Publications

Commentary- Who feeds Africa? It is the woman

For more than three decades, I have advocated for the African woman smallholder farmer.

With 2014 Troop Withdrawal on the Horizon, Afghanistan War Fatigue Hits New Highs

As the Obama administration continues to negotiate the terms of its future security commitments with the Afghan government, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds war fatigue among the American public at a new peak, now matching levels last seen in Iraq.

My Moment of Great Disruption

In a 2013 TEDxChange talk, Roger Thurow talks about the smallholder farmers of Africa and the potential for good news in agricultural development.

Commentary- Behind the Scenes: Interview with Tjada McKenna on Feed the Future’s progress

An interview with Tjada McKenna, Feed the Future's Deputy Coordinator for Development.

Letting Detroit Go

Let’s talk about Detroit. But first, let’s talk about Potosi.

Commentary- Sharing Agricultural Success with President Obama

When I first got the idea back in 2008 that the women farmers like myself in central Senegal should join together to help one another succeed, I never would have guessed that five years later I would be sharing that story of success with the president of the United States. 

Commentary- Is Feed the Future delivering results? Yes – with some limitations.

Robai Nyongesa, a smallholder farmer in western Kenya, used to struggle to grow enough maize to feed her family. Last year, she was able to harvest 20 bags of maize from 1 acre of land, a fivefold increase over her previous poor harvests. Her large harvest enabled her to feed her three children, and to hire a tutor to give her children private lessons at home.

The Brazilian Spring

Brazil hosted – and won for the fourth time - the Confederation Cup last month, a sort of practice run for the FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil in 2014. But outside Maracana stadium in Rio and in several cities across the country, Brazilians took to the streets in what many consider the largest protest movement in Brazil in decades.

Food Transformation Technologies: A Bottom-Up Approach to Addressing Food Insecurity

Fatoumata Binta Sow is rather lucky, as far as African female farmers go.

Marriage, Fire and Errant Pols

The Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, giving new energy to the drive for same-sex marriage and guaranteeing that more states will legalize these marriages. This trend has economic as well as legal and romantic overtones, and the Midwest should pay attention.