Groundnut Trade Liberalization: Could the South Help the South?

This paper analyzes policies affecting global groundnut-products markets. The new US groundnut policy is now a minor source of distortion in world markets where India and China stand out as the major distorters. We analyze and quantify the effects of groundnut-products trade liberalization on consumer welfare and producer income. Our analysis shows that African exporters would gain significantly from reductions in protection and subsidies in India, and to a lesser extent, China, although Chinaï¾’s exports of food-quality groundnuts would expand dramatically. Net-importing OECD countries would suffer from higher world prices. The paper draws direct implications for the Doha trade negotiations.

THE IMPACT OF GROUNDNUT TRADE LIBERALIZATION: IMPLICATION FOR THE DOHA ROUND

We use a partial-equilibrium multi-market international model to analyze trade and agricultural policies affecting peanut/groundnut products markets. The model covers four goods (food and crush quality groundnuts, groundnut oil and cake) in 13 countries/regions including a large set of developing countries (Argentina, China, the Gambia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa). Welfare is evaluated by looking at the consumer's equivalent variation, quasi-profits in farming (groundnut farming, livestock), quasi-profit in crushing, and taxpayers' revenues and outlays implied by distortions. We calibrate the model on recent historical data. We analyze several groundnut trade liberalization scenarios. The impact of the reforms is measured in deviation from the recent historical baseline. Trade liberalization in groundnut markets has a strong South-South dimension opposing two large developing countries (India and China) to smaller developing countries mainly located in Africa. Current Chinese and Indian policies substantially depress the world prices of edible groundnuts, groundnut oil and groundnut meal. Following the removal of these distortions, African exporters present in these world markets would gain because they are net sellers of the cash crops. Consumers in China and India would be better off as well with lower consumer prices resulting from the removal of high tariffs more than offsetting the higher world prices of groundnut oil. The cost of adjustment would fall on farmers in India and China who would have to shift to other crops or activities. Crushing in India would also decrease because crushing margins would deteriorate. Net buyers of groundnut products in OECD countries will be worse off. We draw implications for Doha negotiations.International Relations/Trade,

Bis(trimethyl­ammonium) tetra­chlorido­diphenyl­stannate(IV)

The title compound, [(CH3)3NH]2[Sn(C6H5)2Cl4], consists of [(CH3)3NH]+ cations and [SnPh2Cl4]2− anions in which the Sn atom, located on a centre of inversion, is bonded to four Cl atoms and two phenyl rings, giving an octa­hedral geometry with the phenyl rings in trans positions. In the crystal, the cations and the anions are connected by N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯Cl inter­actions

Dicyclo­hexyl­ammonium trimethyl­bis­(hydrogen phenyl­phospho­nato)stannate(IV)

In the title compound, (C12H24N)[Sn(CH3)3(C6H6O3P)2], the SnMe3 residues are axially coordinated by two monodentate [PhPO3H]− anions, leading to a trigonal–bipyramidal geometry for the SnIV atom. The two [SnMe3(PhPO3H)2]− anions in the unit cell are associated into infinite chains along the a axis by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the hy­droxy group of the hydrogen phenyl­phospho­nate ion. The chains inter­act with one another via O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds along the c axis. These networks of anions assemble with the dicyclo­hexyl­ammonium ion through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network

Pan-Africanism: a contorted delirium or a pseudonationalist paradigm? Revivalist critique

This essaic-article goes against established conventions that there is anything ethno-cultural (and hence national) about the so-called African tribes. Drawing largely from the culture history of precolonial/prepolitical Africans—that is, the Bantu/Cushitic-Ethiopians (Azanians)—the author has demonstrated vividly that far from being distinct ethno-culture national communities, the so-called tribes of African states are better considered subculture groups, whose regional culture practices erstwhile paid tribute to their nation’s main culture center in Karnak. For example, using the culture symbols and practices of some local groups and linking them to the predynastic and dynastic Pharaonic periods, I argued that there is compelling evidence against qualifying Africa’s tribes as distinct ethno-culture national entities. In genuine culture context, I stressed that the Ritual of Resurrection and its twin culture process of the mummification of deceased indigenous Pharaohs tend to suggest that the object of the Bantu/Cushitic-Ethiopians national culture was life (in its eternal manifestation) and then resurrection later, and that there are recurring (culturally sanctioned) ethical examples among the culture custodians of these subculture groups that generally pay tribute to the overarching culture norm. Furthermore, the fact that the Ritual of Resurrection began in the Delta region and ended at the Sources of the Nile, where the spirit of the deceased indigenous Pharaohs was introduced into the spiritual world of their ancestors, contradicts conventional perceptions that ancient Egypt was a distinct national community isolated from precolonial/prepolitical Africa/Azania

catena-Poly[[triphenyl­tin(IV)]-μ-phenyl­phosphinato-κ2 O:O′]

In the structure of the title coordination polymer, [Sn(C6H5)3(C6H6O2P)]n or [PhP(H)O2SnIV(Ph)3]n, the SnIV atom is five-coordinate, with the SnC3O2 framework in a trans trigonal–bipyramidal arrangement having the PhP(H)O2 − anions in apical positions. In the crystal, neighbouring polymer chains are linked via C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming a two-dimensional network lying parallel to (001)

Aspects géologiques et géomorphologiques de la Casamance : étude de la sédimentation actuelle

Après une synthèse des données géologiques et géomorphologiques de la région de Basse Casamance où il apparaît que les variations du niveau marin et les variations climatiques au cours du Quaternaire récent ont une part essentielle dans l'évolution du modelé des paysages, l'étude de la sédimentation actuelle est abordée à partir de prélèvement effectués sur une série de profils bathymétriques dans les cent derniers kilomètres du fleuve Casamance entre Adéane et l'embouchure. Cette approche nous permet de définir ensuite les principaux faciès et leurs aires de répartition. Trois zones apparaissent : un domaine maritime où domine un sable marin unimodal; un domaine intermédiaire où les apports marins et continentaux, brassés par les courants de marée donnent des sédiments plus hétérogènes souvent riches en sables grossiers dans les fonds de chenaux; et un domaine continental caractérisé par une dominance des limons fins. (Résumé d'auteur

Urban sprawl development and flooding at Yeumbeul suburb (Dakar-Senegal)

Rapid development of urban centers in Africa is becoming a serious challenge for the coming decades with a wide range of foreseen social, economical and environmental implications. With the natural growth of the population, urban demography has been boosted by rural exodus triggered by serious droughts and increasing rural poverty. With the small resources available for an adequate urban management and the lack of efficient urban policy, Dakar capital of Senegal is characterized by an out of control urbanization process. Among the many impacts noted, flooding has appeared recently as a major threat for poor population leaving in the suburbs of Dakar. This study carried out at the outskirts of the town, in Yeumbeul District (17°24’ North, 14°46’ West), tries from rainfall variability, Digital Terrain Model and land cover change analysis since 1954 to track the interactions between natural and human causes of flooding occurring regularly since 1989. This integrated approach shows that the flooding process is not a mere climate variability related issue, it is tightly bound with poor urban management and occupation of irregular, unsuited land devoted to natural process. Satisfaction of housing needs was, for most poor rural dwellers, only possible through informal land markets, forcing them to settle in cheap yet risky lands. The recent extreme rainfall events reveal that most of these urban sprawls are located in flood prone areas. Environmental impacts of these flooded settlements have been examined. Serious flooding of 2005 has been a great momentum for the State and several other stakeholders to initiate various strategies that are discussed in this paper.Key words: Flooding, rural migration, irregular settlements, Dakar, Senegal