Agriculture & Environment

International bodies

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Biodiversity Benefits People

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.

Bioplan

Bioplan is a public mailing list on biodiversity policy issues set up and maintained by the UN Development Programme and the UN Global Environment Facility. Its users are mostly NGO representatives and government officials involved in implementing biodiversity policies around the world.

Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture

The Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) website is very extensive and well-maintained, with a wealth of background information, as well as regularly updated news items which focus on FAO's work and the work of its partners. It also runs a series of electronic conferences that aim to allow a wide range of parties, including governmental and non-governmental organisations, policy makers and the general public, to discuss and exchange views and experiences about specific issues concerning biotechnology in food and agriculture for developing countries.

Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

The CGRFA is a permanent forum of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, where governments discuss and negotiate matters relevant to genetic resources for food and agriculture. Originally established in 1983, the forum aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable utilisation of genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use.

Conservation Finance Alliance

The Conservation Finance Alliance is a network of the major international conservation NGOs, which aims to coordinate their efforts at obtaining funding for biodiversity projects. Their website provides details of news, events and training opportunities in conservation finance. The Alliance was established in 2002 and is based in Washington DC.

Conservation International

Conservation International is a US-based group set up in 1987 to work on habitat conservation and community participation in Bolivia, Costa Rica and Mexico. Later that year it also launched the world’s first debt-for-nature swap. Conservation International is a major player in world biodiversity science and politics and has convinced a number of governments to set aside land as protected areas, and was among the first groups to adopt the ‘hotspots’ concept of protecting areas with large numbers of threatened species. Together with the Ford Foundation, CI has set up the Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, which promotes business practices that reduce industry’s ecological footprint and contribute to conservation.

Consumers International

Consumers International is a worldwide, independent, non-profit federation of consumer organisations, dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer interests. It has a membership of more than 260 organisations in almost 120 countries. It strives to promote a fairer society through defending the rights of all consumers, including poor, marginalised and disadvantaged people. The organisation has a head office in London, with regional offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Convention on Biological Diversity

This is the official website for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The convention aims to conserve biodiversity around the world; promote its sustainable use; and share its benefits equitably. The website provides access to all key documents on national and intergovernmental initiatives to slow down the loss of biodiversity. The website also provides information on national biodiversity reports, a useful collection of case studies from around the world, contact information for national biodiversity officials, information/announcements and guidance on upcoming and past meetings. It is also the official website for the Biosafety Protocol.

Convention on Biological Diversity: Traditional Knowledge

The most commonly cited source of information on the protection of indigenous knowledge is the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It urges all governments to protect IK. This part of the website looks specifically at Article 8 (j) of the CBD which relates to traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.

CropLife International

CropLife International is a federation of multinational companies and national and regional associations working in plant science. It publishes information on agri-biotechnology, pesticides and sustainable agriculture. This includes regulatory codes and biosafety protocols, as well as position papers, opinion articles and technical monographs.

Their website highlights relevant initiatives around the world and includes a glossary of terms, frequently asked questions and links to industry associations, international and nongovernmental organisations, and online information providers. It also hosts a database on the benefits and safety of biotechnology containing a collection of academic papers reporting on genetically modified crop impacts around the world.

Earth Negotiations Bulletin

An authoritative and comprehensive newsletter covering meetings of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification – as well as all other meetings of UN environment and development-related conventions. ENB writers have high-level access to all meetings and to UN officials, which makes ENB a must-read by experts in the field. It is the best way to follow a meeting without attending it in person. The site also contains links to newsletters covering the latest developments in water, climate change, forests and multilateral environmental agreements.

Equator Initiative

This series of six $30,000 prizes rewards projects that alleviate poverty through biodiversity conservation throughout the world. The initiative is part of a new effort by the United Nations Development Programme to integrate conservation issues more closely into development planning and finance.

EU Portal on Natural Disasters and Desertification

This page links to news and research from the European Commission, the executive arm of the 25-country European Union, which is based in Brussels, Belgium. The commission has a large environmental research programme. This includes Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). This Europe-wide project collects, analyses and disseminates data on changes in the natural environment and how these changes may affect EU member states' national security. GMES's own website is at www.gmes.info.

FAO Climate Change

This web portal publishes news and information on the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) activities in climate change. It links to key FAO publications on agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries as well as cross-sector topics such as bioenergy, biodiversity and climate risk management. The gateway gives information on FAO's work in these areas and provides links to relevant factsheets, events and multimedia including videos and audio lectures.

FAO Water

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Water Development and Management Unit website promotes sustainable water use for food production. It utilises data on water resources and agricultural water usage to help form national and regional water management strategies, inform agricultural policies and provide technical expertise on issues such as wastewater treatment and salinity control. The FAO Water website publishes promotional and educational material as well as reports on individual projects, it also provides links to interactive maps, multimedia and databases relevant to water management.

FAO: Local indigenous Knowledge Systems

The LinKS project of the FAO explores the linkages between gender, biodiversity and local knowledge systems in southern Africa. The project collaborates with several international partners that assist in the development and dissemination of methodologies.

Food and Agriculture Organisation

The Food and Agriculture Organisation is a United Nations body with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.

Future Harvest

Future Harvest is a global initiative, incorporated in 1998 as a charitable and educational organisation to advance debate and catalyse action for a world with less poverty, a healthier human family, and a better environment. Future Harvest works to promote awareness and educate the general public and decision makers about the importance of food production and the role of agricultural science in meeting the human and environmental challenges of today and tomorrow. The 16 Future Harvest centres, located around the world, are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility is the official UN funding mechanism for environmental projects in the developing world, with most of the funds coming from developed countries. The facility is based in the offices of the World Bank in Washington DC, one of GEF’s three implementing agencies. The other two are the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme. GEF’s website provides information on current projects and gives guidance on how to apply for funds. Funding is based on the principle of incremental costs - the difference in costs between a more polluting project, and an environmentally-friendlier but more expensive one.

Global Environment Facility - Land Degradation

Land degradation is one of five priority areas for the GEF, the main UN funding agency for environment and development projects. Between 2002 and 2005, the agency invested some $250 million in projects that incorporated good land management practice into national development plans. This website provides a list of 64 land management projects from all over the world that have received GEF funding. It lists how much each project received and also provides advice and guidance to those who want to apply for GEF funds.

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