SciDev.Net

The DRFN provides research-based advice and training aimed at sustainable development policymakers in southern Africa. The organisation's areas of focus include managing rangelands and livestock, water, energy efficiency and combating land degradation and desertification. The DRFN also helps raise public awareness of deserts and desertification.

Launched in 2003, AGORA provides free or subsidised journal access to not-for-profit institutions in eligible countries. Once details are finalised, all institutions in countries with a GNP per capita under US$1,000 will be given access to participating literature. The journal collection focuses on agriculture and related sciences, and includes titles from major publishing houses. AGORA is an FAO initiative. Click here for more details about registering.

An international non-governmental organisation run from Canada (formerly known as RAFI — the Rural Advancement Foundation International). Dedicated to the 'socially responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies', the ETC group has taken the lead on various campaigns on the impact of intellectual property on agriculture and world food security. The website includes ETC 'comment' articles which are generally opposed to GM technology.

ABSF aims to create an enabling environment in which Africa can participate and benefit from biotechnology in a responsible and sustainable manner. The association — through the dissemination of information — aims to enhance an understanding and awareness of all aspects of biotechnology including bio-safety and intellectual property rights. The news and features section mostly contains short information and opinion pieces giving perspectives of scientists and policy-makers in Africa.

Africa Harvest — founded by Kenyan scientist Florence Wambugu — supports policy development and scientific and institutional capacity building across East Africa and promotes the use of modern biotechnologies to help the region's farmers. The foundation's flagship project uses tissue culture technology to reproduce disease-free banana plants for distribution across East Africa.

It also runs a communication and advocacy programme to promote public acceptance of biotechnologies — especially genetic modification. The organisation publishes information about its tree-planting programme in Kenya and links to other African and international organisations working in biotechnology.

African Conservation Telegraph is a thrice-yearly newsletter published free of charge by the Africa section of the US Society for Conservation Biology. The newsletter aims to provide news and information on conservation science in Africa.

This UN Development Programme initiative helps drought-prone countries prepare for extreme weather events and reduce anticipated negative impacts. The website includes succinct overviews of drought-risk in individual African countries, as well as a comprehensive links section pointing to relevant networks, research centres, regional organisations and other sources of information, often in developing countries.

The African Journal of Biotechnology is a peer-reviewed online journal that publishes research in food, agricultural and industrial applications of biochemistry, microbiology, genomics and proteomics.

All articles are free to access and readers can also sign up to free email alerts containing the table of contents for each new issue.

AJFAND is an academic journal — published quarterly — by the Rural Outreach Programme, a non-profit company based in Kenya. The journal's free-access website features peer-reviewed articles about poverty, food security, disease and agriculture in Africa. It also provides commentaries, short communications, book reviews, and relevant news and events. Students can submit work to the student section.

AMCOST provides a forum for formulating and implementing policies for science, technology and innovation issues that have an impact on African development. It was established by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the African Union in November 2003, and has since developed and adopted Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action.

AMCOST's website outlines ongoing projects in biodiversity, energy, water, material sciences, mathematics and space science technologies, among others. It also offers information on the activities and rationale behind both the African Panel on Biotechnology and the African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative.

AMMANET promotes using genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS) technologies to accelerate African plant breeding efforts and deliver food security and economic growth. Over 100 African scientists established the network in 2003, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation.

The network brings regional and international agricultural researchers together, publishing information about its activities and providing contact information of all its members. It also links to news, scientific articles and other useful resources on MAS.

AfricanCrops.Net — funded by the Rockefeller Foundations Biotechnology, Breeding and Seed Systems Programme and the Partnership to Fight Striga of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation — publishes a monthly newsletter with information on upcoming conferences, training programmes and funding opportunities. It also hosts a discussion forum where visitors can share experiences of issues such as crop improvement and molecular marker applications.

The website links to a wide range of documents and points to resources dedicated to specific African crops such as cassava, cowpea and sorghum. It also hosts an extensive collection of links to online databases, glossaries, bibliographies, search engines, genetic maps and statistics relating to African-focused biotechnology and plant breeding research.

AgBiotechNet — published by CABI, a leading international, not-for-profit publisher in applied life sciences — has news, reviews, abstracts of scientific literature, and links about agricultural biotechnology and biosafety for researchers and policy-makers worldwide. While much is available free of charge, paying subscribers access more information (a free 30-day trial is available).

AgBioWorld brings information about technological advances in agriculture to the developing world. Members include scientists, physicians, professors and others who believe that recent developments in plant science — such as biotechnology — can and should be used to increase crop yields, grow more nutritious plants and reduce dependence on chemicals in order to alleviate hunger and help preserve the environment. AgBioWorld is used by many scientists, but is also relevant to teachers, journalists and the general public. The site is kept fairly up-to-date — comments and reports are usually added in response to significant events, and there is also a discussion group.

The network is in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF), and aims to supply information on biotechnology.  By connecting researchers, breeders, farmers, entrepreneurs, journalists, policy makers and donors, ABNETA supports those wanting to develop, discuss or use biotechnology.

Aliens is the newsletter of the Invasive Species Group of the World Conservation Union. An associated email listserver is dedicated to alien invasive species, with a focus on those that threaten biodiversity.

AGRA — a joint initiative of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — aims to improve African agriculture through new technologies such as improved seeds and fertilisers, better cultivation practices and greater access to credit and marketing channels to help farmers sell their produce.

AGRA's initial investment — US$150m — will be used to develop stronger varieties of African crops, train African scientists and build distribution channels for agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilisers.

The AGRA website publishes information about the alliance's staff and activities and links to a selection of related documents, news and other information.

Founded in 1995, BIOTHAI raises awareness of the links between biodiversity and local livelihoods among policymakers and the general public. BIOTHAI is now a member of the Thai National Biosafety Committee and Plant Varieties Protection Board and advises the government on national biodiversity policy. The organisation campaigns on issues surrounding biotechnology and genetically modified organisms in South-East Asia. Its website links to related news, articles, reports and public statements, from a variety of online sources.

Biodiversity Benefits People is a new, free-access online presentation and exhibition available from the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring centre website. Launched on International Biodiversity Day on 22 May 2004 the presentation is aimed at the wider public and takes the form of Microsoft Powerpoint slides accompanied by audio commentary. The presentation highlights examples where world's biodiversity is under threat. It adds that unless current losses are reversed, humans will lose access to what are known as 'environmental services', such as pollination or natural water purification, which themselves depend on the presence of a rich diversity of species and ecosystems.

This award-winning website promotes the hotspots concept through the protection of 25 areas of the world that contain the largest number of species under the greatest threat. A colourful site that allows browsers to discover species that are threatened in different hotspots arond the world; compare the state of different hotspots and find out what is being done to conserve them by Conservation International, a US-based group that publishes the site and is doing most to publicise - and lobby - for more hotspots to be protected.