18 April 2008
This Week from Washington - April 16
Podcast on U.S. society and foreign policy issues
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This is an issue update from America.gov.
This week we discuss global commodity prices, rescuing child soldiers, and the use of branding in international trade.
The worsening global food crisis has led President Bush to order an estimated $200 million in emergency U.S. food assistance. The measure will go to global relief efforts.
Rising commodity prices are leading to political instability in some regions. International food aid programs have called urgently for donors to meet food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere.
In recent weeks, the largest international organizations and economic bodies, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, have recognized the potential impact of rising food prices. The World Bank estimates that 33 countries face civil unrest because of rising food and energy prices.
The United States is the largest provider of general food aid, providing more than $2 billion for 78 developing countries in 2007. The United States Agency for International Development has sought to invest in agricultural production in developing countries as a major strategy for increased food availability. By working through local partners, U.S. officials have introduced new technologies and strategies.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the price rises are due to a combination of factors, including reduced production because of climate change, historically low levels of food stocks, higher consumption of meat and dairy products in emerging economies, increased demand for biofuels production, and the higher cost of energy and transportation.
The use of child soldiers is one of the most tragic results of civil wars in Africa. Frightened children, often victims of violence, are pressed into service for various forces. The traumatic experience leaves the children with deep psychological scars.
But some organizations are helping to give former child soldiers a brighter future. The United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, operates a nongovernmental organization known as “Children Associated with the War.” Many former child soldiers have passed through the program and have gone on to receive an education and, in turn, help other child soldiers.
According to experts, those responsible for violence in African civil wars find that child soldiers are quite effective as a weapon. Often, they are indoctrinated with certain beliefs and given narcotics, with the result that extreme violence becomes very easy for them. Former soldiers say that governments or rebel groups that use children don’t talk about it much, because they don’t want to admit their dismal human rights record.
Despite claims to the contrary, former child combatants can live meaningful lives, with care and support.
An enduring commercial symbol in the United States is Juan Valdez, the trademark of Colombian coffee. The Juan Valdez trademark brings premium prices on world markets, in large part because of Colombia's effective marketing and a copyrighted logo in global trade.
Colombia's success in the global coffee trade holds lessons for other developing countries. Trademark and brand strategy are important sources of competitive advantage. At the root of these marketing strategies is intellectual property protection, which can be used not only to promote global corporations, but also to advance entire industries in developing countries.
As far back as 1959, the Colombian Federation of Coffee Growers had the idea of promoting Colombian coffee to Americans. The following year, the fictional Juan Valdez -- wearing his sombrero and leading his mule, Conchita -- appeared on American television. The two have been commercial fixtures ever since.
Today, 95 percent of American and Canadian coffee drinkers are aware that Colombia grows coffee, and Juan Valdez is a familiar name to almost 80 percent of Americans. Consumers in Europe and the Far East now are exposed to the Colombian coffee campaign on a regular basis.
This podcast is produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Links to other Internet sites or opinions expressed should not be considered an endorsement of other content and views.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
