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CGD Development Update: Rice for People, Not Pigs; Measuring Commitment to Africa; Development Policy RSS

May 13, 2008

CGD Development Update | May 13, 2008

FEATURES

Unwanted Rice in Japan Can Solve the Rice Crisis--If Washington and Tokyo Act

Loading bags of rice on a dockThe loss of rice production in Myanmar is worsening the crisis in world rice markets, where prices have trebled this year. Meanwhile, Japan has 1.5 million tons of surplus rice, most of it imported from the U.S. Releasing this rice to global markets would prick a speculative bubble and bring rice prices down fast, while also encouraging China and Thailand to release their surplus stocks. But first Washington must lift its objections and Japan must decide to re-export rice that it imported from the U.S., Thailand, and Vietnam. Failure to act would mean that high-quality U.S. rice would be fed to Japanese pigs and chickens while millions of poor people suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Tom Slayton, a former editor of The Rice Trader, and Peter Timmer, CGD non-resident fellow and visiting professor at Stanford University, explain how prompt action could prevent the rice price crisis from becoming a hunger crisis.

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The Commitment to Development Index for Africa: How Much do the Richest Countries Help the Poorest Continent?

CDI Aid to Africa ChartHow committed are the world's richest countries to the development of Africa, the world's poorest continent? Rich countries are usually compared on how much foreign aid they give as a percentage of their GDP, but helping Africa involves much more than aid. CGD's Commitment to Development Index has long compared 21 rich countries on aid, trade, migration, and other policies that affect the entire developing world. In the new CDI for Africa, research fellow David Roodman trains the CDI methodology on rich countries' links to this one continent. While the results may not be what you expect, one message is clear: all rich countries could do much more to foster development in Africa.

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New RSS Feed: Global Development Policy News

Having trouble keeping up with the floodtide of global development policy news and views? Let CGD help! Each week, CGD media assistant Ben Edwards compiles Global Development Policy News, a selection of mainstream media reports and commentary on rich world policies and practices that affect poor people in developing countries.

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CGD IN THE MEDIA

MEET CGD EXPERT

David Roodman

Research Fellow
David Roodman

David Roodman has been architect and project manager of the Commitment to Development Index since the project's inception in 2002.

Selected Works

Through the Looking-Glass, and What OLS Found There: On Growth, Foreign Aid, and Reverse Causality - Working Paper 137
Macro Aid Effectiveness Research: A Guide for the Perplexed - Working Paper 134
Tax policies to promote private charitable giving in DAC countries -Working Paper 82
Aid Project Proliferation and Absorptive Capacity - Working Paper 75

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About CGD

CGD is an independent think tank that works to reduce global poverty and inequality by encouraging policy change in the U.S. and other rich countries through rigorous research and active engagement with the policy community.

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About this Newsletter

The CGD Development Update is a weekly e-letter that provides information about rich country development policies, CGD events, initiatives, publications, and media citations