Matthew Borden Nuñez

Indonesia is losing more of its forests and, in Kalimantan, palm oil is contributing to increasing rates of forest loss. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a conservation scheme that harnesses market-based principles to internalize negative social and environmental externalities associated with palm oil production, through forest certification. To date, few studies use quantitative data to examine these certification schemes. This paper makes use of concession data and… Show more

Indonesia is losing more of its forests and, in Kalimantan, palm oil is contributing to increasing rates of forest loss. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a conservation scheme that harnesses market-based principles to internalize negative social and environmental externalities associated with palm oil production, through forest certification. To date, few studies use quantitative data to examine these certification schemes. This paper makes use of concession data and village-level environmental, economic, legal, and social data to identify correlates of RSPO in Kalimantan. Significant variables include: forest cover, total village carbon, average slope, proximity to markets, village protected areas, population density, and malnutrition. I find that RSPO concessions are generally correlated with suitable oil palm cultivation characteristics. However, RSPO concessions are somewhat correlated with higher total village carbon and negatively correlated with malnutrition, suggesting reduced potential for social and environmental co-benefits. The analysis reported here can be viewed as an important first stage in more targeted evaluations of RSPO and other certification schemes. Show less

This report focuses on Myanmar’s development because of its unique political and economic trajectory in a region marked by the resource curse and incomplete transitions to democracy. Myanmar is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. Depending on the strategies it implements to manage this growth, Myanmar can potentially develop in a way that addresses poverty, jobs, forests, and resilience—all major challenges to development. In other words, the world is watching Myanmar at the… Show more

This report focuses on Myanmar’s development because of its unique political and economic trajectory in a region marked by the resource curse and incomplete transitions to democracy. Myanmar is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. Depending on the strategies it implements to manage this growth, Myanmar can potentially develop in a way that addresses poverty, jobs, forests, and resilience—all major challenges to development. In other words, the world is watching Myanmar at the crossroads to observe if it chooses a pathway to sustainability, and if so, how its strategies may inform other countries’ transitions. Should Myanmar implement appropriate policies, it could serve as an example of sustainable development—that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs—for regional neighbors and other low and middle-income countries. Show less

This report describes how Indonesia is linked to the global economy and recommends an
upgrading strategy that fits in line with economic and industrialization goals. Using both Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis and natural resource economics, the report demonstrates how sustainable coffee interventions have attempted to, but often failed to, deliver social and environmental upgrading in Indonesia. The report proposes “Shade Grown Indonesia” as a reformed approach to sustainable coffee… Show more

This report describes how Indonesia is linked to the global economy and recommends an
upgrading strategy that fits in line with economic and industrialization goals. Using both Global Value Chain (GVC) analysis and natural resource economics, the report demonstrates how sustainable coffee interventions have attempted to, but often failed to, deliver social and environmental upgrading in Indonesia. The report proposes “Shade Grown Indonesia” as a reformed approach to sustainable coffee production based on the Chiapas coffee project. It recommends an intervention which requires partnership from the top-down and the bottom-up. It concludes by considering potential tradeoffs and obstacles. Show less

The team researched declining Millennial voter turnout at the municipal level for our client Common Cause North Carolina and designed a strategy to reverse the trend. Recommendations include: develop a more relevant, issue-based voter guide; engage Millennial voters using targeted person-to-person outreach; and test the strategy in select NC municipalities in preparation for 2016 elections. Research is based on empirical studies. The team presented its strategy to Common Cause North Carolina as… Show more

The team researched declining Millennial voter turnout at the municipal level for our client Common Cause North Carolina and designed a strategy to reverse the trend. Recommendations include: develop a more relevant, issue-based voter guide; engage Millennial voters using targeted person-to-person outreach; and test the strategy in select NC municipalities in preparation for 2016 elections. Research is based on empirical studies. The team presented its strategy to Common Cause North Carolina as its spring term consulting project. Show less

The team researched the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia and designed a treatment strategy for our mock client, Doctors Without Borders. Criteria include: reduce transmission during treatment, intervene in a timely manner, and improve quality of care to patients. The recommendation includes: train survivor community health workers, prepare to administer Ebola vaccines, and decentralize clinics & isolate confirmed cases. The team presented its strategy as its fall term… Show more

The team researched the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia and designed a treatment strategy for our mock client, Doctors Without Borders. Criteria include: reduce transmission during treatment, intervene in a timely manner, and improve quality of care to patients. The recommendation includes: train survivor community health workers, prepare to administer Ebola vaccines, and decentralize clinics & isolate confirmed cases. The team presented its strategy as its fall term consulting project. Show less

Indonesia is quickly depleting its non-renewable natural resources, especially its forests. The newly industrialized export-oriented economy, has, for decades, relied on unsustainable natural resource extraction to achieve robust economic growth between 5 and 6 percent in recent years. What’s more, many of the benefits generated from extraction leave the local communities, along with the resources, when they are exported. In this paper, I begin with a brief history of the export-oriented… Show more

Indonesia is quickly depleting its non-renewable natural resources, especially its forests. The newly industrialized export-oriented economy, has, for decades, relied on unsustainable natural resource extraction to achieve robust economic growth between 5 and 6 percent in recent years. What’s more, many of the benefits generated from extraction leave the local communities, along with the resources, when they are exported. In this paper, I begin with a brief history of the export-oriented economy and an evaluation of unsustainable natural resource management. Following, I discuss current trends in resource governance regimes and their implications for growth and human and labor rights. Specifically, I contrast a unilateral approach, including export taxes and bans, opposite a multilateral approach, such as a carbon-trading scheme. I evaluate two cases for effectiveness including, (1) Freeport and Newmont and the export ban, and (2) REDD+ in Indonesia. I conclude each case with a concrete and feasible reform proposal. Show less

Water Charity works with Peace Corps Volunteers to implement small, high-impact projects focusing on water and sanitation. At this vocational high school we built hand-washing stations and brought in health workers to present on the importance of hand washing.

Postcards to Java is a pen-pal project designed to begin dialogue between Indonesian students and people from other countries. The project presents students with an opportunity to apply their English language skills. Participants' messages will help promote a better understanding of Americans (and people from other countries) in Indonesia. Students' responses will help promote a better understanding of Indonesians abroad.

This study seeks to describe and analyze how Grameen Carso has been established, how it is currently operating, and what results the program has achieved in its first year of operations against program objectives announced in 2009.

The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods and discourse analysis to determine who Grameen Carso seeks out as borrowers and why. Indices of program impact and growth are measured and contextualized. Repayment rate and dropout rate are problematized… Show more

This study seeks to describe and analyze how Grameen Carso has been established, how it is currently operating, and what results the program has achieved in its first year of operations against program objectives announced in 2009.

The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods and discourse analysis to determine who Grameen Carso seeks out as borrowers and why. Indices of program impact and growth are measured and contextualized. Repayment rate and dropout rate are problematized. The study concludes with policy suggestions and suggestions for further research. Show less

This ethnographic work is a comparative study on microfinance as implemented by two distinct Mexican federal agencies with a common goal: economic development. This investigation focuses on how the agencies conceptualize development and practice microfinance in two sites in rural Oaxaca. Data was collected from experts, practitioners, and clients using both survey and interview.