Jomo Kwame Sundaram’s Blog

 In this lecture, Jomo KS discusses how the current food systems are contributing to worsening malnutrition crises. He argues that the neoliberal policies of the past few decades have prioritized corporate interests and profit over public health and food security. This has led to a concentration of power in the hands of a few large corporations and a reduction in the diversity of crops and foods available to consumers. Jomo KS also explores the various factors contributing to malnutrition, including poverty, conflict, and climate change, and emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of…

Few policymakers ever claim credit for causing stagnation and recessions. Yet, they do so all the time, justifying their actions by some supposedly higher purpose. Now, that higher purpose is checking inflation as if it is the worst option for people today. Many supposed economists make up tall tales that inflation causes economic contraction which ordinary mortals do not know or understand. Inflating inflation’s significance Since early 2022, like many others in the world, Americans have been preoccupied with inflation. But official US data show inflation has been slowing since mid-2022. Recent trends since mid-2022 are clear. Inflation is no…

El continuo saqueo de los recursos naturales de África, drenado por la fuga de capitales, está frenando su crecimiento. Cada vez más países africanos se enfrentan a recesiones prolongadas que se unen a un creciente endeudamiento, echando sal en las profundas heridas del pasado. Con muchas menos divisas, ingresos fiscales y espacio político para hacer frente a los choques externos, muchos gobiernos africanos creen que no tienen más remedio que gastar menos o pedir más créditos internacionales en divisas. La mayoría de los africanos se esfuerzan por hacer frente a las crisis alimentarias y energéticas, la inflación, el aumento de los tipos de interés, los…

Este es un artículo de opinión de Ndongo Samba Sylla, economista del desarrollo senegalés que trabaja en la Fundación Rosa Luxemburgo de Dakar, y de Jomo Kwame Sundaram, quien fue secretario general adjunto de la ONU para el Desarrollo (Económico.) El continuo saqueo de los recursos naturales de África, drenado por la fuga de capitales, está frenando su crecimiento. Cada vez más países africanos se enfrentan a recesiones prolongadas que se unen a un creciente endeudamiento, echando sal en las profundas heridas del pasado. Con muchas menos divisas, ingresos fiscales y espacio político para hacer frente a los choques externos,…

Natural flows do not respect national boundaries. The atmosphere and oceans cross international borders with little difficulty, as greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other fluids, including pollutants, easily traverse frontiers. Yet, in multilateral fora, strategies to address climate change and its effects remain largely national. GHG emissions – typically measured as carbon dioxide equivalents – are the main bases for assessing national climate action commitments. Assessing national responsibility Jayati Ghosh, Shouvik Chakraborty and Debamanyu Das have critically considered how national climate responsibilities are assessed. The standard method – used by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – measures GHG emissions by activities…

Despite its dismal record, the Gates Foundation-sponsored Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) announced a new five-year strategy in September after rebranding itself by dropping ‘Green Revolution’ from its name. Rebranding, not reform Instead of learning from experience and changing its approach accordingly, AGRA’s new strategy promises more of the same. Ignoring evidence, criticisms and civil society pleas and demands, the Gates Foundation has committed another $200 million to its new five-year plan, bringing its total contribution to around $900 million. More than two-thirds of AGRA’s funding has come from Gates, with African governments providing much more – as much as a…

«Lo más peligroso en la situación actual son las sanciones económicas», advierte el ex asistente del secretario general de la ONU para el desarrollo económico Jomo Kwame Sundaram. El economista Jomo Kwame Sundaram, ex asistente del secretario general de la ONU para el desarrollo económico, declaró que el mundo necesita una nueva agenda más positiva y destinada a la protección de la paz. Comentando la realización del acuerdo alcanzado para la exportación de cereales ucranianos, el economista malasio denunció en una entrevista publicada este lunes que los productos alimenticios no llegan a los países más pobres, lo que crea grandes problemas en la…

The ongoing plunder of Africa’s natural resources drained by capital flight is holding it back yet again. More African nations face protracted recessions amid mounting debt distress, rubbing salt into deep wounds from the past. With much less foreign exchange, tax revenue, and policy space to face external shocks, many African governments believe they have little choice but to spend less, or borrow more in foreign currencies. Most Africans are struggling to cope with food and energy crises, inflation, higher interest rates, adverse climate events, less health and social provisioning. Unrest is mounting due to deteriorating conditions despite some commodity…

The latest annual climate conference has begun in the face of a worsening climate crisis and further retreats by rich nations following the energy crisis induced by NATO sanctions after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Copping out again The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is now meeting in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November 2022. COP27 takes place amidst worsening poverty, hunger and war, and higher prices, exacerbating many interlinked climate, environmental and socio-economic crises. The looming world economic recession is likely to be deeper than in 2008.…

Muchas cosas pueden cambiar, pero es probable que estemos asistiendo al inicio de una nueva y prolongada Guerra Fría, luego de la hegemonía de Estados Unidos durante las últimas tres décadas. Los esfuerzos de Mijaíl Gorbachov por crear las condiciones para una paz y cooperación internacional más amplias se basaron en un cierto acuerdo de confianza implícito. Pero tras el colapso de la Unión Soviética durante los años 90, éste fue traicionado con el ascenso del unipolarismo estadounidense y el expansionismo de la OTAN, a pesar de la desaparición de la amenaza soviética, su razón de ser original. Se sigue…