Africa: Foreign Energy Policy Fuels Famine in Africa

"News speaks to Oakland Institute about the findings of their latest round of in-depth research into land grabs in Africa, from the role played by the energy policies of rich countries and the World Bank to the dangers of a development agenda that fails to heed the negative social, economic and environmental impacts of industrial agrofuel and agroforestry projects.

PAMBAZUKA NEWS: Following your last set of reports, Oakland was looking to understand in greater depth the legal, social and economic implications of land grabs, in particular better data on land availability, better understanding of land deals, and issues around land rights. You have carried out detailed studies on a number of countries in Africa: What do they tell us about common themes related to land acquisitions in these countries that we didn't already know? And are there any important differences between the countries studied that would inform any response to these deals?

OAKLAND INSTITUTE: The new set of research informs us of the following common themes:

First, energy policies of rich countries play a key role in the current trend of land grabbing:

The trend of converting fertile African land to agrofuel plantations is accelerating as more governments and corporations promote agrofuels as a solution to climate change and dependency on fossil fuels. The United States and the European Union, for example, have set targets to replace 30 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of their gasoline with agrofuels. They both provide subsidies to the agrofuel industry so that these targets can be met: The US government gives US$6 billion a year in federal tax credits to fuel blenders to support ethanol production, and recent European subsidies supporting agrofuel production have topped US$4 billion per year. Corporations such as Europe's largest airlines - including Lufthansa - are also increasing their reliance on agrofuels purchased from African countries. This growing market for agrofuels has set off a chain reaction of land grabs in Africa that are displacing people from their homes, draining rivers to the point of extinction and replacing valuable food crops with industrial fuel crops.

Second, so-called solutions to climate change, including carbon trade and carbon credits are green-washing the land grabs that some companies are making through land intensive Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects:

For example, a Norwegian timber company, Green Resources Ltd., plans to replace almost 7,000 hectares of natural Tanzanian grassland with monocultures of pine and eucalyptus that the company would grow to obtain carbon credits to sell to the government of Norway. In Sierra Leone SLGreen Oil has acquired 40,468 hectares for biodiesel production that will generate carbon credits through the CDM. Canadian corporation Sierra Gold has obtained 45,527 hectares of forest and grasslands destined for carbon credit programs, including a land-use CDM project that is expected to be worth more than US$714 million over 50 years. With one hectare being approximately the size of a football field, this accounts for a lot of land. The expansion of the carbon credit system will generate billions of dollars in profits through the commodification of air and forests, but is likely to turn into a disaster for indigenous and forest dependent communities in Africa who are losing their rights over grazing land and forests, which are essential elements of their livelihoods.

Third, international development agencies are playing a key role:

So-called 'socially responsible' or 'ethical' investment funds, backed by several western governments, involved with land grabs in Africa. The trend of large-scale land investment in Sub-Saharan Africa could not take place without World Bank Group support. The Oakland Institute's research uncovers World Bank Group's orchestration of a business-friendly environment for investor access to land. From helping attract investors, to shaping policy and law that allows for streamlined and lucrative investor contracts, World Bank Group's agencies - including its private-sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, in conjunction with the Foreign Investment Advisory Service - clearly enable and promote land investment."

Entrevista de 08-12-2011, retirada de http://allafrica.com/stories/201112091090.html?viewall=1


Início de uma entrevista sobre um estudo feito pelo Oakland Institute que apresenta dados bastante provocatórios sobre vários países africanos.

Postado por Filipa Lelé

Businesses need to be more human

"So across the region, governments need to move towards better and more sustainable fiscal policies. In particular, more targeted social protection systems would help free up funds for spending on areas like infrastructure, education, and health while laying the foundations for inclusive growth," Lagarde said.

"This would be a break from the past when generalised subsidies were used to appease the population while allowing the privileged to benefit from unfair practices," she said.

Dr Saeedi underscored the risks of ignoring this message. If policymakers and businesses do not engage with people and invest in empowering them they will bring down those remaining at the top.

