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.

The Africa Portal, part of the larger Africa Initiative project, is an online resource for policy-related issues in Africa, covering climate change, food security, energy and health, among other areas. It is published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation; Makerere University, Uganda; and the South African Institute of International Affairs. The website offers an open access publications library with more than 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents available online or to download. It also publishes opinion and analysis on current issues, a directory of experts on African policy, and announcements including events and grants.

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.

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.

A project of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, AlertNet is a news aggregator that aims to raise awareness of humanitarian crises around the globe, particularly 'forgotten' emergencies that rarely make headlines. It publishes news from over 400 aid agencies and other media outlets across a range of topics, from natural disasters to climate change to health. AlertNet also provides tools for journalists, including facts and figures, crisis briefings and training modules.

FAO-BioDeC is a database of agricultural biotechnologies being researched, developed or applied in developing countries. It does not provide quantitative information on research being carried out in international centres located in developing countries, or on the level of funding any individual technology receives. But it does give an overview of the stages of adoption of agricultural technologies in different regions that can be used to identify gaps in research or areas for potential collaboration.

CABI is a not-for-profit, intergovernmental organisation specialising in agricultural and environmental research, publishing and communication. With over 40 different member countries, its scientific projects include finding ways to lower production costs while using ecological practices. CABI studies environmental impacts of invasive species and pests, and searches for natural ways of controlling them. CABI also finds solutions to agricultural problems caused by climate change, provides microbial services and advises on trade policy.

The Centre for International Ethnomedicinal Education and Research is nonprofit educational and research organisation that aims establish a focal point for the exchange of ethnomedicinal knowledge and an international network of ethnobotanical researchers. The website offers links to bibliographies, publications, research projects and events.

ZKI — run by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) — acquires, processes and analyses satellite data to provide information on natural disasters and help guide relief activities. It publishes maps on potential building damage, population density and affected areas for all sorts of disasters including earthquakes, fires, landslides and floods.

ZKI also runs a fire service for Europe and North Africa, based on MODIS sensors.