In the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for 2007, World Bank has highly emphasized agriculture sector has been. The World Bank has prioritized the sector even in the presence of flourishing services sector and industrial sector. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on the eve of bank’s annual report release that, “We should provide agriculture more prominence”.
Over the years it has been realized that development in agriculture sector is the most effective weapon in fighting against poverty worldwide. Approximately 75 percent of the world’s poor people live in the rural areas. But international assistance to the sector is comparatively less.
In East Asian region, agriculture sector has made tremendous success by reducing poverty over last two decades.
Robert Zoellick has strongly viewed that ‘agriculture for development’ agenda will benefit the 900 million rural people in the developing world, who live on less than $1 per day. It has been realized that the need of the hour is to set up proper goals for agricultural development through proper reforms.
Agricultural support of the World Bank has been increased in the recent past. Bank’s commitment for the year 2007 has reached at $3.1 billion.
In some of the emerging market economies over the world such as India, China, and Morocco, dynamism is essential in the sector. On the contrary, for the Urbanized nations it is essential to render jobs in rural areas.
Last month, the Bulgarian National Assembly voted to impose an indefinite ban on shale gas exploration and extraction in Bulgaria using hydraulic fracturing or other similar technology. But new evidence have emerged that may suggest some form of covert Russian influence in the matter.
Pity the poor Eastern Europeans.
After fifty years under the domination of their massive Soviet eastern neighbour, the collapse of Communism two decades ago offered undreamed of opportunities to join both the European Union and NATO.
Read more
Nouriel Roubini, a.k.a. “Doctor Doom”, is chairman of Roubini Global Economics and professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Roubini has been consistently cited as one of the world’s top global thinkers. This year, he was voted as the most influential economist in the world by Forbes magazine.
Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2007. Prime Minister of the UK between 2007 and 2010. Inaugural 'Distinguished Leader in Residence' at New York University. Advisor at World Economic Forum
CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO. Served as President and CEO of the Harvard Management Company for 2 years, while also working at the IMF for 15 years. In 2008, his book "When Markets Collide", won the Financial Times award for Business Book of The Year in addition to being named as the one of the best business books of all time by The Independent.