Economists and business leaders are warning too that big gaps in income and inequality could destabilise the social status quo.

That's why businesses that have been focusing only on delivering profits and dividends to shareholders can no longer shy away from social obligations.

This is where corporate social responsibility (CSR) must be given serious thought.

"[Corporates] are the critical link between the policymakers and people and lobbyists. We could create the link between the right thing to do and the best thing to do," said Rajeev Kakar, chief executive of Dunia Finance, a personal finance provider.

"We are good at delivering financial returns. The challenge is: how do we give good financial returns and do good at the same time?" he asked.

For many years, the two were never mentioned in the same breath. "However, we need to make that link now," he said.

CSR is not a set of activities. "It's living it. It's about enduring life, empowering people — to make a difference in life," he said.

"Weave some social issues into your businesses and profitability. You can no longer ignore those living at the bottom of the pyramid because with growing inequality, they could destablise the power of the few."

Rising social inequality could lead to violent transformation. Nature tends to limit things that go out of control.

"If things go wrong, each of us will lose more than we stand to gain," Kakar said. "People at the base are important and it is critical that we take care of them.

"It's not about giving people money. It's empowering them with skills. We could make a difference by empowering them."

However, he said, the agents of change will have to be the individuals. "Corporates can only help. But it's the people, the individuals, who can make things happen," he said."

Notícia de 14-12-2011, retirada de http://gulfnews.com/business/features/businesses-need-to-be-more-human-1.950473

Excerto de um artigo que apresenta números bastante desconcertantes sobre a pobreza no mundo. Aponta também alguns caminhos como solução incorporando o papel das empresas nos países do terceiro mundo e de que forma a RSE pode ajudar.

Postado por Filipa Lelé

United Nation The Millennium Development Eight Goals for 2015

These eight goals have been already posted once by Cindy but would like to refere once more to them, this time more detail.

What do we know about Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)?

They are provided concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. The MDGs also provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy.

The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators and you an find here below.

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Target 1A: Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day

Proportion of population below $1 per day (PPP values)

Poverty gap ratio [incidence x depth of poverty]

Share of poorest quintile in national consumption

Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People

GDP Growth per Employed Person

Employment Rate

Proportion of employed population below $1 per day (PPP values)

Proportion of family-based workers in employed population

Target 1C: Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Prevalence of underweight children under five years of age

Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys

Enrollment in primary education

Completion of primary education

Literacy of 15-24 year olds, female and male

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015

Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality rates

Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Under-five mortality rate

Infant (under 1) mortality rate

Proportion of 1-year-old children immunized against measles

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

Maternal mortality ratio

Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Adolescent birth rate

Antenatal care coverage

Unmet need for family planning

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

HIV prevalence among population aged 15–24 years

Condom use at last high-risk sex

Proportion of population aged 15–24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS

Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to antiretroviral drugs

Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria

Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets

Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs

Prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis

Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course)

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources

Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

Proportion of land area covered by forest

CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)

Consumption of ozone-depleting substances

Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits

Proportion of total water resources used

Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected

Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply)

Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural

Proportion of urban population with access to improved sanitation

Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers

Proportion of urban population living in slums

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system

Includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction – both nationally and internationally

Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDC)

Includes: tariff and quota free access for LDC exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for HIPC and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) for countries committed to poverty reduction

Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States

Through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly

Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term

Some of the indicators listed below are monitored separately for the least developed countries (LDCs), Africa, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

Official development assistance (ODA):

Net ODA, total and to LDCs, as percentage of OECD/DAC donors’ GNI

Proportion of total sector-allocable ODA of OECD/DAC donors to basic social services (basic education, primary health care, nutrition, safe water and sanitation)

Proportion of bilateral ODA of OECD/DAC donors that is untied

ODA received in landlocked countries as proportion of their GNIs

ODA received in small island developing States as proportion of their GNIs

Market access:

