A study of 653 Ugandan common bean farmers finds that belonging to a digital market-linkage network significantly increases farmers' ability to act collectively, especially in group marketing, but this boost in "collective agency" is not shared equally between men and women. 

Across both networked and non-networked farmer groups, men consistently reported greater confidence in taking on leadership roles and higher rates of collective marketing than women; network membership did not close this gap and, on some measures, appeared to widen it. 

While network membership improved collective agency overall and was positively associated with women's agency, these gains were insufficient to eliminate underlying gender inequalities in leadership and participation. 

The researchers conclude that market-access programs alone cannot deliver gender equality in agriculture, a finding that lands directly in 2026, the UN-designated International Year of the Woman Farmer, which is calling for this kind of deliberate, gender-transformative action. 

Kyoto, Japan -- Massive storms like the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, that cause over $100 billion in damage, were once considered once-in-a-lifetime events. Increasingly, however, they are becoming the norm: a direct result of climate change, which has made large storms more frequent, intense, and slower-moving, deepening their impact.

Hurricanes can damage homes through flooding and strong winds, and insurance claims target both. After the 2022 Hurricane Ian, for example, 44 percent of insurance claims were for flooding and 56 percent were for wind damage. Yet most economic research focuses on flooding because elevation data and hydrological models can predict flood extent, whereas identifying the location and severity of wind damage across a wide area has posed a particular challenge.

Unlike flooding, there is nothing like a dam or levee that can shield an entire community from wind, so the responsibility falls almost entirely on individual homeowners. To mitigate wind damage, Florida enacted the 2001 Florida Building Code -- 2001 FBC -- which required new and re-roofed homes to use stronger roof-to-wall connections, thicker roof decking, and even impact-resistant windows and doors in some areas. Many homeowners had to spend thousands of dollars to reinforce a roof or install impact-resistant features, yet whether these preventative measures proved to be worth the average cost of about $4,930 had remained unclear.

Optica will host the Global Photonics Economic Forum (GPEF) 2026 on 24–25 September in Málaga, Spain, bringing together over 400 executive leaders, investors, and policymakers. As the premier event dedicated to the business and economic future of photonics, GPEF 2026 will explore key drivers like AI infrastructure, quantum tech, supply chain resilience, and market investment. Featuring C-suite speakers from Arista Networks, Lumentum, ams OSRAM, and Coherent, the forum includes high-level discussions, networking, and the 2026 Optica i4 Prize celebration. Early Bird registration rates end 04 September 2026.

The effects of proposed reforms to Phase IV of the Korean Emissions Trading Scheme on Korea’s electricity market remain poorly understood. In a new study, researchers developed and applied an integrated modeling framework to simulate the effects. They found that changing benchmarking mechanisms alone is insufficient to drive decarbonization. It should also be combined with expanded auctioning, higher carbon pricing, and complementary support systems to make a large-scale economic and environmental impact.

Three factors—spectacular images, a high death toll and strong personal ties—make it more likely that the media in one country will report on a natural disaster in another, according to a study by the University of Bonn, the University of Warwick and Imperial College London, which has now been published in the journal “Nature Human Behaviour.” The data also shows that droughts and flooding—two of the biggest effects of climate change—are considered particularly un-newsworthy, which could be one explanation for why many people are still underestimating the impact of the greenhouse effect.