Climate change, poverty, and inequality are the defining issues of our age. Tackling climate change will require major social, economic and technological changes, many of which are costly and will require large investments. Did you know….

FEATURING: Franziska Ohnsorge, Manager of the Prospects Group, World Bank; Marcello Estevão, Global Director of the World Bank Group's Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice; and Enrique Cárdenas, Mexican economist and economic historian.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 10, 2022 – The World Bank approved a US$300 million loan today that will benefit nearly 130,000 families from rural communities and producers in Bolivia.  The financing will contribute to increase food security, market access and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in the country.

At least 1,000 rural community associations are the main beneficiaries of the Innovation for Resilient Food Systems (Rural Alliances – PAR III) Project, which will help reduce vulnerability to acute and chronic food insecurity through small-scale investments in infrastructure and services and nutrition enhancement by inserting technology in agricultural activities and training to manage it. Additionally, some 1,270 rural producer organizations will form productive alliances to facilitate their participation in value chains with commercial partners and access to technical assistance providers to achieve...

First, why is the dollar appreciating?   

The dollar is strengthening primarily because there is strong demand for dollars. The economic outlook for most economies points towards a major slowdown. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has created massive geopolitical risk and volatility in markets.  On top of that, historic inflation has prompted the US Federal Reserve to aggressively hike rates. 

These factors, among others, are prompting a flight to safety, wherein investors are exiting positions in Europe, EMs, and elsewhere and looking for safe harbor in US-denominated assets – which, obviously, require dollars to buy. 

The Markham Valley in Papua New Guinea is considered by many Papua New Guineans as one of the most agriculturally fertile parts of the country. Cocoa growers like Isaac Sam are being supported through the PNG Government’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project, which is funded by the World Bank, with outstanding results. This work is now moving into a new phase, through a successor project that is expanding into other agricultural opportunities, including coconut, spices and small livestock.

DOWNLOAD VIETNAM: PLASTIC POLLUTION DIAGNOSTICS 

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Rapid economic growth, urbanization, and changing lifestyles in Vietnam have led to a plastic pollution crisis. An estimated 3.1 million metric tons of plastic waste is discharged on land in Vietnam annually. At least 10 percent of this mismanaged waste leaks into the waterway, making Vietnam one of the top five plastic polluters of the world’s oceans. The volume of leakage could more than double by 2030 under the business-as-usual scenario.

The Vietnam: Plastic Pollution Diagnostics report identifies the sources and pathways of plastic pollution in Vietnam. Based on the field surveys, it finds out that:

The Markham Valley in Papua New Guinea is considered by many Papua New Guineans as one of the most agriculturally fertile parts of the country. Cocoa growers like Isaac Sam are being supported through the PNG Government’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project, which is funded by the World Bank, with outstanding results. This work is now moving into a new phase, through a successor project that is expanding into other agricultural opportunities, including coconut, spices and small livestock.

Shifting climatic conditions have disrupted traditional Indigenous food systems and threatened many of the foundational elements that bind Indigenous Peoples together. As traditional food providers, Indigenous women are frequently at the forefront of efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. The World Bank recognizes and supports their efforts through funds that strengthen their stewardship of natural resources, ensuring an inclusive, gender-responsive approaches.

Shifting climatic conditions have disrupted traditional agricultural practices and threatened many of the foundational elements that bind Indigenous Peoples together. As traditional food providers, Indigenous women are frequently at the forefront of efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. The World Bank supports this effort through funds that mobilize resources directly for Indigenous peoples and ensure an inclusive, gender-responsive approach.

Shifting climatic conditions have disrupted traditional Indigenous food systems and threatened many of the foundational elements that bind Indigenous Peoples together. As traditional food providers, Indigenous women are frequently at the forefront of efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. The World Bank recognizes and supports their efforts through funds that strengthen their stewardship of natural resources, ensuring an inclusive, gender-responsive approaches.

Agriculture can help reduce poverty, raise incomes and improve food security for 80% of the world's poor, who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming. The World Bank Group is a leading financier of agriculture.

Shifting climatic conditions have disrupted traditional agricultural practices and threatened many of the foundational elements that bind Indigenous Peoples together. As traditional food providers, Indigenous women are frequently at the forefront of efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. The World Bank supports this effort through funds that mobilize resources directly for Indigenous peoples and ensure an inclusive, gender-responsive approach.

The World Bank’s fertilizer price index rose nearly 15 percent from earlier this year – prices have more than tripled compared to two years ago. High input costs, supply disruptions, and trade restrictions are driving the recent spike. To ease the current food crisis, action needs to be taken now to maintain food production by making fertilizers more accessible and affordable.

Shifting climatic conditions have disrupted traditional agricultural practices and threatened many of the foundational elements that bind Indigenous Peoples together. As traditional food providers, Indigenous women are frequently at the forefront of efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. The World Bank supports this effort through funds that mobilize resources directly for Indigenous peoples and ensure an inclusive, gender-responsive approach.