Compulsory Translation
There was, last week, a glimmer of hope in the world food crisis. Expecting a bumper harvest, Ukraine relaxed restrictions on exports. Overnight, global wheat prices fell by 10 percent.
By contrast, traders in Bangkok quote rice prices around $1,000 a ton, up from $460 two months ago.
Such is the volatility of today’s markets. We do not know how high food prices might go, nor how far they could fall. But one thing is certain: We have gone from an era of plenty to one of scarcity. Experts agree that food prices are not likely to return to the levels the world had grown accustomed to any time soon.
Imagine the situation of those living on less than $1 a day - the “bottom billion,” the poorest of the world’s poor. Most live in Africa, and many might typically spend two-thirds of their income on food.
In Liberia last week, I heard how people have stopped purchasing imported rice by the bag. Instead, they increasingly buy it by the cup, because that’s all they can afford.
Traveling though West Africa, I found good reason for optimism. In Burkina Faso, I saw a government working to import drought resistant seeds and better manage scarce water supplies, helped by nations like Brazil. In Ivory Coast, we saw a women’s cooperative running a chicken farm set up with UN funds. The project generated income - and food - for villagers in ways that can easily be replicated.
Elsewhere, I saw yet another women’s group slowly expanding their local agricultural production, with UN help. Soon they will replace World Food Program rice with their own home-grown produce, sufficient to cover the needs of their school feeding program.
These are home-grown, grass-roots solutions for grass-roots problems - precisely the kind of solutions that Africa needs.
Compulsory Translation “中國制造”模式遭遇發(fā)展瓶頸，這種模式必須要改進和提高。一些外國人認為，“中國制造”大約就是質量低下的代名詞。不可否認，少數(shù)產品的確存在質量問題，讓大多數(shù)價廉質優(yōu)的產品代其受罪。
質量是產品的生命線。隨著外國市場的夸大，中國企業(yè)也意識到質量的重要性。因此一場旨在提高質量，提供優(yōu)良服務的運動正在興起。
在傳統(tǒng)的制造業(yè)中，中國企業(yè)通過技術創(chuàng)新和質量管理，為國際市場提供高質量的產品。在新興的信息產業(yè)，中國企業(yè)以高科技為師，增強和外國企業(yè)的交流與合作，提高產品質量。
近幾年來，中國政府通過立法和社會監(jiān)督保證產品質量，創(chuàng)造全社會重視產品問題的環(huán)境。
“中國制造”模式遭遇發(fā)展瓶頸，這種模式必須要改進和提高。一些外國人認為，“中國制造”大約就是質量低下的代名詞。不可否認，少數(shù)產品的確存在質量問題，讓大多數(shù)價廉質優(yōu)的產品代其受罪。
質量是產品的生命線。隨著外國市場的夸大，中國企業(yè)也意識到質量的重要性。因此一場旨在提高質量，提供優(yōu)良服務的運動正在興起。
在傳統(tǒng)的制造業(yè)中，中國企業(yè)通過技術創(chuàng)新和質量管理，為國際市場提供高質量的產品。在新興的信息產業(yè)，中國企業(yè)以高科技為師，增強和外國企業(yè)的交流與合作，提高產品質量。
近幾年來，中國政府通過立法和社會監(jiān)督保證產品質量，創(chuàng)造全社會重視產品問題的環(huán)境。
