Humanitas Global Development Blog

Final MDG Report Released

by Whitner Chase, Humanitas Global

   ©|UN

The United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) were established in the year 2000 to help lead a charge to eradicate global poverty though a practical framework over the following fifteen years. It’s now time to review progress on the MDGs for a final time and bring forth a post-2015 strategy (taking the form of Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs). The UN released the final report early this month, following a press conference that offered reflections from Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

In the following weeks, the Humanitas Global Development blog will post a brief analysis of the progress of each of the 8 goals, and outline the major challenges in moving forward.

Reaching Zero Hunger: How You Can Help

By Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global & Community for Zero Hunger

Today, more than 842 million people suffer from chronic hunger and two billion live with micronutrient deficiencies known as "hidden hunger." As our population grows, it will take everyone working together to build sustainable, specific, and multi-sectoral responses to ending hunger, and creating a food- and nutrition-secure world.

The Community for Zero Hunger is doing our part to mobilize around the urgent need to meet growing global food and nutrition demands. With guidance and input from our Advisors and friends, we have taken a first step by creating questionnaires to gain insights from those on the frontlines to identify gaps and challenges in tackling hunger and malnutrition as they relate to the elements of the UN Zero Hunger Challenge.

TARGET AUDIENCE: We are seeking the input of practitioners that have experience and knowledge - and the ability to identify frontline gaps and challenges - as they relate to key food, nutrition, and agriculture topics in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.

WHY COMPLETE A SURVEY? Your completion of these surveys is critical in identifying in-country gaps and challenges. In addition to the surveys - and as a separate process - we will be collecting and curating the most relevant and impactful multi-sectoral experiences and solutions that can be deployed to fill these gaps and challenges. The information that we gather from both of these processes will be disseminated via conferences, a report and an open-access online resource highlighting experience mapping results and opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing across sectors. Our ultimate goal is to encourage multi-sectoral engagement among people living, working and investing in communities where hunger persists to solve problems in real time with answers that fit the local context. 

DEADLINE: The surveys will be open and available for input through August 31, 2014.
 
There are five questionnaires in total, each of which aligns with one of the five elements of the UN Zero Hunger Challenge:

1. SURVEY 1: NUTRITION (MATERNAL AND CHILD): topics related to maternal and child nutrition, nutritious food access, and related issues that affect child development and health.
2. SURVEY 2: FOOD ACCESS: topics related to access to adequate food at all times, food systems, markets, social safety nets, etc. 
3. SURVEY 3: FOOD SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY: topics related to food system sustainability, including environmental challenges and threats, climate-resilient agriculture, and water and irrigation challenges.
4. SURVEY 4: SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: topics related to smallholder farmer productivity and income-related issues such as farming inputs, resources, training, land tenure, agricultural research and innovation, access to markets, etc.
5. SURVEY 5: LOSS AND WASTE OF FOOD: topics related to food loss or waste such as post-harvest losses, storage and transport, waste by retailers and consumers, locally-relevant technologies, behavior change methods to curb loss/waste, etc.

We sincerely hope that you will be able to participate. Your comments, observations, and input will be immensely helpful and will be kept confidential. 

 

Thank you and please let us know if you have any questions ([email protected]).

The Community for Zero Hunger was launched as a community-driven initiative to support the UN Zero Hunger Challenge. Our Community includes leaders and organizations from all sectors who will work together to identify needs and specific scalable solutions to end hunger and malnutrition. For more information please visit our website or follow us on Twitter.

Reversing the Effects of Child Stunting Through…Play!

By Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global

A growth-stunted toddler has an underdeveloped brain. Now fast forward twenty years later and his income is 25% higher than his non-stunted peer. How is that possible?

One word: PLAY!

Source: www.slate.com

In evaluating the long-term impact of an early childhood development (ECD) intervention, a recent study in Science showed that growth-stunted toddlers in Jamaica who participated in a psychosocial stimulation intervention were not only able to catch up with their non-stunted peers but two decades later, were earning 25% more.

How is that possible?

For two years, community health workers made hourly visits to mothers, teaching the mothers parenting skills and training them how to help their children develop “cognitive, language, and psychosocial skills.” Mothers were encouraged to use items from the home, such as a cup or spoon, so the child would develop an understanding of his or her environment.

As noted in the 2007 Lancet Child Development in Developing Countries Series, more than 200 million children less than 5 years of age never reach their full potential. Just as those in the Jamaica study, these children fall behind cognitively due to the impacts of poverty, hunger, disease and lack of stimulation – resulting in stunting. Interestingly, the Jamaica study finds that effects of stunting can be reversed and that a child engaged in play and learning no longer has to fall behind their well-nourished counterparts.

This is a game changer. We know that play is a building block of life. It goes beyond giving children an opportunity to enjoy childhood, but is instrumental in the development of children – physical, social, emotional and cognitive, especially within those early formative before the age of 5. With stunted children, we often assume that they will not learn as easily, earn as much, or be as productive as their non-stunted peers. However, the findings of this study challenge that notion.

The early stimulation intervention done through play did more than just engage the child; it had long-term social and economic impact. This study shows that we need to focus our energies on not only ensuring that children receive adequate nutrition or have access to health care, but are also engaged mentally.

