Bester News

Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, today produces a small but important portion of the world's coffee.  The U.S. Agency for International Development is helping Ethiopian growers fill the global niche for exquisite, high-end coffees that bring premium prices.

Less than a month after officials from countries around the world met in Washington for the White House Summit on International Development, another group of leaders is meeting to discuss financial turmoil that could derail critical progress made to date on diseases that threaten global health and security.

President Bush says that among the most powerful experiences of his presidency is witnessing a new and more hopeful era dawning in Africa. “Over the past eight years, it's been moving to watch courageous Africans root out corruption, and open up their economies, and invest in the prosperity of their people,” he says.

Dairy production is spreading among Ethiopian farmers, increasing rural incomes and improving nutrition.  A joint project by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the American dairy company Land O’Lakes is focusing on developing Ethiopia’s dairy industry.

Most emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses — animal diseases that can be transmitted to people — and can arise anywhere in the world that wild animals and people interact. Google.org is supporting efforts to identify hot spots where such diseases are most likely to emerge.

Ethiopian schools are revamping the educational process to emphasize greater student and parent participation and to reduce the role of teacher-based lectures.  The U.S. Agency for International Development supports the educational reforms with expertise and money.

The relationship between people and pandemics is evolving — from plague in the 1340s and influenza in 1918 to the current hard-fought standoff among birds and people in outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu. America.gov talks to the experts about the next logical step: prevention.

While people throughout the world celebrate Obama’s victory as a significant moment in U.S. history, perhaps no country is as excited for Obama as Kenya. The home country of Obama’s father has followed the Illinois senator’s campaign closely, viewing him as one of its own.

The new U.S. military command for Africa will remain headquartered in Germany for the foreseeable future as it partners with Africans to address the persistent challenges of the continent.  Security reform is key to AFRICOM’s success because security is a precondition to successful economic development.

Ethiopia produces high-grade finished leather products as part of its national development strategy.  Ladies' handbags and other accessories bearing the Taytu name sell in global fashion centers.  Ethiopian shoes will appear in U.S. and European markets in the coming year.