Agriculture and Food

'Gender and Governance in Rural Services' provides policy-relevant knowledge on strategies to improve agricultural and rural service delivery with a focus on providing more equitable access to these services, especially for women. It focuses India, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and focuses on two public services: agricultural extension, as an example of an agricultural service, and on drinking water, as an example of rural service that is not directly related to agriculture but is of high relevance for rural women. It provides empirical microlevel evidence on how different accountability mechanisms for agricultural advisory services and drinking water provision work in practice, and analyzes factors that influence the suitability of different governance reform strategies that aim at making service provision more gender responsive. It presents major findings from the quantitative and qualitative research conducted under the project in the three countries, which are analyzed in a qualitative way to identify major patterns of accountability routes in agricultural and rural service provision and to assess their gender dimension. The book is intended for use by a wide audience interested in agricultural and rural service provision, including researchers, members of the public administration, policy makers, and staff from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international development agencies who are involved in the design and management of reform efforts, projects, and programs dealing with rural service provision.

Bioenergy has been critically important since our ancestors first used wood to cook their food and stay warm at night. Traditional forms of bioenergy, firewood and cow dung patties, remain primary fuel sources for many rural and poor people. More modern sources of bioenergy-including ethanol and biodiesel for transport and wood pellets for heating, among many others-offer great promise but generate great controversy. This book gives an overview of bioenergy developments. It examines the main issues and possible socioeconomic implications of these developments, as well as their potential impacts on land use and the environment, especially with respect to forests. The authors present an introduction to bioenergy, provide a background and overview of solid biomass and liquid biofuels, and examine the opportunities and challenges at the regional and country levels. They also examine potential impacts for specific types of bioenergy. 'Bioenergy Development' does not attempt to be definitive on such subjects as the impact of bioenergy on food prices, but it does suggest the tradeoffs that need to be examined when considering bioenergy policies. The authors offer five main findings: • Solid biomass will continue to provide a principal source of energy and should not be overlooked. • There will be major land-use implications resulting from bioenergy developments. • It is critical to consider tradeoffs-including those related to poverty, equity, and the environment-when considering bioenergy policies. • There is considerable potential for an increased use of forestry and timber waste as a bioenergy feedstock. • The climate change impacts of bioenergy development are uncertain, and highly specific to location and feedstock.

In the ongoing Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, developing countries have had much greater leverage, due at least in part to their large and growing share of world trade. But will the increased influence of developing countries translate into a final agreement that is truly more development-friendly? What would be key ingredients in such a final outcome of the negotiations, and what would the developing countries really get out of it. This two volume set seeks to answer these questions. This volume (Volume 1) is issues-oriented. It takes up some key questions in the negotiations, setting the stage with a historical overview of the Doha Development Agenda to help identify issues of most significance to developing countries, and then explores select issues in greater depth. Volume 2 addresses the question of how a development-friendly outcome to the talks would affect developing countries by quantifying the impact of multilateral trade reform. It presents several different approaches to modeling the effects of the outcome of negotiations, and then investigates why these (and other) modeling efforts produce such divergent results. Aimed at policymakers and stakeholders, this two-volume effort puts into the public domain important analytical work that will improve the chance for a pro-development outcomes of the Doha round negotiations.

This report investigates how digital technologies can accelerate the transformation of the agrifood system. It explores tech's potential to promote efficiency, equity and environmental sustainability in the food system, as well as its potential risks. It also identifies how public policy can spur the digital transformation of the agrifood system.

Food safety hazards are increasingly being recognized as a major public health problem worldwide, yet among developing countries, there is limited understanding of the wider-ranging socio-economic costs of unsafe food and the benefits of remedial or preventative measures. This limited evidence base has led many countries to underinvest in food safety, or invest inefficiently in reaction to serious outbreaks of foodborne illness, other food scares, or trade interruptions. For many countries experiencing rapid urbanization and dietary changes, the growing complexity of food safety hazards is outpacing if not overwhelming prevailing food safety management capacity-both in government and in supply chains. This report strengthens the economic case for increased public investment and other policy attention on food safety in developing countries. It is directed primarily at policy-makers, although researchers, development practitioners and food safety specialists will also find its content of value. By synthesizing and interpreting the available evidence on the economic costs of unsafe food in relation to both domestic markets and trade, the report positions food safety as an integral part of economic development and food system modernization. It goes on to provide guidance on ways in which public policy and investment can improve food safety awareness and behavior from farm to fork.

Aquaculture-the farming of fish and aquatic plants-has become the world's fastest-growing food production sector, even as the amount of wild fish caught in our seas and freshwaters declines. From fish foods and pharmaceuticals to management of entire aquatic ecosystems, acquaculture is truly changing the face of the waters. Increased growth, however, brings increased risk, and aquaculture now lies at a crossroads. One direction points toward the giant strides in productivity, industry concentration, and product diversification. Another direction points toward the dangers of environmental degradation and the marginalization of small fish farmers. Yet another direction invites aquaculture to champion the poor and provide vital environmental services to stressed aquatic environments. 'Changing the Face of the Waters' offers a cutting-edge analysis of the critical challenges facing aquaculture, balancing aquaculture's role in economic growth with the need for sound management of natural resources. The book also provides guidance on sustainable aquaculture by evaluating alternative development pathways, placing particular emphasis on the application of lessons from Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Aimed at policy makers, planners, and scientists, this book provides a comprehensive frame of reference for orienting ideas and initiatives in this dynamic industry.

Policies promoting pro-poor agricultural growth are the key to helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals-especially the goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015. The public sector, private sector, and civil society organizations are working to enhance productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector to reduce rural poverty and sustain the natural resource base. The pathways involve participation by rural communities, science and technology, knowledge generation and further learning, capacity enhancement, and institution building. Sustainable land management (SLM)-an essential component of such policies-will help to ensure the productivity of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and hydrology. SLM will also support a range of ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. The 'Sustainable Land Management Sourcebook' provides a knowledge repository of tested practices and innovative resource management approaches that are currently being tested. The diverse menu of options represents the current state of the art of good land management practices. Section one identifies the need and scope for SLM and food production in relation to cross-sector issues such as freshwater and forest resources, regional climate and air quality, and interactions with biodiversity conservation and increasingly valuable ecosystem services. Section two categorizes the diversity of land management systems globally and the strategies for improving household livelihoods in each system type. Section three presents a range of investment notes that summarize good practice, as well as innovative activity profiles that highlight design of successful or innovative investments. Section four identifies easy-to-access, Web-based resources relevant for land and natural resource managers. The 'Sourcebook' is a living document that will be periodically updated and expanded as new material and findings become available on good land management practices. This book will be of interest to project managers and practitioners working to enhance land and natural resource management in developing countries.

In the ongoing Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, developing countries have had much greater leverage, due at least in part to their large and growing share of world trade. But will the increased influence of developing countries translate into a final agreement that is truly more development-friendly? What would be key ingredients in such a final outcome of the negotiations, and what would the developing countries really get out of it. This two volume set seeks to answer these questions. This volume (Volume 2) addresses the question of how a development-friendly outcome to the talks would affect developing countries by quantifying the impact of multilateral trade reform. It presents several different approaches to modeling the effects of the outcome of negotiations, and then investigates why these (and other) modeling efforts produce such divergent results. Volume 1 is issues-oriented. It takes up some key questions in the negotiations, setting the stage with a historical overview of the Doha Development Agenda to help identify issues of most significance to developing countries, and then explores select issues in greater depth. Aimed at policymakers and stakeholders, this two-volume effort puts into the public domain important analytical work that will improve the chance for a pro-development outcomes of the Doha round negotiations.