Studies like the one done in Jamaica demonstrate to the international community that recognizing play as a powerful tool can improve the outcome of disadvantaged children in developed and developing countries alike, and help turn the tide on some of our greatest long-term development challenges.

International Women's Day: Everyday Heroes

by Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global Development

International Women's Day is our time to focus on the issues that are important to women and girls. We think it is also a time to draw attention to the great work that is being done by people and organizations around the world in addressing these needs.

In honor of International Women's Day, we at the Humanitas Global Development blog would like to recognize a few organizations - everyday heroes - that we think are doing tremendous work in tackling issues that impact women and girls:

• Women are the largest untapped pool of human potential according to Vital Voices. By investing, training and mentoring thousands of women every year, Vital Voices is working to unleash this untapped resource and transform the lives of women and those around them.
• According to Every Mother Counts, 800 women die every day from pregnancy and childbirth complications - the leading cause of death for women worldwide of reproductive age. Every Mother Counts is using their resources to ensure that women do not have to die giving life through informing, engaging and mobilizing the global community.
• Women and girls are deeply impacted by the effects of conflict and war and are often invisible victims. Women for Women International is working to change this by tirelessly assisting women in war torn areas through providing key services such as education, training, and counseling. 
• Approximately 10 million girls are married before the age of 18. The White Ribbon Alliance For Save Motherhood is making great strides in tackling not only child marriage but a whole host of women's and girl's issues from ensuring government accountability to family planning - and everything in between. 
• According to Pro Mujer, Latin America has one of the highest rates of gender inequality and income disparity in the world. Approximately 200 million people—almost one-third of the population—live below the poverty line. Of these, 70% lack access to health services. Pro Mujer is working to reverse this trend by providing financial, training and healthcare services to women in 5 Latin American countries. 
• With women accounting for the majority of the world's poorest and six out of ten of the world's hungry, Women Thrive Worldwide has their work cutout for them. But Women Thrive - through their tireless effort in being a voice for women around the globe - are ensuring that women's priorities are seen and heard.
• The International Center for Research on Women believes that women are integral to alleviating global poverty and that no woman or girl can reach her full potential if her basic right to a healthy, safe life is not honored.  Through their work on child marriage, agriculture, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and technology (just to name a few), they are empowering women, fighting for gender equality and combating poverty. 

These are just a few of the countless organizations who work tirelessly everyday to create a world where women and girls are valued and gender is no longer a barrier for living a happy, healthy and productive life.  On International Women's Day, we thank these organizations and people who are working to make the world a better place!

Join the Conversation: Tackling 21st Century Development Challenges

by Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global Development

Climate change, floods, droughts, wars, growing populations,  aging populations, and technology (to name a few) are all having huge impacts on development. The way we approach, strategize, implement and fund development is changing and will continue to change as we move further into the 21^st century.

Over the next few months, we at the Humanitas Global Development blog want to create a global conversation around the 21^st century challenges in development. We are looking for innovative solutions, ideas for sustainability, and approaches that build community demand to tackle pressing and emerging challenges such as:

• What should post-MDG development account for and what do we risk missing?
• How should we address water and sanitation needs for growing populations?  What's worked and what hasn't worked?
• What are the next major challenges in terms of gender equality and how should they be tackled?
• What are the main challenges and what should be the next set of goals for early childhood development and education?  
• How will we address the shifting global food demands reflecting a growing middle class?  What impact will this have on our natural resources, food production and distribution processes and health?
• What will be the impact of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s on a growing elderly population around the world? And what innovative responses, policies and research endeavors are we seeing?
• How are communities responding to the increased burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes? What are the lessons learned?
• What should be done to tackle the challenges and problems caused by climate change - from the impacts of floods and droughts to increased tumultuous weather? 

This list is not exhaustive. There are many more changes to 21^st century development not listed above. We’d like to hear your perspective on emerging issues and how you think the global community can address these challenges...and many more. 

Please email me at oakleye(at)humanitasglobal.com with a topic that you’d like to write on and I’ll send you more information. Help us make this an engaging and intriguing conversation on how we can tackle development in the 21^st century!

Using Aquaculture to Address Food Security

Today, Humanitas Global attended a seminar on ‘Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security.’ Presenters from USAID, the FAO and the World Bank, not only provided an overview of the relevant fishery landscape, but also how to utilize fisheries (capture fisheries and aquaculture) in addressing food security issues – as our population increases and demand for food diversity grows.

However, in order to meet these demands, fish production on a global scale will need to reach approximately 172 million tons by 2021, according to the FAO. This increase in production will need to come from the aquaculture sector given the impact that capture fisheries have experienced from issues such as overfishing, climate change and pollution. Providing fishery workers with the capacity to run efficient businesses will increase not only their income but also the number of jobs.

Women + Livelihoods

According to the FAO, approximately 120 million people in the world are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods – as many as 56 million in developing countries are women.  As the fastest growing food sector, this will equate to millions more jobs for women in future decades.

Protein consumption:

Seventeen percent of the global population have their protein needs meet through the consumption of fish. With our population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, demand for fish protein will substantially increase – therefore, sustainable solutions to aquaculture challenges must be a priority.

