highly-integrated domestic and international markets for many agricultural commodities, the effect of the crisis in China was only moderate...

    Research Brief
    The impact of the 2007-08 food price crisis in Brazil

    The impact of the 2007–08 food price crisis in Brazil was relatively subdued compared with what took place in many other developing countries. Because the crisis potentially undermined both social inclusion and price stability, both important...

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    UNU-WIDER @ 30

    2015 marks the 30th anniversary of UNU-WIDER. The Institute opened its doors in 1985. It has been quite a ride ever since. We have had thousands of...

    Policy Brief
    How do governments respond to food price volatility?
    Blog
    WIDER Annual Lecture 18: Managing Structural Transformation
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    18 December 2014 Roger Williamson At the UN headquarters in New York on 18 November 2014, Peter Timmer, emeritus professor from Harvard, showed how...

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    Multidimensional Poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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    25 June 2014 Malokele Nanivazo After a long series of conflicts and apparent macroeconomic mismanagement, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seems...

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    Transforming Economic Structures in Africa – An Interview with Margaret McMillan
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    25 June 2014In this interview Dr Margaret McMillan outlined the theory of structural transformation, which analyzes the underlying structure of the...

    Blog
    Illegal Fishing by Small-Scale Fishers in Ghana: Findings and Policy Suggestions
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    27 May 2014 Wisdom Akpalu The number of fishers and fishing vessels in the capture fishery sector, especially the artisanal marine fishery sub-sector...

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    UNU-WIDER in Ghana – An Interview with Wisdom Akpalu
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    23 April 2014 Wisdom Akpalu joined UNU-WIDER as a Research Fellow based in Ghana in the beginning of 2014. Prior to joining the Institute he was an...

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    Household Vulnerability and Resilience to Economic Shocks: Findings from Melanesia
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    9 December 2013 Simon Feeny Vulnerability and resilience are very closely related terms. Vulnerability is usually referred to as the likelihood of...

    Research Brief
    An Assessment of a Village Development Programme in Mozambique

    The programme did lead participating households to use improved seeds. Food consumption scores did not improve after the programme. However during the programme participating households moved to more sustainable strategies to cope with food shortages...

    Research Brief
    How to Promote Sustainable Jobs in Mozambique

    Strong economic growth has not turned into poverty reduction in Mozambique due to stagnation in job creation. While the country sees great growth potential from natural resources, this industry is unlikely to generate many jobs as it is not labour...

    Research Brief
    Supporting Design of Green Cities

    Development of green cities is one way to help address problems associated with climate change. Curitiba, Brazil, combines integrated sustainable urban planning and strong leadership, resulting in a reduced environmental impact since it began these...

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    Aid and our Changing Environment
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    4 July 2013 Roger Williamson On 4 June 2013 I attended an interesting effort on the part of UNU-WIDER to communicate research results to development...

    Research Brief
    The Cost of Climate Change in Vietnam

    Over the period 2007–50 climate change is predicted to cause Vietnam’s annual GDP growth rate to fall between 0.02 and 0.10 percentage points. While small relative to GDP, absolute loss levels due to climate change are significant at between US$6-15$...

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    Aid and our Changing Environment: What did we Learn?
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    24 June 2013 Tony Addison The Stockholm ReCom results meeting at Sida on 4 June was a lively exchange on all aspects of foreign aid and climate change...

    Research Brief
    Improving Food Security

    Current international agricultural development and food security systems are ill-prepared to address the global agriculture, food and nutrition problems. Structural reforms are necessary to deliver the essential international public goods for...

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    Science and Survival: Is an Agriculture-led Developmental Model the Way Forward for sub-Saharan Africa?

    9 May 2013 Lorraine Telfer-Taivainen and Roger Williamson Pathways to Industrialization in the Twenty-First Century, (edited by Adam Szirmai, Wim...

    Research Brief
    How Can Aid Help Mitigate the Problem of Overfishing in Africa

    Development aid aimed at increasing productivity in the fisheries sector has at times had a negative effect by encouraging or facilitating overfishing. A percentage increase in capacity enhancing or bad subsidies in sub-Sahara Africa, all else being...

    Research Brief
    How Can Aid Help Agriculture Become More Resilient to Climate Change?

