Middle East/Africa

Can the World Feed Itself? Historic Fertilizer Crunch Threatens Food Security

May 5, 2022

For the first time ever, farmers the world over — all at the same time — are testing the limits of how little chemical fertilizer they can apply without devastating their yields come harvest time. Early predictions are bleak.

Getting the COVID-19 Vaccines to Developing Countries

January 24, 2022

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

As of mid-December, 61.4% of Americans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — a rate that disease experts say is inadequate to eradicate the virus. But it’s far better than the shockingly low numbers of some developing countries, where vaccination rates are still in the single digits.

Nightmare Vaccine Logistics Are Prolonging the Global Pandemic

January 20, 2022

Bloomberg

Lack of supply was the biggest threat initially to the vaccination programs of developing nations. Now, it’s logistics.

Clean Energy Shift Doesn't Threaten Saudi Arabia's Oil Empire

January 14, 2022

Helen Atkinson, Senior Editor

Most transportation today relies on hydrocarbon fuel sources. And despite dreams of a green energy revolution, that’s not likely to change in the near future, according to one of America's foremost experts on Saudi Arabia.

Once-Stuck Ship Gets Another Chance for Passage Through the Suez Canal

December 9, 2021

Bloomberg

Less than nine months after getting stuck in the Suez Canal, the Ever Given appears ready to give the northbound passage another try.

THE SCB PODCAST

Podcast | Human Rights in the DRC’s ‘Artisanal’ Cobalt Mines

December 3, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Are workers’ rights in the mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo being sacrificed to the world’s hunger for cobalt?

How Farmers Around the World Are Battling ‘Post-Apocalyptic’ Food Crisis

November 18, 2021

Bloomberg

The world is facing a new era of rapidly increasing food prices that could push almost 2 billion more people into hunger in a worst-case climate crisis. Confronting the dire predictions, farmers have begun to adapt.

From Nairobi to Ningbo: The Supply Shocks Spanning Globe

September 29, 2021

Bloomberg

From high-class problems to difficulties finding life’s necessities, the pandemic has convulsed global supply chains on such a scale that few industries, socio-economic classes or regions are immune.

Africa's New Trade Bloc Could Take Years to Benefit Sub-Saharan Nations

September 22, 2021

Afke Zeilstra, SCB Contributor

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that came into effect in January has opened growth opportunities for both African and non-African companies, but implementation remains challenging.

China Eyes Afghanistan’s $1 Trillion of Minerals With Risky Bet on Taliban

August 25, 2021

Bloomberg

Afghanistan is sitting on deposits estimated to be worth $1 trillion or more, including what may be the world’s largest lithium reserves — if anyone can get them out of the ground.

Middle East/Africa

The latest supply chain news, analysis, trends and best practices for companies operating in the Middle East and Africa. The Middle Eastern region consists of 18 countries that stretch from the western borders of Turkey and Egypt to the eastern edges of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Learn how businesses are optimizing supply chain and logistics performance in these regions, addressing a range of challenges such as poor infrastructure, complex customs and tax laws, unstable political climates and government controlled exchange rates - as well as capitalizing on new land and labor opportunities, particularly across Africa.