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GLOBAL TRADE ALERT, Centre for Economic Policy Research. As many economies witness the sharpest falls in their exports in decades and with unemployment rising to levels not seen since the early 1980s, fears are growing that governments may be tempted to renege on this pledge. Global Trade Alert provides information in real time on state measures taken during the current global economic downturn that are likely to affect foreign commerce. The Centre for Economic Policy Research coordinates the initiative, under the direction of Professor Simon Evenett, Co-Director of CEPR’s international trade programme. The site can be accessed at http://www.globaltradealert.org/
LAND GRAB OR DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY? AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT AND INTERNATIONAL LAND DEALS IN AFRICA, IFAD, IIED and FAO, June 2009. Over the past 12 months, large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia have made headlines in a flurry of media reports across the world. This report is the first detailed study of these large land acquisitions, including purchases or leases, in Africa. It highlights the misconceptions about what have been designated as land grabs. It notes that land-based investment has been rising over the past five years due to food security concerns, food supply shortage and growing production of biofuels. It indicates that while foreign investment dominates, domestic investors are also playing a big role in land acquisitions. To download the report, please visit http://www.ifad.org/pub/land/land_grab.pdf
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: ECONOMIC SITUATION AND OUTLOOK 2008-2009, UN Economic and Social Commission, June 2009. This report finds that economic activity in the Latin American and Caribbean region grew by 4.2 percent in 2008. However, it notes that these results will not be repeated in 2009, due to the impact of the financial crisis and high unemployment rates. The authors conclude that the slowdown of the world economy, which has affected the price of primary commodities and volume of exports, has had an impact in reducing remittances, demand for tourism services and foreign direct investments. The report can be accessed at http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/325/49/PDF/N0932549.pdf?OpenElement
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