Proportion of total developed country imports (by value and excluding arms) from developing countries and from LDCs, admitted free of duty

Average tariffs imposed by developed countries on agricultural products and textiles and clothing from developing countries

Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as percentage of their GDP

Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity

Debt sustainability:

Total number of countries that have reached their HIPC decision points and n umber that have reached their HIPC completion points (cumulative)

Debt relief committed under HIPC initiative, US$

Debt service as a percentage of exports of goods and services

Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries

Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a sustainable basis

Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 population

Personal computers in use per 100 population

Internet users per 100 Population

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Sourse: The Millennium Development Goals at http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml

Posted by Maie Peetri

Myths About CSR in Developing Countries By Wayne Visser

As you can see I still did not get enough about Visser thoughts J

In his 14^th December 2011 post in The Age of Responsibility Visser asks everyone “are concepts and models of corporate social responsibility developed in the West appropriate for developing countries?”, by explains further “I decided to first tackle this question by setting out what I believe to be Seven Popular Myths about CSR in developing countries”.

To continue he writes “most of these myths exist as a result of the feeding frenzy that inevitably occurs every time the media has hunted down and sunk its teeth into one or other juicy story of corporate exploitation” and says “they, however, become sustainable because they are spread by whole legions of largely well-intentioned people who have vested interests in promoting their particular brand of the truth about CSR”.

So here I would like to refer to the Seven Myths indicated by Wayne Visser in The Age of Responsibility blog.

·         Economic growth is not compatible with CSR

·         Multinationals are the biggest CSR sinners

·         Multinationals are the biggest CSR saviours

·         Developing countries are anti-multinational

·         Developed countries lead on CSR

·         Codes can ensure CSR in developing countries

·         CSR is the same the world over

·         Let’s look at these myths each briefly in turn

For the reasons of not copy pasting the full publication I ask you for the explanations to follow the link to the original post, http://ageofresponsibility.blogspot.com/, where you can also find many other interesting posts.

Posted by Maie Peetri

NEWS: Singer Debbie Gibson to Appear on "Celebrity Apprentice" to Help Poor Children

CSRwire published on the 4^th of January 2012 a press release that singer Debbie Gibson will Appear on "Celebrity Apprentice" to Help Poor Children.

Celebrity Apprentice is a reality television show where celebrities compete in weekly challenges and donate any winnings to their personal charities. Every week, the celebrity contestants will work in two teams, each under the guidance of a designated project manager, to compete in business-driven tasks around New York City, using their fame, along with their proven business acumen, to win challenges.

Gibson will compete to help provide 5,000 poor children in India with medical and dental care and educational support.

Children International's programs provide poor children with medical and dental care, educational support and health education to children and youth, some whose families live on less than $1.25 a day.

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Source: CSRwire CSR press release, read the full article at http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/33574-Singer-Debbie-Gibson-to-Appear-on-Celebrity-Apprentice-to-Help-Poor-Children

Posted by Maie Peetri

NEWS: Newmont Outlines Community Investment Programs for Conga Project in Peru

Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM) on the 5^th of January 2012 outlined a number of community investment programs – developed in conjunction with local communities – that have been implemented or are under development in the Conga project’s area of influence in Peru. The programs, which are in addition to the numerous social investments Yanacocha has made over the last two decades, include efforts to advance health and education, critical infrastructure and economic development in Peru’s Cajamarca region. Implementation of the programs began four years ago and would continue over the life of the proposed mine.

“Conga’s community investment programs were designed by the local communities to address long-standing needs that they themselves identified as issues,” said Richard O’Brien, Newmont’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Although many of these programs are still in their early stages, we’ve already seen tangible results including reductions in malnutrition, school drop-out rates and grade repetition. After the Conga project is built and starts generating revenues, we expect to see even greater improvements in community health, education, nutrition, infrastructure and economic development.”

