'The current global food price crisis has deep historical roots in the distortions of the world trading system. Trade policy options to deal with the crisis involve correcting these historical distortions. They include removing export controls on agricultural products, eliminating restrictions on humanitarian food aid, reducing excessive stocks of food grains, reversing biofuel subsidies and protection to inefficient producers, lowering customs duties on agricultural products, facilitating agric more...

'The current spike in global food prices has deep roots in decades of trade distorting policies that have encouraged inefficient agricultural production in rich countries and discouraged efficient production in developing countries. High-income countries have historically protected their domestic producers and subsidized inefficient production most recently biofuels and dumped surpluses onto global markets. In turn, developing countries have often used trade and other domestic policies to simult more...

'Agricultural biotechnology and its intersection with small holder farmers in Africa has become emotionally charged and politically polarizing linking to policy questions of globalization, trade, debt relief, and environmental protection as well as the whole structure of free market capitalism.'

This study provides an overview of the current state of organic agriculture in Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. For each country, information is provided on the organic sector stakeholders, production, domestic markets, exports, standards, certification and policies. It also highlights the potential benefits of increased regional cooperation in this area, including harmonization of organic standards. Finally, the study makes a number of recommendations to promote the further de more...

'Organic agriculture is a promising trade and sustainable development opportunity for developing countries. This paper identifies best practices and lessons learnt in countries around the world, regarding effective and efficient government policies and actions to promote production and export of organic agriculture products. It highlights 35 recommendations in the areas of general policy, standards and regulations, markets, production, training, education and research. It is based on seven natio more...

Food security is an issue of great concern in many countries, particularly in Africa. The evidence presented in this study supports the argument that organic agriculture can be good for food security in Africa — equal or better than most conventional systems and more likely to be sustainable in the longer-term. The 15 case studies examined in-depth have shown increases in per hectare productivity for food crops, increased farmer incomes, environmental benefits, strengthened communities and enh more...

It has become no small concern worldwide to family farmers, consumers, and environmentalists that the Monsanto Company, given its history and its present direction in attempting to establish itself as the world's leader in 'life sciences,' has chosen to 'trademark,' or in other words 'register with a government agency to assure its use exclusively by the owner of the mark 'Food-Health-Hope.' When corporate agribusiness sets out to transform our farms and ranches, the traditional source of our fo more...

Since its creation in the mid-1990s, the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) has carved a special niche for itself among upland rice farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Today, it is a symbol of hope for food security in SSA—the most impoverished region in the world, where a staggering one-third of the people are undernourished, and half the population struggle to survive on US$1 a day or less.

Africa Rice Center (WARDA) is an autonomous intergovernmental research association of African member states. It is also one of the 15 international agricultural research Centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The Center was created in 1971 by 11 African countries with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Economic Commission for Africa more...

This compedium brings together the results of the scientif research on the NERICA varieties, ranging from the choice of land to planting, integrated crop and pest management, harvest and post-harvest operations, agro-processing technologies and NERICA nutritional quality, and adoption impact on rice farmers’ livelihoods.