    Review shows that global agricultural production must be increased by about 70 per cent by 2050 in order to provide sufficient nourishment for the world’s growing population. Focusing on tropical climates to 2050, climate change is likely to reduce...

    Research Brief
    Curbing Early Childhood Undernutrition in Lower and Middle Income Countries

    Under-nutrition is the single biggest cause of the global burden of disease, and many of those affected are children. Early childhood under-nutrition has severe consequences; it accounts for more than 35 per cent of deaths and another 35 per cent of...

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    We Need to Go to Zero!
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    Christian Friis Bach We need to unite the world in a strong effort to eradicate extreme poverty, promote sustainable development and ensure the right...

    Research Brief
    Greenhouse Gas Emissions and China’s Agriculture Sector

    China is the world’s largest developing country and its huge population requires a similarly large agricultural sector to sustain it. A major challenge for China faces is working out how increasing demands for food can be met at the same time as...

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    To Aid or Not to Aid?: The Case of Rwanda, DFID, and the Good Aid Debate
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    Omar Shahabudin McDoom What should donors do when confronted with regimes that violate important normative standards of state behavior and commit...

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    Reflecting Change: The Second Edition of ‘From Poverty to Power’
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    Duncan Green Updating a book on contemporary events can be unnerving. In the intervening years, events and new thinking combine to expose the...

    Research Brief
    The Global Triple Crises – Finance, Environment and Food

    Three global crises -finance, environment and food The global economy is currently facing three crises which threaten to undermine the welfare and prosperity of present and future generations. The first is the financial crisis which originated in the...

    Research Brief
    Food Aid

    In the 1960s food aid made up nearly 20 per cent of overall overseas development aid, today that figure is five per cent. Increasingly food aid is provided as emergency relief rather than as a form of long term support and many donors have expressed...

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    Urbanization and Development in Asia: Linkages with Globalization and Migration
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    Lorraine Telfer-Taivainen The Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, Hungary, was the venue for the launch on 16 June 2012 of the just...

    Research Brief
    How Can Food Aid Be More Effective?

    If food aid is to be more effective donors need to consider both the goals of the aid, and its economic implications. In May 2012, shortly before the annual G8 summit, the Obama administration announced the ‘New Alliance for Food Security’. The...

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    Redefining Poverty in China and India: What Does This Mean for the Fight Against Global Poverty? Part I

    Tony Addison and Miguel Niño-Zarazúa China and India are making immense strides in development. Growth in both countries has been impressive. But...

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    Climate Change Adds to Risks in North Africa
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    Imed Drine The climate change threat North Africa is going through a turbulent year. With much of the focus on political transition, there is a danger...

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    Agricultural Policy in Africa: Understanding Decision-Making and Implementation

    Danielle Resnick and Regina Birner In recent years, there has been renewed emphasis on promoting agricultural production and food security in sub...

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    The Rise of Large Farms: Drivers and Development Outcomes

    Derek Byerlee and Klaus Deininger A recurring debate in the development literature is the relative emphasis to place on the roles of small-scale farms...

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    Surprises Ahead?
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    Tony Addison With six months remaining till the end of 2011, it’s time to take a peek into the near future. What can we expect? John Kenneth Galbraith...

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    The Triple Crisis: What Development Prospects for Africa?

    Alain de Janvry and Elisabeth Sadoulet On May 13 and 14, 2010, UNU-WIDER invited around 200 development economists from all over the world to Helsinki...

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    The Triple Crisis: Finance, Food and Climate Change

    Tony Addison and Finn Tarp More than 200 researchers and policymakers came together in Helsinki in mid-May to celebrate UNU-WIDER's 25th anniversary...

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    Are African Countries Paying Too Much Attention To Agriculture?

    Luc Christiaensen and Lionel Demery Escalating food prices in 2007-2008, climate change and land grabbing have woken the world up to the extraordinary...

    Blog
    Getting Serious About Food
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    Luc Christiaensen Senior Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER At the G8 July summit in Aquila, Italy, US$ 20 billion was pledged to support farmers in poorer...

    Policy Brief
    中国的反贫困

    The slowdown and in some years reversal of poverty reduction in China forcefully demonstrates that growth is not sufficient for combating poverty even if that growth is of unprecedented magnitude. Policy initiatives should take into consideration...

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