To date, Conga’s community investment programs have resulted in:

• An 8 percent decline in malnutrition (over four years since the program began) in children younger than 5 years;

• Livestock production increasing to 5 tons per hectare up from 1 ton per hectare;

• Native potato production increasing to 11 tons per hectare up from 5 tons per hectare;

• 400 properly ventilated stoves built in homes to reduce indoor air pollution, a major contributor to childhood respiratory problems; and

• 26 modern irrigation systems built to support Aguaymanto farmers.

• In 2008, the Conga Project Team, in cooperation with the Asociacion Los Andes de Cajamarca, engaged 32 of the project’s neighboring communities to identify opportunities for sustainable local development. In 2009, Community Development Committees (CODECOs), comprising and led by local citizens, created the “2015 Community Vision,” which set targets for improvements in social, economic and community development.

In 2008, the Conga Project Team, in cooperation with the Asociacion Los Andes de Cajamarca, engaged 32 of the project’s neighboring communities to identify opportunities for sustainable local development. In 2009, Community Development Committees (CODECOs), comprising and led by local citizens, created the “2015 Community Vision,” which set targets for improvements in social, economic and community development.

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Source: CSRwire CSR press release, read the full article at http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/33577-Newmont-Outlines-Community-Investment-Programs-for-Conga-Project-in-Peru

Posted by Maie Peetri

Social responsibility in developing countries by Wayne Visser

Today morning found fascinating publication that helps to broader one’s mind “Social Responsibility in developing countries” chapter 21 in CSR in Global Context by Wayne Visser. He is a person with bright mind - poet, author, speaker and academic, with a passion for Africa and corporate sustainability & responsibility and more, the Founder and Director of the think-tank CSR International.

Here in our blog I would like to post some ideas of his work. Namely, Visser in Social Responsibility in developing countries starts “The challenge for corporate social responsibility in developing countries is framed by a vision that was distilled in 2000 into the Millennium Development Goals and then presents a statement from United Nation Millennium Development Goals Report 2006, issued in Brussels “a world with less poverty, hunger and disease, greater survival prospects for mothers and their infants, better educated children, equal opportunities for women, and a healthier environment”. He continues “Unfortunately, these global aspirations remain far from being met in many developing countries today” and therefore questions “what is the role of business in tackling the critical issues of human development and environmental sustainability in developing countries?” To give more ground he refers to his own earlier publication from 2007 “the formal and informal ways in which business makes a contribution to improving the governance, social, ethical, labour and environmental conditions of the developing countries in which they operate, while remaining sensitive to prevailing religious, historical and cultural contexts”.

In his work Visser conducts funded literature research and presents drivers of CSR in developing countries and proposes a pyramid model of CSR for developing countries.

He writes “While many believe CSR is a Western invention (and this may be largely true in its modern conception), there is ample evidence that CSR in developing countries draws strongly on deep-rooted indigenous cultural traditions of philanthropy, business ethics, and community embeddedness”. He adds “Indeed, some of these traditions go back to ancient times”.

Drivers of CSR in developing countries

Visser, having considered the various drivers for CSR in developing countries questions if the current Western conceptions and models of CSR are adequate for describing CSR in developing countries and proposes modifications to the most popular CRS Pyramid Carroll´s model.

CSR pyramid for developing countries

He explains his approach as “hence, in developing countries, economic responsibilities still get the most emphasis, however, philanthropy is given second highest priority, followed by legal and then ethical responsibilities”.

In the conclusion of this chapter he summarizes “In developing countries, CSR is most commonly associated with philanthropy or charity, i.e. through corporate social investment in education, health, sports development, the environment, and other community services”, that has been the main line we have followed in publishing posts in our blog.

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Find the full chapter 21 Social Responsibility in Developing Countries in CSR in Global Context available at http://www.waynevisser.com/chapter_wvisser_csr_dev_countries.pdf and more work by Wayne Visser by Googeling his name.

Wish nice Sunday to everyone!

Posted by Maie Peetri