Worldwide, nearly 1.1 billion people live with a vision impairment, and 90 percent of these cases are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. In India, specifically, more than 137 million people experience near vision loss and 79 million suffer from impairment. Yet, the reality is that 90 percent of vision loss is avoidable, and currently, […]

Of the 1.3 billion tons of food that is lost or wasted each year, 25 percent comes from South and Southeast Asia, according to a study conducted by the nonprofit institute Future Directions International. In Manila, capital city of the Philippines, 2,175 tons of food scraps end up in the garbage daily. Although disheartening and […]

Since the 1950s, the rate of plastic production has grown faster than that of any other material, with an estimated 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste produced since that time, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Today, 300 million tons of plastic waste is created every year, a significant portion of which is single-use, […]

Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and more specifically in Tunisia, livestock breeding is facing challenges. Given the region’s climatic and geographic constraints, arable land is decreasing, meaning countries must import more raw material — mostly soy and corn — for cattle feed. Yet, with a small market and a dearth of […]

Every year, the coasts of Puerto Rico experience a buildup of excess sargassum, a type of brown seaweed. Its decomposition creates a rotten smell that discourages tourism and negatively impacts the economy. Not only a stinky nuisance, the buildup of sargassum also has negative consequences for marine and human life. Decreased water oxygen levels coincide […]

Around the world, financial barriers, poor education and stigma force many people into period poverty. Defined as inadequate access to menstrual products and education, period poverty is experienced by nearly 25 percent of all people who have periods, according to the charitable organization Days for Girls. That’s more than 500 million people who lack access […]

According to the United Nations Environment Program, approximately one-third of the 1.3 billion tons of food produced globally every year is wasted. This results in not only food wasted that could have nourished some of the estimated 8.9 percent of the world population who go hungry every year but also the unnecessary production of greenhouse […]