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 “中国制造”模式遭遇发展瓶颈，这种模式必须要改进和提高。一些外国人认为，“中国制造”大约就是质量低下的代名词。不可否认，少数产品的确存在质量问题，让大多数价廉质优的产品代其受罪。
质量是产品的生命线。随着外国市场的夸大，中国企业也意识到质量的重要性。因此一场旨在提高质量，提供优良服务的运动正在兴起。
在传统的制造业中，中国企业通过技术创新和质量管理，为国际市场提供高质量的产品。在新兴的信息产业，中国企业以高科技为师，增强和外国企业的交流与合作，提高产品质量。
近几年来，中国政府通过立法和社会监督保证产品质量，创造全社会重视产品问题的环境。
“中国制造”模式遭遇发展瓶颈，这种模式必须要改进和提高。一些外国人认为，“中国制造”大约就是质量低下的代名词。不可否认，少数产品的确存在质量问题，让大多数价廉质优的产品代其受罪。
质量是产品的生命线。随着外国市场的夸大，中国企业也意识到质量的重要性。因此一场旨在提高质量，提供优良服务的运动正在兴起。
在传统的制造业中，中国企业通过技术创新和质量管理，为国际市场提供高质量的产品。在新兴的信息产业，中国企业以高科技为师，增强和外国企业的交流与合作，提高产品质量。
近几年来，中国政府通过立法和社会监督保证产品质量，创造全社会重视产品问题的环境。
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