links for 2009-11-03

• The Fun Theory
  Initiative to promote change for the better by making things fun. The front page videos include an arcade like bottle-bank; piano stairs to encourage them over escalator and a bin that sounds like it's bottomless.
  (tags: design video technology socialmedia environment humor education)
• Saudi Arabia, Turkey to map out cooperation
  - "Saudi Arabia and Turkey will hold talks to map out a future strategy for cooperation in the agriculture sector on Tuesday. The talks, to be held within the framework of a major initiative launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to ensure food security, will be led by Minister of Agriculture Fahd Balghunaim, while Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mehdi Eker will attend from the Turkish side."
  - "The move is significant keeping in view the Kingdom's efforts to ensure food security, which has led to the acquisition of farmlands in several countries and the formation of joint agriculture projects with partners abroad.

  Turkey, today, has emerged as one of the most favorite destinations for Saudi investments in agriculture projects. Turkey is one of the few self-sufficient countries in the world in terms of food. It's fertile soil, adequate climate, and abundant rainfall permit the farming of almost all kinds of crops."

  (tags: food food-security food-crisis agriculture turkey saudi-arabia)
• Global protocol could limit Sub-Saharan land grab | Business | guardian.co.uk
  Aggressive moves [..] to buy vast tracts of agricultural land in sub-Saharan Africa could soon be limited by a new global international protocol.
  The [FAO], [UNCTAD] and the World Bank are now discussing a new code of conduct for land buyers in Africa. Amid increasing concerns over food security, it could include ensuring consent is given prior to selling land from local people as well as ensuring smallholders do not lose out. A first draft is expected to be released next spring.

  Earlier this year, legendary hedge fund speculator George Soros highlighted a new farmland buying frenzy caused by growing population, scarce water supplies and climate change. [..] He said: "I'm convinced that farmland is going to be one of the best investments of our time. Eventually, of course, food prices will get high enough that the market probably will be flooded with supply through development of new land or technology or both, and the bull market will end. But that's a long ways away yet."

  (tags: food food-security food-crisis development international)