In the past ten years, the European Court of Justice has done important verdicts concerning cross border healthcare on the principle of free movement of people and services. This has now resulted in a new proposal for a directive providing cross-border healthcare of a legal basis. The aim of the proposed …

Background As the level of government closest to citizens and the real economy, local and regional authorities have an important role in tackling the severe impact of the current economic crisis. The double pressures of decreasing public revenue and increasing demand for services, however, call for more …

In November 2006, SOMO published a report that criticised labour conditions in Nokia's factories in Asia. This report revealed conditions where workers work up to 72 hours a week with compulsory overtime, have insecure employment contracts and work in unsafe factories, where no or inadequate protection …

A study was undertaken on the sunflower value chain in Lira district of Uganda. The objective of the study was twofold: First to catalogue innovations that have been developed or introduced in the value chain over a 10 year trajectory (1998-2007). The second objective was to map the knowledge management …

Small scale producers face many opportunities and also huge challenges in today’s markets. Market liberalization since the 1980s has cut back the support services provided by the state and forced producer to face the risks of often weak and volatile markets. Further more those who are able to access …

Agriculture is the main driver of the economy and the source of living for the majority of the population in Ethiopia. However, its performance has been poor and unable to feed the ever increasing population. Thus there is a need to change this trend and ensure the food security of the population. Agricultural …

Women play critical roles in agriculture in many parts of the world. Yet, despite their contribution to global food security, women farmers are frequently underestimated and overlooked in development strategies. For this reason, women find it more difficult than men to gain access to valuable resources …

In the hard-hit countries by HIV/AIDS, the epidemic has eroded the development gains made in past decades. The spread of HIV is heterogeneous in Sub-Saharan African courtiers, with different peaks which vary geographically and in terms of their distribution among social or economic groups. Thus, there …

In The Guardian, Alan Rushbridger compared the future of newspapers to climate change. Five years ago, many climatologists were sceptical whether climate change was a real and serious issue. Today, most scientists agree that global warm ing is a fact of life. In the world of newspapers, at present, almost …

There is an increasing awareness that the landscape around cities can contribute significantly to the well-being of urban citizens. Various studies and experiences in the Netherlands and other countries show that the combination of agriculture with care and education has great potential. The number of …