Sustainable markets blogs
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Creating knowledge and supporting action: citizen-generated evidence from food diaries in Uganda
14 September 2018Citizens in Western Uganda are using food diaries to generate data on food consumption – helping them understand their own diets and advocate for a better food system
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We need to safeguard biodiversity and promote diverse diets
22 May 2018Coinciding with this year’s International Day for Biodiversity, a new report from IIED and Hivos explores how we can reverse the alarming loss of biodiversity in agriculture and foster diverse diets
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How people are providing evidence, and influencing to get food policies that work for them
26 April 2018Food policies that are based on evidence and advocacy delivered by citizens are more likely to benefit those whose lives they affect most. An event this week heard how connecting people to policy can help secure healthy and more sustainable diets for everyone
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Using dialogue to extract sustainable solutions for artisanal and small-scale mining
26 February 2018Fitsum Weldegiorgis shares challenges and successes from IIED's artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) dialogues in Ghana, Madagascar and most recently in Tanzania
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Three things I learnt from a small-scale fisherman in Albania
23 January 2018During a recent visit to the Albanian coastal town of Shëngjin, Essam Yassin Mohammed heard about the obstacles facing the small-scale fishing community, and was struck by recurring challenges facing artisanal fishers in different parts of the global South.
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Can ASM lead the Africa Mining Vision?
7 December 2017IIED and Tanzanian partners recently hosted a national dialogue on artisanal and small-scale mining in Tanzania. Mkhululi Nkosilamandla Ncube reports on the event, and shares his views of how the ASM dialogue process aligns with his work in promoting the Africa Mining Vision
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Four lessons on communicating ASM stories of change
17 October 2017The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector has many problems – and good stories are not often heard. Gabriela Flores looks at how effective communications can help mining communities learn about good practices that are being developed by their peers
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Nourishing diversity in our food systems
10 October 2017Although our food systems seemingly deliver impressive abundance and variety, we are losing crucial agricultural biodiversity and our increasingly homogenised diets are leading to disease and obesity. Seth Cook sets out five steps for better, more diverse food systems
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It's the process, stupid
16 March 2017Social learning can be effective in tackling 'wicked' problems such as climate change. And research shows there are better results when strong processes are at the centre of these approaches
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In pictures: Dialogues and pilot projects for better ASM governance in Madagascar
15 March 2017A pictorial tour of efforts to improve the governance of Madagascar's artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector
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Six steps forward for African mining
1 March 2017Reflecting on common themes emerging from Cape Town's Mining Indaba and the Alternative Mining Indaba 'counter-summit', Fitsum Weldegiorgis sets out six ways to keep momentum going, for driving a profitable African mining sector that also delivers for its people
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Action to protect nature and tackle poverty gathers momentum
2 November 2016An IIED workshop heard how new global agendas and advances in ways to measure the benefits of natural resources are reframing the debate on how to protect the environment while reducing poverty
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Talking sustainable development in the troubled world of ASM
25 October 2016Fitsum Weldegiorgis explores how artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) can make a positive contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
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Why food diversity must be on the menu
14 October 2016As World Food Day approaches, Seth Cook explores the dangers of losing local crop and animal varieties and what we can do about it
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Mixing more voices into food policy
10 October 2016How an innovative 'Food Change Lab' in Uganda is bringing together a range of voices to shape a food system that works for all, including ordinary citizens
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ASM dialogue creates ambition for change in Ghana
15 September 2016A dialogue in Ghana presented a unique opportunity to bring stakeholders together and find solutions to realise the potential of small-scale mining
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In pictures: a dialogue for action on mining in Ghana
6 September 2016This photo gallery documents the lively conversations about the future of Ghana's artisanal and small-scale mining sector at an "action dialogue" organised by IIED and partners
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Positioning the SDGs within the politics of national development
12 July 2016Reconciling diverse visions of sustainable development will be key to SDG progress
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Five obstacles facing Least Developed Countries
29 June 2016Essam Yassin Mohammed recently participated in a mid-term review of the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs, an ambitious 10-year plan that aims to see half of LDCs (23) graduate from "least developed country" status by 2020. The conference highlighted five main issues that could hinder LDCs reaching this ambitious goal
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Five challenges for Least Developed Countries in the post-2015 era
28 June 2016Can the Least Developed Countries reimagine development? A meeting in London looked at the key issues
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Towards an inclusive blue economy
1 June 2016Action in policy and practice is needed to ensure the many benefits from oceans, seas and coasts are available to all
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Food summit secures strong commitment to drive change in Ugandan food systems
28 April 2016A two-day gathering in the town of Fort Portal, in Kabarole District in western Uganda, concluded with firm pledges from politicians, farmers, street vendors, technical experts, civil society, church leaders and youth, setting out how they will each tackle the deepening problems in the region's food systems
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Forced to sell the roof over their heads
4 April 2016Compensation supports fisher families during a ban on hilsa fishing in Bangladesh – but a visit to a family in Govinda exposes the harsh realities of income loss
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Formalising the informal
30 March 2016What does it mean to 'formalise' the informal sector? Discussions at an informality event with our partners revealed some of the barriers to successful formalisation and examples of what works
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Development frontiers
21 March 2016A workshop organised by research funders highlighted how innovative solutions must be found for the 'wicked' problems we face today