Ethiopia's export performance

A report from Access Capital show some suprising trends in Ethiopia's export performance, including the following:

Switzerland has (just barely) surpassed China as the top destination for Ethiopia's exports. In what is probably the start of a longer-term trend, neighboring and regional countries are increasingly among the largest buyers of Ethiopian goods: Somalia and Sudan, for example, are both now individually larger export markets for Ethiopia than is the U.S. or Italy or Great Britain.

What happens to trade when you visit the Dalai Lama?

An econometric model from Fuchs and Klann show that countries officially receiving the Dalai Lama at the highest political level are punished through a reduction of their exports to China. However, this ‘Dalai Lama Effect’ is only observed for the Hu Jintao era and not for earlier periods. Furthermore, this effect is mainly driven by reduced exports of machinery and transport equipment and that it disappears two years after a meeting took place

How green is growing your own food

A recent MSc thesis finds that growing your own food has a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) than outdoor production but lower than covered production. Fuel use was the highest contribution - improvements could mainly come from allotment holders cycling to the allotment rather than driving.
Carter C. (2010). Global Warming Potential of produce grown on an allotment using a life cycle assessment approach Case Study: Wellesbourne Allotment, Msc Thesis, University of Surrey, 2010
h/t FCRN

World statistic updated live

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Africa as seen by others

Maps of Africa posted by Chris Blattman

Ley lines of globalization

My Heart's in Accra reveals the hidden world of shipping and why it is cheaper to the ship goods from China to US than the other way round (demand).

Farmers dont need to be given info on adaptation

Dave Pannell says giving information to farmers on climate adaptation is a waste of time, because

(1) farmers will adapt appropriately to whatever climate change does occur even in the absence of a government program providing advice about it;
(2) such advice would often prompt little if any further change in behaviour; so
(3) the benefits to farmers of providing this sort of information will be minimal.