Harley Sandoval, an evangelical pastor, real estate agent and mining entrepreneur, was arrested in July 2023 for illegally exporting 294 kilos of gold from Brazil’s Amazon to the United States, Dubai and Italy. On paper, the gold was sourced from a legal prospect Sandoval was licensed to mine in the northern state of Tocantins. But […]
Digital goods like computers, electronics, software, and machinery are critical for productivity and economic growth. High trade tariffs on these products contribute to limited access and higher prices. Our recent research finds that African countries face higher tariffs and tend to import relatively low-quality digital goods compared to other regions, especially in low-income nations. Currently, […]
This blog is part of “AI for Data, Data for AI”, a series aiming to unwrap, explain and foster the intersection of artificial intelligence and data. This post is the fourth installment of the series—for further reading, here are the first, second, and third installments. In the previous post, we explored how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance data discoverability by introducing […]
For smallholder farmers in rural areas, learning advanced agricultural technologies and adopting improved agricultural technologies can significantly boost productivity and income, and has been an important policy objective. Social ties can often play a critical role here, as farmers learn not only from formal training but from neighbors, friends, and family who have adopted successful […]
At COP29 in Baku, I was asked to imagine a 2050 where we all lived on a sustainable and resilient planet. I was also asked to describe what had happened over the past 25 or so years to make that possible. It was an interesting exercise, and it highlighted one fact: If we thrive in […]
When first visiting Samoa, you are struck by the raw beauty of nature, with pristine waters and white sandy shores. It is the picture-perfect image of “heaven on earth”, but this is only if you are lucky to be there on a calm, sunny day, and not during less-friendly weather. And that is when you […]
Imagine Maria, a single mother living in a densely populated neighborhood in São Paulo. It’s the middle of summer, and the city is being gripped by an unprecedented heatwave. The temperature has soared to 41°C (106°F), and the relentless heat is unbearable. Maria’s small apartment, with its tin roof and lack of insulation, feels like […]
The crisis at Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker that in November filed for Chapter 11 protection against creditors in the United States, is a warning for the European Union over the future direction of its industrial policy. After its founding in 2017, Northvolt – a partner in the flagship EU industrial policy initiative the European […]
The potential enlargement of the European Union to encompass a number of eastern (Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and Western Balkan (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) neighbours would involve significant net transfers to those countries under current EU budget rules. Moreover, if budget allocation rules remain unchanged, ‘cohesion’ funding that helps pay for […]
Conflict is tragically common, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This column reviews the rapidly growing literature linking changes in climate to various types of human conflict and finds that climate change is projected to cause an increase in numerous forms of violent human behaviour. Policies like a robust social safety net and political inclusion […]
