Global value chains – the production, processing and marketing of products ‘from farm to fork’ – now link together producers, traders, processors, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Due to changing market conditions and consumer demands, entrepreneurs in developing countries are increasingly becoming integrated into the world trading system.   Read more>>

Although the international community has focused on how to fix fragile states, none of its standard remedies has addressed the fundamental problems. Fractured societies require a new approach, one that is more firmly rooted in indigenous capacities and institutions.   Read more>>

The decisions that are made over the next three months will shape Europe’s international role in the future. The script that drives global policy making is being rewritten, in response to the financial crisis, climate change and global security challenges. Meanwhile, the institutions of the European Union are on the brink of a radical overhaul – whether or not the Irish referendum on 2 October allows the Lisbon Treaty to be ratified. By January 2010, we will have new institutions, new leaders and the outline of a new script. But will we also be optimistic about Europe as a progressive force in the world?   Read more>>

For many years Germany has focused on providing technical assistance and bringing peace and security to many developing and newly independent states. It now wishes to play a more significant role in European and multilateral institutions.   Read more>>

Illegal fishing is threatening the livelihoods of many West African fishing communities. Alhaji Jallow of the FAO Regional Office for Africa believes that the scope of research needs to be broadened to include not just marine resources, but also the people who exploit them.   Read more>>

Recent political, military and technological developments indicate that the international consensus on the uses of space is under threat. Agreement on preventive arms control in space could soon be reached, as long as all countries choose to cooperate.   Read more>>

What’s the connection between China’s one-child policy and the ability of the United States to continue spending beyond its means? You can be excused for not immediately guessing the answer to this bizarre question. The truth is an amazing story.   Read more>>

The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.   Read more>>

This is the first report of the Broker thesis project. It highlights the theses submitted by four students from Africa. The theses have been reviewed by Meine Pieter van Dijk of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands; George Essegbey, director of the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute and of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana; and Rudy Rabbinge of Wageningen University, the Netherlands.   Read more>>

A review of Global Civil Society 2009: Poverty and Activism by Donatella della Porta What is the role of global civil society in pressing for a fairer global order? The 2009 Global Civil Society yearbook is the product of an innovative collaboration between scholars from the North and the South. It offers a comprehensive analysis of recent civil society interventions and a balanced overview of struggles against poverty and social injustice in many countries.   Read more>>