The integration of agriculture-aquaculture:

The use of agriculture-aquaculture systems is perhaps most effective for small producers as it can help control production costs. For example, fish have been added to some rice paddies in Asia. The fish help to control weeds and feed on insects in the paddy fields.  And in turn their waste fertilizes the rice.  Once the rice has been harvested, the farmers can then harvest the fish.  This combination of agriculture and aquaculture can provide a sustainable solution to one of the problems many poor farmers face – how to afford fertilizer and pest controls.

Important issues for sustainability

The sustainability of aquaculture depends greatly on the management of the fisheries. As noted by the FAO, there are several challenges for ensuring the sustainability of aquaculture in the future, including: water scarcity/quality, fish disease, loss of biodiverse systems, etc. With only 1.5% of aquaculture farms being certified, mismanagement is a huge blockade and the ability to tackle the challenges mentioned above presents an even bigger hurdle to climb. And the ability to expand and cultivate efficient fisheries would provide solutions not only for food security issues, but also poverty and livelihood issues.

 

 

 

World Food Prize Laureate

By Erica Oakley, Humanitas Global Development

Annually since 1986, the World Food Prize has recognized the achievements of individuals that have improved “the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world.” This year, Dr. Daniel Hillel, an Israeli scientist, is the 2012 World Food Prize Laureate for "conceiving and implementing a radically new mode of bringing water to crops i­­n arid and dry land regions — known as 'micro-irrigation.'"

Dr. Hillel introduces drip irrigation and tensiometry in Japan, 1971.

Micro-irrigation has proven revolutionary and provided a more viable alternative to existing irrigation systems. Dr. Hillel’s technology entails the application of "water in small but continuous amounts directly to the plant roots." His system has allowed crop growth to occur in some of the world's most arid lands — impacting millions with advantages such as reduction in water and energy usage and increased crop output.

Dr. Hillel’s water management concepts — promoted by the FAO — have spread around the world and are now used in more than 30 countries, totaling more than 6 million hectares worldwide. His work has been ground-breaking and life-changing, particularly in regions with harsh, arid environments such as the Middle East where water is even more valuable than oil.  

These regions experience fluctuating availability of food and often suffer from inflating food prices — creating an environment that facilitates hunger, malnutrition, strife, and unrest. Water conservation is more than just a matter of environmental security, but also of human security. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it is estimated that 47% of the world's population "could be living under severe water stress by 2050." And nearly 1 billion people do not have access to clean water around the globe. This translates into a millions suffering from preventable diseases and premature deaths.

Dr. Hillel's micro-irrigaiton system is one step toward ensuring that this precious resource is used wisely and sparingly. Given that we will need to produce 70% more food by 2050 to feed our ever-growing global population, water will become even more invaluable. Thus, Dr. Hillel's work is instrumental in getting more out of each drop. 

Congratulations to Dr. Hillel on his achievements in creating a brighter and more sustainable future for us all.

World Health Day: A Focus on the Aging

World Health Day, held annually on April 7^th, commemorates the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO), the health arm of the United Nations and leader in directing the global health discourse.  The focus of this year’s celebration is aging.  According to the WHO, the world’s elderly population (age 60+) will approximately triple—from 600 million to 2 billion, 80% of which will be in low- and middle-income countries. Although the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do not solely focus on the elderly, the inclusion of this population is critical for achievement of the MDGs.

The increased presence of non-communicable diseases as one ages points to the importance of early education and awareness. Healthy eating habits and exercise must be engrained at a young age to prevent or postpone the onset of problems that frequently affect elderly populations. The disease rates in low- and middle-income countries are significantly higher for the elderly than in wealthier nations.  According to the WHO, non-communicable diseases in these populations will result in “around three times the number of years lost to premature death from heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease.” This rise in disease and illness will greatly impact social systems and increase the need for care and support of elderly populations. Health care costs can greatly hinder families—particularly those that are already low-income- as well as societies that are not prepared to handle these costs within already weak social and health systems. Therefore, it is essential that governments are prepared to sustain and address the needs of their growing elderly populations.

Malnutrition and maltreatment are two grave concerns among the elderly. According to Nestle Nutrition, some of the main causes for malnutrition in the elderly are: reduced intake of foods, inability to eat, lack of available foods, excess losses of food and nutrients (due to vomiting, diarrhea, etc), and impaired absorption.  Per the WHO, maltreatment occurs in approximately 4-6% of the elderly population—however this is often underreported. The WHO also predicts that this number will only increase as populations are aging.

The international development community has a role in ensuring that the needs of the elderly are not forgotten in project development and implementation. As this population grows, we should direct resources in their direction, focus on their needs, and ensure that we are not alienating this extremely important and vulnerable part of the population.  Our preparedness to support this growing elderly population will greatly impact socioeconomic development for future generations.  

Failure or Success Waiting to Happen?: The Case of Grameen Danone

By Priya Bapat, Humanitas Global Development

via www.hunger-undernutrition.org

An interesting piece that highlights the partnership between Danone and Grameen and lessons learned from the project and it's challenges.