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Agriculture & Environment

Policy Briefs

Here is a list of the latest articles

Farmer, Rwanda

Developing innovation systems for African agriculture

Developing innovation systems, rather than technology transfer, can benefit small farmers and promote agricultural development in Africa.

Source: Future Agricultures Consortium

9 July 2012 | EN

GM rice plants

Overcoming obstacles to GM crop adoption

Careful assessment and policies on genetically modified crops could contribute to agricultural development and food security.

Source: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)

21 June 2012 | EN

Cyclist with megaphone, Bangladesh

Building resilience to disasters

Technology and scientific research can help communities in the developing world build resilience to disasters.

Source: UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

29 February 2012 | EN

Man walking through a flooded ricefield

Advancing agricultural adaptation and mitigation

Scientists can help advance policies to promote agricultural practices that can reduce emissions and boost yields.

Source: Science

24 January 2012 | EN

Boy getting water from community pipe, Sri Lanka

Developing solutions for sustainable water management

Rio+20 is an opportunity to focus on harnessing scientific evidence and good governance to improve the management of water resources.

Source: UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

22 November 2011 | EN

Woman selling fish in market, Zambia

Improving access to ICTs for development

Learning from experience can help Zambia build on past successes in using ICTs and reach those most in need.

Source: Panos London

7 October 2011 | EN

Storing maize in metal silos

Advancing research to support smallholder farmers

Scientists can help smallholder farmers get more out of their crops in changing food markets.

Source: Science

1 September 2011 | EN

Africa facing climate data shortage

Integrating water with climate change adaptation plans

Climate change adaptation initiatives can be built into water management programmes to protect water resources in Africa.

Source: UK Houses of Parliament

1 July 2011 | EN

Drylands, Nicaragua

Promoting small-scale planting of trees in dryland areas

Planting trees in dryland regions can negatively impact biodiversity, and policies must promote the practice on a smaller scale.

Source: NCCR North-South

18 April 2011 | EN

Woman irrigating lemon crop, Philippines

Adapting agricultural water to climate change

Strategies to reduce rural poverty in the face of climate change will largely depend on improving water management in agriculture.

Source: Overseas Development Institute

15 September 2010 | EN

Indian boy at water pump

Harnessing the benefits of groundwater

Groundwater storage can improve water security and help poor communities adapt to climate change.

Source: International Water Management Institute

15 September 2010 | EN

Controlling insect pests with GM technology

Genetically modified insects provide a new method for controlling insect-borne diseases and agricultural insect pests.

Source: The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

8 July 2010 | EN

Farmer field school in Ethiopia

Mobilising local institutes to aid rural adaptation

Local institutions are key to helping rural smallholders mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Source: CGIAR Systemwide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi)

22 April 2010 | EN

Managing wastewater more effectively

Integrating wastewater into water resources management can help improve water security and quality.

Source: Global Water Partnership

16 March 2010 | EN

Steps to reforming water policies

A five-stage strategy could help reform water policies and institutions, to ensure water security and reduce poverty.

Source: Global Water Partnership (GWP)

3 March 2010 | EN

Improving biosafety regulations for poor farmers

Reforming biosafety regulations can provide poor farmers with better access to genetically modified crops.

Source: International Food Policy Research Institute

23 February 2010 | EN

Improving early childhood nutrition

Nutritional interventions can improve health, save lives and boost economic growth but only if implemented before the age of two.

Source: International Food Policy Research Institute

20 January 2010 | EN

Tackling malnutrition with traditional knowledge

Traditional knowledge can inform strategies for improving nutrition and help vulnerable populations cope with environmental change.

Source: UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

20 January 2010 | EN

Improving land and water management

Better land and water management could improve yields and help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Source: NCCR North-South

10 December 2009 | EN

Adapting fisheries and aquaculture to climate change

Fisheries and aquaculture can adapt to climate change by applying best practices, exploring new options and changing focus.

Source: The WorldFish Center

9 December 2009 | EN