Academic Research FREE FOR ALL!
As the saying goes, knowledge is POWER. The problem is, most research papers remain tucked away behind paywalls. This means that unless your computer is on the network of a university with an expensive subscription, you have to pay a fee – a fee that usually amounts to 30 bucks per paper! Elsevier is one […]
We Only Consume 20 out of 300.000 Edible Plants!
Did you know that mother earth hosts around 300.000 edible plants but that on average 80% of our caloric intake is derived from 20 highly modified species? It is this interesting fact that inspired an organisation called Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe (BIZ) to rediscover some of these resilient and versatile plant species. An additional benefit is that […]
How This Tiny Country Feeds the World
The Netherlands, or Holland as many people know it by (difference explained here), is a relatively small country that ranks 135th in the worlds landmass rankings. Apart from its tiny landmass, they also have to furiously battle their seas, and even had to reclaim some land back from the sea, to get themselves a bit […]
Poor to Gain from Bureaucracy
Many in the developed world will rightly think we have quite enough of it, but increasing bureaucracy in developing countries may prove to be a key tool in boosting overall prosperity. According to the UN four billion people (!) live without an official address and 1 billion people lack proof of identity, according to the […]
Wealthy Individuals are Eying up Impact Investing
Professor Shaughnessy, Executive Professor Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group at Northeastern University, talks about the 3rd way wealthy individuals are making investments. The 3rd way represents social impact investing (don’t forget about environmental impact), a sector that is estimated to represent $200bn in investment capital. While this is an impressive number please note that social impact […]
Vocational Bridges to Nowhere
”Dear governments and aid agencies: Please stop hurting poor people with your skills training programs”. This is the appeal from Chris Blattman, who, citing the paper ”Generating employment in poor and fragile states: Evidence from labor market and entrepreneurship programs.” throws in an impressive number too as the World Bank and its client governments have […]
Africa is HUGE!
The true size of Africa is often underestimated, or should I say misrepresented? With a total land area of 30.3 km2, the continent is larger than the USA, China, India, Japan, Mexico and all of Europe combined! The continent encompasses 20% of earths land area and 6% of its total land surface.
Feeding 9 Billion People by 2050
It is predicted that the world population will reach 9 Billion by 2050. The people will all need to be nurtiored. Marco Lambertini, Director General at WWF International, questions whether we will be able to enjoy a good standard of living if the planet reaches the predicted population of 9 billion people. Let’s consider with […]
The Hidden Reason for Poverty
The reason many anti-poverty programs do not reach their potential, according to Gary Haugen (Human Rights Attorney), is because they fail to address one key issue: violence. In a survey amongst some of the poorest communities it turned out that their greatest fear was violence. Yes you read that right: not war or genocide, but […]
What is The Best Thing About Being Rich?
Well, for 50% of American millionaires and billionaires this is the ability to be able to give to charity! This is one of the findings of the U.S. Trust 2013 Insights on Wealth and Worth. The report considers an array of topics that concern the wealthy, including their financial security, retirement, extended family issues, estate […]