Brazil

From the Archives

Brazil's Energy Windfall

Topics: Energy and Oil
Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: South America, Global Economy
Brazil recently discovered billions of barrels of oil off its shores - and immediately started reorganizing its trade policy on the world market.

Oyster Farming: The New Fishing Alternative

Topics: Economic Development
Countries: Brazil

Struggling fishing communities Brazil may have found a way to turn their economic troubles around. A university there has set up a fishermen's cooperative to introduce oyster farming in the area and boost economic development. The advantages of oyster farming go beyond economics — the industry can increase biodiversity and water-filtration services.

Keywords: fishing

Brazil's Lesson for China: Do Not Ignore Inequality

Topics: Economic Development
Countries: China, Brazil

Even as the global market looks increasingly unsteady, China's economy continues to boom. It has already become apparent that this rapid growth is contributing to increasing income inequality.

The Financial Times argues that China should learn from Brazil by combatting economic inequality with more social spending on things like health care and education.

Brazil's New Anti-Poverty Drive

Topics: Economic Development
Countries: Brazil

The BBC reports that the Brazilian government has unveiled a new anti-poverty plan that, if approved, will provide millions of dollars towards the creation of jobs for 24 million people and improve basic infrastructure - like electricity - to some of the poorest areas of Brazil.

Some feel the plan is related to upcoming municipal elections this year and has been heavily attacked by critics. Regardless, creation of 24 million jobs is much needed in a country where 30 percent of the population lives under the poverty line.

An Innovative Harvest

Topics: Agriculture
Countries: Brazil

Here is a very encouraging story from Newsweek about social entrepreneurship and the kind of change that is possible when thinking outside of the box. The story highlights the innovative work of José Roberto Fonseca that is revitalizing the agricultural sector in one of the poorest districts in Brazil. Using a combination of solar energy and a process known as hydroponics, José has been able to create sustainable solutions for agricultural problems that inundate this arid region of Brazil.

But where others saw privation, Fonseca saw opportunity. "Poor people in the sertão have been farming beans, manioc and corn the same way they have since Brazil was discovered, and poverty is as bad as ever," he says, waving at the monotonous expanse of balding scrub and cactus. "It's time they tried something different."

Globalizing Ideas to Help the Poor

Topics: Education, Health
Countries: Brazil

A Brazilian anti-poverty program known as Bolsa Familia ("Family Fund") is getting attention from governments around the world, writes the Economist. Modeled on a similar program in Mexico, this conditional cash transfer program has been tested successfully in several other Latin American countries, and the World Bank is now looking to start similar programs in Eastern Europe.

In the Brazilian version of the program, poor families with children receive direct transfers of around 70 reals (about $35) a month, on the condition that their children stay in school and have regular health checkups. According to the World Bank, this relatively simple and modest program is unique in that it can help reduce both current and future poverty and inequality in Brazil.

Are Bigger Countries an Unfriendly Place to Micro-finance?

Topics: Microfinance
Countries: Peru, Brazil, Bolivia

Lucy Conger's story "The Big-Country Enigma" examines why micro-credit has flourished in smaller countries like Peru and Bolivia while remaining somewhat small in scale in countries such as Brazil.

Does both over and under government regulation stand in the way to microfinance?

From the Archives

Leaders Meet to Promote Global South Trade

Topics: Trade
Countries: South Africa, India, Brazil
Previously filed under: Africa, Trade
Developing countries are creating trade ties that leap continents.

From the Archives

Cultivating Energy

Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: North America, Technology
Jean-Michel Severino, a former World Bank Vice President, argues that humanity can no longer afford to ignore the looming global energy crisis.

From the Archives

Brazil Faces Forecast of Heat and Dust

Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: South America, Environment
New climate change models predict a heavy impact from global warming on Brazil's biodiversity, agriculture and health.

From the Archives

Brazil and India Join Senegal for Biofuel Production

Topics: Climate and Environment
Countries: Senegal, India, Brazil
Previously filed under: South America, Environment
The biofuel program to be launched in Senegal leverages scientific and technological capabilities from Brazil, capital from Indian entrepreneurs and Senegalese land and labor.

From the Archives

Globalization Tames the Left in Brazil

Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: South America, General Globalization
Brazil has missed a golden opportunity provided by a robust global economy to chart a new and vibrant economic trajectory.

From the Archives

Freer Trade Would Benefit U.S. the Most

Countries: Brazil, Canada
Previously filed under: North America, Trade
The U.S.'s practice of protecting its own goods and blocking free trade is, in the long run, doing more harm than good.

From the Archives

Conference Ends, But Bio-Battles Set to Rage

Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: Environment
The meetings of the Biosafety Protocol and Convention on Biological Diversity resulted in a general consensus on the need for fair sharing of global resources.

From the Archives

A New Kind of Daycare in Brazil

Countries: Brazil
Previously filed under: South America, Success Stories
In Rio de Janeiro's most notorious slum, social entrepreneur Maria de Lourdes Braz is turning daycare around and making senior citizens a resource in their communities.

Breaking News

Namibia: Kavango Communities Get Natural With It

All Africa - Fri, 05/09/2008 - 04:01
THE GOSPEL of sustainable use of Namibia's natural resources is increasingly being preached in many parts of the country.

Kenya's cabinet learns the ropes

BBC News - Fri, 05/09/2008 - 04:37
Kenya's power-sharing cabinet meets for the first time for former rivals to learn how to work as a team.

Burma rejects need for foreign aid workers, UN blasts regime

Times Online - Fri, 05/09/2008 - 00:11
Eyewitness report from disaster-struck region

Burma shuns foreign aid workers

BBC News - Fri, 05/09/2008 - 03:55
Burma wants aid but is "not ready" for foreign experts, its foreign ministry says, as fears grow for cyclone survivors.

The future of social networking: mobile phones

Times Online - Thu, 05/08/2008 - 16:00
Picture this: a young woman goes to a party. She doesn't know anyone but it's fine because she has her mobile with her. A few clicks and she accesses the profiles of a dozen people at the party, including their pictures. She's in luck: two of them turn out to be friends of friends. She messages them and they start to chat.

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