Whose Power to Control? Some Reflections on Seed Systems and Food Security in a Changing World

Four key words are essential in understanding the changing global food system: power, control, risks and benefits. The interplay between state and private actors vying to influence the direction of change, and use whatever tools for control they can, is at the heart of the contention for the future control of food. It is one shaped by history and influenced by a changing geopolitics. This interplay has led to the creation of a range of global rules affecting food, agriculture and biodiversity in which those on ‘intellectual property’ or IP are central. These rules come from a system dominated by the interests of the biggest players. Also important are the changing understandings and nature of food security and the pathways to innovation in agri?food systems that are most likely to lead to a just, healthy and sustainable future for all. Developments in food and farming are central to this and are the context in which the political economy of cereal seed systems in Africa is grounded

The World of Organic Agriculture - Statistics and Emerging Trends 2009

The 2009 edition of this annual publication documents recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area under organic management, numbers of farms and specific information about commodities and land use in organic systems. The book also contains information on the global market of the burgeoning organic sector, the latest developments in organic certification, standards and regulations, and insights into current status and emerging trends for organic agriculture by continent

Can Payments Improve Environmental Services on Farmland?

The ILEA paper compares the ecosystem services in the Gafsa oasis in Tunisia, provided by mono-cropping families with those of multi-cropping families. it contains an hypothesises about what impacts various PES mechanisms – direct payments and subsidies; ecolabels; and tax mechanisms and tradable permits -  might have and draws lessons from that

Working Group “Blue”. Promotion of Low-INput Danube Agriculture in the Mura River Basin (LINDA)

Agriculture is one of the major sources of pollution of the surface water and groundwater of the Danube River Basin. Lying at the intersection of three countries – Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia, together with its transboundary groundwater body, the Mura River Basin represents a challenging pilot area with extensive agriculture. This project aims to reduce agricultural water pollution in the Mura River Basin by introducing low-input sustainable agriculture. The project will: (a) consolidate expert knowledge on low-input sustainable agricultural practices suitable for the Mura River Basin; (b) develop guidelines on the promotion of low-input agricultural practices and (c) promote their adoption by the legislatures of the three participating countries

Abkürzungsverzeichnis

Der 2008 in Johannesburg (Republik Südafrika) verabschiedete Weltagrarbericht (International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development [IAASTD]) ist Resultat einer bislang einmaligen kooperativen Anstrengung von UN- und anderen internationalen Organisationen, 60 Regierungen und mehr als 400 Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern aus allen Erdregionen. Ein Globaler Bericht und fünf Regionale Berichte stellen die wesentlichen heutigen Probleme von Landwirtschaft, Ernährung, Umwelt und menschlicher Gesundheit dar und zeigen Möglichkeiten auf, wie die dringend gebotene Wende zu langfristig umwelt- und sozial gerechter Entwicklung und zur Sicherung der Ernährung einer wachsenden Weltbevölkerung praktisch zu erreichen ist. Der jetzt in deutscher Sprache veröffentlichte Synthesebericht fasst die zentralen Analysen und Optionen zusammen. Ebenfalls in deutscher Sprache erschienen ist der "Bericht zu Afrika südlich der Sahara".The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development[IAASTD] adopted in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2008, is the result of a unique cooperative effort by UN and other international organizations, 60 governments and more than 400 scientists from all over the world. A Global Report and five Regional Reports describe the main problems facing agriculture, food, the environment and human health today and show how the urgent need for a turnaround towards sustainable, environmentally and socially equitable development and food security for a growing world population can be achieved in practice. The synthesis report now published in German summarizes the central analyses and options