Projects that empower people in developing countries with a means of expression are key to helping communities combat hunger and poverty themselves. Guest columnists Danielle Nierenberg and Molly Theobald argue that the people are capable and ready, they just need the tools.

Special to The Times

FOR most Seattle residents, global hunger seems like an impossible problem to solve. Reports of famine in Niger or the thousands at risk for starvation and malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, seem not only far away but impossible to change. A local organization, however, begs to differ.

The Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources in the COMESA Member States met in Lusaka, Zambia on 15^th July 2010 to review progress on the agricultural sector in the region. The Ministerial meeting was preceded by the third joint meeting of the Technical Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources which was held on 12 - 13 July 2010. The purpose of the technical meeting was to review the implementation of the regional agricultural, environmental and natural resources development programmes in the COMESA region and prepare a report for Ministers.

Dr David Kamchacha, FANRPAN Director of Inputs and Output Markets presented an overview of FANRPAN; this was then followed by a presentation on the project concept document by WARM Project Coordinator, Ms Sithembile Ndema. In her presentation she highlighted and the different roles of the partners and the linkages in terms of activities were clarified.