Phosphorus, a key component of fertilizers, is crucial for the world’s food supplies. But as reserves of phosphate begin to run out, the impacts are likely to be immense – in terms of rising food prices, growing food insecurity and widening inequa...

Violent conflicts in states such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and the Balkans are at the centre of global politics. Big battles have been fought, enormous sums of money have been spent and troops have been deployed to end these conflicts....

Shrinking reserves of fossil fuels and growing anxiety over future energy security have boosted investments in renewable energy worldwide. Alarming climate change scenarios have also increased the focus on creating sustainable energy economies. It...

Despite major advances in knowledge and unprecedented gains in global wealth, health inequities between the rich and poor are increasing, both within and among countries. Poverty, poor living and working conditions and the inability to influence t...

Policy recommendations for reversing the ‘resource curse’ have been divided into ‘pure’ economic measures and messy politics. A reality check is needed to see if the suggested cures are realistic.

For many decades, the main driver of progress in developing countries was considered to be either the state or the market. Civil society existed only in relation to, and by the grace of, these forces. But people-centred development requires that i...

The phrase ‘fragile states’ has gradually become part of the vocabulary of international donors in recent years. The concept of fragile states seeks to marry development and security issues. But it has led to a variety of fragile state agendas of...

Europe is the world’s leading provider of official development assistance (ODA). The EU and its member states account for 60% of all development moneys. Africa alone receives roughly US $14 billion a year from its northern neighbours. But is Europ...

How are societies ‘developed’? For years, international aid has failed to provide a convincing answer. This article offers a potential path to improving both aid performance and development in a broader sense. This article presents an alternative...

The Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently completed an extensive evaluation of the Dutch Africa policy over the period 1998–2006. The report contains a number of hard-hitting conc...