In The News

The Problem With Fair Trade Coffee

Colleen Haight August 17, 2011
Europe and the US account for about 88 percent of the world’s coffee consumption, while most beans are grown in developing nations. Some industry representatives try to ensure what’s become known as “fair trade,” by certifying producers who meet specific labor, environmental and production standards. “Retailers explain that neither FLO – the Fairtrade Labelling Organization’s International...

In the US, Clean Water Is No Guarantee

Susan Froetschel August 11, 2011
Americans use twice as much water as Europeans do and pay half as much for it. Low fees lead many Americans to take their abundant supplies for granted. Globally, most water is used for irrigation purposes, but in the US, thermoelectric generation requires more water. “During an economic recession, protecting water supplies takes a back seat to industries that promise jobs,” notes journalist...

The Kremlin's Short-Term Gains Are Russia's Long-Term Losses

Yuri Mamchur August 5, 2011
Stability throughout the Middle East should matter more to Russia than the United States, argues writer Yuri Mamchur. But while the US cheered democratic aspirations and greater freedoms promised by the Arab Spring, Russia remained mute. “The dearth of official Russian involvement in the Arab Spring demonstrates the country’s fading influence in the world, at least the type of influence needed to...

China Comes to Thailand

Richard S. Ehrlich August 3, 2011
China’s size and increasing economic might at times could be intimidating for other nations in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, despite their complex connections since ancient times. “Beijing is simultaneously increasing its military and cultural influence in Thailand, trying to wean Bangkok away from Washington and other foreign governments while expanding China's own reach southward,”...

Of Reversing Globalization

Nayan Chanda August 2, 2011
Threats to the status quo and fear of change, often helped along by outside forces, is the foundation for extremism. Economic crisis in Europe combined with high levels of immigration suggest that support for protectionist, anti-immigrant, anti-Islamic policies will only strengthen, explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s editor, in his regular column for Businessworld. French politicians on the left...

The Trouble With Outsourcing

August 1, 2011
Outsourcing has been tried in every field – from manufacturing to security – relying on specialized companies to provide efficient service or parts at a low price. “There are signs that outsourcing often goes wrong, and that companies are rethinking their approach to it,” reports this article in the Economist. The mishaps behind the manufacture of Boeing’s Dreamliner, with supply-chain delays and...

SA Innovation Bears Fruit in the US

July 27, 2011
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved use of ultraviolet light technology for purifying fruit juice, an alternative to pasteurization for eliminating harmful pathogens, reports the Mail & Guardian. SurePure, a South African company that developed the technology says it offers” greater microbiological efficacy than conventional UV systems and is effective for both clear and turbid...