Cocoa farmers in West Africa earn a pittance as chocolate manufacturers bank billions

Cocoa farmers in West Africa earn a pittance as chocolate manufacturers bank billions

Recent statistics on world chocolate industry lay bare how exploitative the beverage’s market is, with cocoa farmers in West Africa forced to make do with a paltry six per cent of total revenues. Leading chocolate companies have since 2001 made pledges to end widespread abusive labour practices, but continue to...

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How Google kicked out star ethics researcher Timnit Gebru

How Google kicked out star ethics researcher Timnit Gebru

It is often argued that scholarship is always a conversation and always a work in progress. However, on the evening of Wednesday, December 2, Timnit Gebru, the co-lead of Google’s ethical AI team, announced via Twitter that the company had forced her out. Gebru, a widely respected leader in Artificial...

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Road to energy transition might be bumpy, but banning fossil fuels is treacherous for Africa

Road to energy transition might be bumpy, but banning fossil fuels is treacherous for Africa

What can be done to take natural gas off the banned fossil fuels list? The biggest concern about the continued use of natural gas comes down to one word: flaring.  Flaring is the practice of routinely burning off associated natural gas that is produced from the reservoir during oil production....

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African countries require balanced approach to the energy transition

African countries require balanced approach to the energy transition

Africa stands at a precarious juncture, where the transition from fossil fuels to renewables intersects with the economic benefits of a strategically managed oil and gas industry. Down one road, the continent expands exploration and production of its vast natural gas and oil reserves to bring electricity, fuel and financial...

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Ecotourism now big risk to great apes and other animals in the wild

Ecotourism now big risk to great apes and other animals in the wild

Wildlife veterinarian Stephen Ngulu starts his typical working day watching from a distance as the chimpanzees under his care eat their breakfast. He keeps an eye out for runny noses, coughing or other hints of illness. These days, Ngulu and others at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in...

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Crop irrigation: How dirty water is making us sick

Crop irrigation: How dirty water is making us sick

William Whitt suffered violent diarrhea for days. But once he began vomiting blood, he knew it was time to rush to the hospital. His body swelled up so much that his wife thought he looked like the Michelin Man, and on the inside, his intestines were inflamed and bleeding. For...

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AstraZeneca Covid vaccine: A scientific red flag with flashing lights

AstraZeneca Covid vaccine: A scientific red flag with flashing lights

Manufacturers of a third coronavirus vaccine announced positive results in clinical trials last week, setting off yet another round of excited news reports. This one, produced by a partnership between a University of Oxford research institute, its spinout company Vaccitech and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca does not need to be...

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Youssou N’Dour teams up with Graca Machel in Africa’s time is now’ campaign

Youssou N’Dour teams up with Graca Machel in Africa’s time is now’ campaign

Artists should be on the frontline of Africa’s development, given their pivotal role as communicators, Youssou N’Dour, musician, businessman and former Senegal culture and tourism minister, said at the opening of the 2020 African Development Bank civil society forum. The two-day civil society orgainsations forum kicked off on November 25...

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African oil and gas industry braces for end of super profits era

African oil and gas industry braces for end of super profits era

Without bold fiscal reforms, Africa is doomed to further lose its global market share of oil and gas investment and production. This is a major takeaway, if not the most important takeaway from the Africa Energy Outlook 2021 released this month by the African Energy Chamber. As oil prices settle...

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Accor hotel chain adds Turkey, India to its Middle East and Africa business

Accor hotel chain adds Turkey, India to its Middle East and Africa business

Accor, a world-leading augmented hospitality group, has added India and Turkey to its Middle East and Africa region.The newly expended region will now comprise of a portfolio of more than 84,000 rooms across 400 hotels.With the industry’s most dynamic portfolio of brands, covering every market segment from economy to luxury...

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