1. Maintain the maximum level of genetic diversity in crops and seedbanks providing options for developing future strains.
2. Understand more about the physiology of drought and heat resistance in plants - maize, beans, legumes, sorghum, millet - anything which grows in an environment subject to drought.
3. Take genes for heat tolerance and put in crops.

An estimated 600,000 migrant workers have left Guangdong Province due to unemployment since the start of the worldwide financial crisis according to Huang Yunlong, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province. Information from the Guangdong Statistics Bureau indicates that - 100,600 companies were started in 2008, while 62,400 companies had been shut down. Meanwhile, Guangdong has been trying to improve conditions for migrant workers. In 2008, 10.55 million migrant workers had joined medical insurance schemes, 13.5 million are included in work injury insurance and 4.58 million joined unemployment insurance programs. More here.

Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) demonstrated at the New World China Land Hong Kong office to protest labour rights violations on 6 January. According to a report released by SACOM, the company had shown no respect for Chinese Labour Law and there are 10 common violations at New World construction sites, including: Lack of signed labour contracts with construction workers; harsh monetary punishment system; long working hours and compulsory overtime work, etc. New World China Land has responded that the main contractors or sub-contractors are responsible for the violations mentioned in the report but they value the findings of the report and had immediately carried out an investigation into the case.

Asia must act quickly to prevent millions of children dropping out of school to go to work as the global economic crisis worsens, a rights expert has warned. June Kane, an independent adviser to the United Nations said: "We can respond to the economic crisis, particularly amongst the poor and vulnerable families, by giving them incentives to send their children to school, whether they are cash incentives or feeding programs." While research showing a direct link between economic crises and a rise in child labor remains scant, Kane said governments should implement measures now to curb any potential impact. More here.

In another story most of the 226 construction workers from China, who showed up at the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) office last week over salary disputes with their employers, have accepted a settlement and are staying on here. Their complaint was that they had not been paid most of their salaries since September and that their employers, Zhonghe Huaxing Development and China Nuclear Industry Huaxing Construction, had attempted to slash their net salaries unilaterally. With the ministry stepping in to mediate, the employers agreed to bank the September salaries and pay the rest of the money by Chinese New Year, which is on January 26 this year. These issues are also highlighted in an article in our newsletter this week.

Over the last 2 days, stories in The Straits Times have highlighted the growing woes of migrant workers in Singapore. In an earlier story on December 18, Today had reported on Bangladeshi workers being abandoned by their employer. As of 6 January and after a two-week deadline, Tipper Corps' workers have not received a cent of their unpaid salary. According to the company's director Loke Siew Fai, the firm appealed to the Manpower Ministry (MOM) yesterday for another month to pay the monies owed. It said it is waiting for the subcontractors to hand over the passports, time sheets and all documents relating to the 180 workers, and another 420 workers who were subcontracted to them. More here.

Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business released their social responsibility report, becoming the first business school in releasing such report in mainland China. This social responsibility report represents a record of the School’s efforts to assume its educational and other social responsibilities for the sake of sustainable development and to become a new generation business school with global competitiveness. The report also includes their viewpoints on social responsibility as well as their efforts in philanthropy. More information in English and Chinese, download the report here (bilingual)