by Anders Fogh Rasmussen Copenhagen – The European Union is highly dependent on foreign oil. For every 100 liters consumed within the EU, 90 are imported. Meanwhile, domestic oil production is plummeting, down more than 50% over the last decade.…
Category: Columns
As Myanmar enters a new era, Washington and Beijing vie for influence
By Nile Bowie Myanmar is a country rapidly moving toward uncharted political terrain. By March 2016, the National League for Democracy (NLD) will take power for the first time in history, bringing an end to five decades of rule by…
Dispossessed in the name of ‘security’
Robert J. Burrowes A new book, edited by Nick Buxton and Ben Hayes, both involved with The Transnational Institute, brings together a thoughtful collection of scholars, journalists and activists to explain the pre-eminence of the military and corporations in shaping…
27 women we love
Danielle Nierenberg There are hundreds of women who inspire us at Food Tank. They are entrepreneurs, stewards of the land, business owners, researchers, farmers, and innovators who are the backbone of the world’s food systems. On average, women represent 43…
Will corridor for Bangladesh elephants benefit other animals?
Mostafa Kamal Majumder Dhaka – To check human-animal conflict and illegal poaching of elephants along the India-Bangladesh border, the Union home ministry has cleared the decks for signing an agreement with Dhaka for creation of special corridors for the migration…
Truth-seeking about Islam
By Paul Findley Twenty years ago the plight of Muslims in America was so serious, it led me to a weeklong international conference on Western images of Islam. It was held in Penang, Malaysia, half way around the world. Leading…
Ways to grow more organic food in Bangladesh
Rasha Binte Mohiuddin In recent years modern system of chemical agriculture has attracted criticism on the ground that it is no longer ecologically sustainable nor economically viable, and that it may prejudice the health and well-being of both humans and…
War of words over a memorial in northeast India
By Nava Thakuria A near-completion monument in the heart of Guwahati city of northeast India has emerged as an issue of un-ending debates among Assamese academician, writer, journalist and ex-service personalities. While a section of prominent citizens have raised voices…
Syria – A light to the world
By Mairead Maguire In November 2015 I visited Syria together with an International Peace delegation. This was my third visit to Syria in the last three years. As on previous occasions I was moved by the spirit of resilience and…
Fish, curry and dust
Sudhurendar Sharma In exporting 35 per cent of the country’s ore, mining has used 8 per cent of the state’s richest land mass, and returned just 4 per cent to its exchequer by pocketing the rest.
Leave no refugee behind
Helen Clark and Filippo Grandi New York – The world has entered an era in which people are being displaced at an unprecedented rate. In 2014, conflict and persecution forced 42,500 people a day to flee their homes, nearly quadruple…
The right incentives for a low-crrbon future
Thomas Fricke Berlin – The climate agreement that world leaders reached in Paris last month has been widely celebrated for establishing the ambitious target of limiting the increase in global temperature to well below 2º Celsius above pre-industrial levels. But…
The struggle for Merdeka in West Papua
Robert J. Burrowes It has been argued that nonviolent struggles to liberate occupied countries – such as West Papua, Tibet, Palestine, Kanaky and Western Sahara – have failedfar more often than they have succeededbut that secessionist struggles (that have sought…
Green finance for sustainable development
Dr. Atiur Rahman In the evolution of sustainable development, three mutually reinforced pillars have been the key- people, planet and profit. In light of 2030 SDGs, 3P’s have been upgraded to 5P’s- People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. All countries…
Military to military
By Seymour M. Hersh on US intelligence sharing in the Syrian war Barack Obama’s repeated insistence that Bashar al-Assad must leave office- and that there are ‘moderate’ rebel groups in Syria capable of defeating him- has in recent years provoked…
Capitalism and its functioning: Human participation is essential
Joynal Abedin There is no denying the truth that we are living in a capitalist world which has almost become a global system in the globalised world. Capitalism, no doubt, is a dominant ideology ruling the world, following the collapse…
Feeding a flawed society
by Paul R. Ehrlich,John Harte Stanford/Berkeley – Virtually everyone in the scientific community agrees that ensuring sufficient food supplies for a surging human population, which is set to grow by 2.4 billion by mid-century, will require serious work. Indeed, we…
US Congress should act on gun violence
Antonio Ginatta The steps announced today by United States President Barack Obama to reduce gun violence are a welcome and necessary departure from years of inaction –a recognition that the US can and should act to protect citizens from gun-related…
Saudi executions: Some possible consequences
By Chandra Muzaffar The execution of 47 people by the Saudi authorities on the 2nd of January 2016 reinforces my deeply held conviction that the death penalty should be abolished. No State should have the power to impose the death…
Celebrate the International Year of Pulses
Danielle Nirenberg 2016 is the United Nations International Year of Pulses (IYP). Pulses, or grain legumes, include 12 crops such as dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils, which are high in protein, fiber, and micronutrients. In celebration of the…
The fourth estate society cannot do without
Mostafa Kamal Majumder A group of people of Bangladesh’s northernmost district of Gaibandha the other day protested the killing of a journalist by unidentified assailants. The journalist was kidnapped, remained missing for several days, and his body was found floating…
The little different nose
Sudhirendar Sharma Mark my words, uncanny hair growth in one of the most undesired of places on our body is likely to script a new style statement. No freak idea this, those who may have plucked these protein filaments into…
16 Most Exciting Food Stories for 2016
As we wrap up 2015 at Food Tank, we are already looking forward to next year. From food safety law to a heightened focus on food waste, there are so many exciting food and agriculture stories that continue to unfold…
UN’s Libya govt of national accord: Refusing to learn from past
By Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) The recently-signed agreement between sections from Libya’s warring factions will likely have little impact as most Libyan political players and militia groups oppose it, and because local initiatives and views were ignored during its conceptualisation.…
116 Food Orgs to Watch in 2016
Danielle Nierenberg Every Every year, Food Tank highlights organizations that contribute to creating a more sustainable global food system by protecting biodiversity, producing valuable agricultural research, fighting hunger, and much more. This year, Food Tank is featuring 116 organizations you…
Tale of experience
Sudhirendar Sharma Systems and rules are for the fools, and it needs power of imagination to fool the system. Piyush Pandey’s writing is like an onion with endless layers that seamlessly unravel clues in simplicity of everyday living. Such is…
International peace delegation to Syria 24-30 Nov. 2015
By Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, Media Service Our delegation has just spent five days with the people of Syria visiting the cities of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Qara and Ma’alula. We have been deeply moved by the kindness and warmth…
The Net-Zero Imperative
by Eric Beinhocker,Myles Allen Oxford – The world has reached an historic agreement on climate change. The deal concluded at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris commits countries to take steps to limit warming to “well below” 2º…
The renewable energy revolution
by John A. Mathews Sydney – In the United States and Europe, the benefits of renewable energy are predominantly seen as environmental. Energy from the wind and sun can offset the need to burn fossil fuels, helping to mitigate climate…
The TPPA: The political undercurrent
The JUST Executive Committee Following nearly eight years of negotiations, 12 Pacific Rim countries -Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam -have agreed to take part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement…