The World Bank Science, Technology and Innovation Global Expert Team
and the World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development Sector invite you to:
The U.S. Launch of
The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa
by Professor Calestous Juma
April 22, 2011
10:30 am
The World Bank
Preston Auditorium, MC Building
1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433
Please RSVP by clicking here.
If you cannot attend in person, join the live webcast at: mms://wbmswebcast1.worldbank.org/live
For Windows Media Streaming: http://streaming7.worldbank.org/vvflash/extlive
African agriculture is at the crossroads, with persistent food shortages compounded by new threats from climate change. But despite these challenges the lecture argues that future prospects look promising and the continent can feed itself in a decade. Drawing from his new book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, the author identifies three major opportunities that can help transform Africa’s agriculture into a force for sustained economic renewal: unprecedented advances in science and technology and related investments in human capacity; rapid expansion of regional markets and private sector activities; and the rise of new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent’s economic improvement and improved governance.
Using case studies from Africa and around the world, the lecture provides a basis for the book’s optimism and outlines strategies that can be used by development agencies to help contribute to Africa’s agricultural transformation.
Reviews
"A convincing analysis of the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sectors of Africa." --Elinor Ostrom, Professor of Political Science, Indiana University, and 2009 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
"The New Harvest is a welcome antidote to the pessimistic view of African development of previous decades." --Nature
“The New Harvest provides a welcome relief from the gloom and despair in popular narratives about African agriculture."--Science
Calestous Juma is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at Harvard Kennedy School. He also directs the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a high-level executive course on Innovation for Economic Development. He is a former Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and Founding Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies in Nairobi, and he also served as Chancellor of the University of Guyana. He has been elected to several scientific academies including the Royal Society of London, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering and the African Academy of Sciences. He has won several international awards for his work on sustainable development. He holds a doctorate in science and technology policy studies and has written widely on science, technology, and environment. His book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, was published by Oxford University Press in 2011.
Excerpts from the book are available at: http://www.belfercenter.org/global/
The event has been co-sponsored by the World Resources Institute.
Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa
499 S. Capitol St. SW, Suite 500B, Washington, DC 20003 | (202) 479-4501 | www.partnership-africa.org
This is an automated message; do not reply.
Please direct questions or feedback to Rachel Voss at rvoss@partnership-africa.org
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Chance to plant a green roof
From the AU Sustainability Office:
Hi all,
I wanted to let you know about another volunteer opportunity to be a part of AU's sustainability efforts and plant the finishing touches on our latest green roof projects in the courtyards of the Mary Graydon Center on April 21st from 9 am to 4 pm.
We are looking for up to 50 people to sign up so we are certain to have enough help to finish the project on that day. We'll also be celebrating Earth Week's Day of Service so it is the perfect way to honor the earth, help green the campus, and get some fresh air!
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/hysZTQ. Be sure to wear long pants and close-toed shoes that day if you would like to help. These roofs are a different kind than was installed on Kogod, so will also be an opportunity to learn about a different kind of green roof.
Please circulate this widely and I hope to see everyone there on the 21st!
Hi all,
I wanted to let you know about another volunteer opportunity to be a part of AU's sustainability efforts and plant the finishing touches on our latest green roof projects in the courtyards of the Mary Graydon Center on April 21st from 9 am to 4 pm.
We are looking for up to 50 people to sign up so we are certain to have enough help to finish the project on that day. We'll also be celebrating Earth Week's Day of Service so it is the perfect way to honor the earth, help green the campus, and get some fresh air!
If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/hysZTQ. Be sure to wear long pants and close-toed shoes that day if you would like to help. These roofs are a different kind than was installed on Kogod, so will also be an opportunity to learn about a different kind of green roof.
Please circulate this widely and I hope to see everyone there on the 21st!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Important: Climate Communication presentation TOMORROW
CLIMATE SHIFT:
CLEAR VISION FOR THE NEXT DECADE OF PUBLIC DEBATE
Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D.
Thursday April 7
11:30 am to 1pm
WARD 302
For more than 20 years, environmentalists, scientists and philanthropists have worked together to mobilize action in the United States on climate change and to implement policies that address the undeniable, human causes of the problem. For the better part of the last decade, this alliance focused on passing cap and trade legislation – a policy goal that defined virtually every aspect of strategy from philanthropic investments to communication initiatives.
The effort to enact cap and trade legislation may have been the best-financed political cause in U.S. history, yet the bill’s failure in 2010 has left climate advocates without a clear agenda for moving forward. With major policy action stalled, some environmental leaders and scientists have called for new alliances and approaches to communication. Several groups have launched campaigns against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Koch Industries, blaming conservatives and their industry patrons for political inaction.
However, contrary to prevailing assumptions, as this report details, the era of being out-coordinated, out-spent, out-lobbied and out-communicated by conservative and industry opponents on climate change is over. The era of false balance in news coverage of climate science has come to an end. In comparison to other factors, the impact of conservative media and commentators on wider public opinion remains limited.
But major questions remain: What went wrong in the effort to pass cap and trade legislation? What lessons should be learned? And where should the longstanding alliance of environmentalists, scientists and philanthropists go from here? As leaders and groups consider next steps in the policy debate over climate change, this report examines several dimensions that remain at the center of discussion.
The comprehensive study is the first to systematically analyze the financial resources, strategies, communication activities and impacts of those advocating for action on climate change and to draw comparisons to those opposing action among conservative groups and industry.
CLEAR VISION FOR THE NEXT DECADE OF PUBLIC DEBATE
Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D.
Thursday April 7
11:30 am to 1pm
WARD 302
For more than 20 years, environmentalists, scientists and philanthropists have worked together to mobilize action in the United States on climate change and to implement policies that address the undeniable, human causes of the problem. For the better part of the last decade, this alliance focused on passing cap and trade legislation – a policy goal that defined virtually every aspect of strategy from philanthropic investments to communication initiatives.
The effort to enact cap and trade legislation may have been the best-financed political cause in U.S. history, yet the bill’s failure in 2010 has left climate advocates without a clear agenda for moving forward. With major policy action stalled, some environmental leaders and scientists have called for new alliances and approaches to communication. Several groups have launched campaigns against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Koch Industries, blaming conservatives and their industry patrons for political inaction.
However, contrary to prevailing assumptions, as this report details, the era of being out-coordinated, out-spent, out-lobbied and out-communicated by conservative and industry opponents on climate change is over. The era of false balance in news coverage of climate science has come to an end. In comparison to other factors, the impact of conservative media and commentators on wider public opinion remains limited.
But major questions remain: What went wrong in the effort to pass cap and trade legislation? What lessons should be learned? And where should the longstanding alliance of environmentalists, scientists and philanthropists go from here? As leaders and groups consider next steps in the policy debate over climate change, this report examines several dimensions that remain at the center of discussion.
The comprehensive study is the first to systematically analyze the financial resources, strategies, communication activities and impacts of those advocating for action on climate change and to draw comparisons to those opposing action among conservative groups and industry.
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