In rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), agriculture remains the most important source of income. In the region, 54.6 % of the rural labor force engages in agricultural production and reaches more than 80 % in Andean countries such as Bolivia or Peru. The majority of this group are smallholder farmers, who are also the most likely to face poverty and food … [Read more...] about Land and empowerment: The importance of female land ownership for food security
Maja Schling
Maja Schling is an economist in the Environment, Rural Development, and Disaster Risk Management Division (RND) of the Inter-American Development Bank. She has substantial work and research experience in international development, specifically in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, and climate change. In the last five years, she has been involved in the design and implementation of impact evaluations for numerous agricultural and natural resource projects throughout the LAC region, including animal and plant health projects in Brazil and Mexico, agricultural extension programs in Guyana and Argentina, and a coastal protection program in Barbados. Her work currently focuses on incorporating innovative data sources and methodologies into evaluation strategies to capture all possible dimensions of impact – economic, social, and environmental – with the goal of improving the effectiveness of future interventions. Prior to joining the IDB, Maja obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from American University, and worked with the NGO Impact Network to evaluate their schooling program in rural Zambia.
Conservation vs. growth? An evaluation in Peru shows that economic growth and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand
In Latin America, natural resource extraction and economic growth are inextricably linked. However, the exploitation of precious metals and hydrocarbon can also cause devastating environmental damage. A new evaluation of Peru’s largest energy project highlights the important role that environmental safeguards play in mitigating some of the ecological risks while still promoting … [Read more...] about Conservation vs. growth? An evaluation in Peru shows that economic growth and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand