In The News

Superclass and the Inequity of Globalization

David Rothkopf May 14, 2008
The free-market principles that drive global trade of goods, services and ideas often run counter to notions of institutional regulation. According to David Rothkopf, author and visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, this void in global governance has facilitated the rise of a “superclass” of elites, numbering about 6,000, whose actions impact millions of lives. The...

In Hungry World, Japan's Farmers Are Stuck With High-Priced Rice

Blaine Harden May 13, 2008
Japan’s rice market is subjected to intense manipulation. Even as rice consumption is on the decline, farms remain small and protected, the country grows more than it needs and prices are high. Shortages of rice and other foods abound in poor countries, but Japanese rice is unaffordable, with prices more than double those in international markets. Per-capita annual consumption of rice has been...

Food for Thought

Nayan Chanda May 8, 2008
While trying to save the environment, businesses try new public relation campaigns, which may end up hurting the world’s poor. The British supermarket giant Tesco has resorted to putting labels on imported foods that indicate foreign origin and warn consumers that the product contributes to global warming. The company also adopted a "carbon labeling" system which shows the amount of...

Global Consumer Gives Small Companies a Big Reach

Samuel Palmisano May 7, 2008
Rapid flows of information and trade require companies to respond quickly –and that has forced corporations of all sizes to create flexible, yet specialized versions for a range of markets around the globe, explains Samuel Palmisano, chairman and chief executive of IBM, in an opinion essay for the Financial Times. Because of technology, companies small in size are no longer limited to local...

The Threat of Global Food Shortages – Part I

C. Peter Timmer May 5, 2008
Climate change, reduced availability of land for agriculture, growing populations in the poorest parts of the world, increased demand from a growing middle class in China and India, rising fuel costs and development of biofuels are among the reasons cited for food shortages and high prices. This two-part YaleGlobal series explores the phenomenon that has been anticipated by global experts in...

Hurrah! Oil Profits Are Up

Carl Mortished May 2, 2008
Climbing oil prices contribute to higher costs for food and anything else that requires transport. But the higher prices also spark debate over oil dependence and the need for alternative fuels. People who want greater conservation and a cleaner environment should celebrate the high prices, argues Carl Mortished, because those change behavior. It’s no surprise that fossil fuels are a limited...

Debt Collection Done From India Appeals to US Agencies

Heather Timmons May 2, 2008
Making calls to remind borrowers about unpaid debts isn’t easy – and so it’s a natural job for outsourcing. With a sluggish US economy, there’s plenty of calls that need to be made, and debt collection represents growth for outsourcing firms, reports Heather Timmons for the New York Times. India has become a favorite source for debt-collection services because of low costs, automated systems and...