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If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the Bridges staff to Andrew Aziz at aaziz@ictsd.ch.
PUSHING ‘RESET’ ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. By Alan AtKisson (Boston University and Sustainable Development Knowledge Partnership). Sustainable Development Insights. October 2009. The main question presented in this paper is how to continue advancing sustainable development in a time of financial crisis and if sustainable development requires a “reset.” In other words, must we take a different course, according to emerging trends and current conditions, in order to realise our goals? The author argues that sustainability should set the standards for future goals because we cannot return to our previous state, which has led us to an unstable world economically and environmentally. To access this paper, visit: http://www.bu.edu/pardee/files/2009/11/UNsdkp001sin.pdf
COMPANY-LED APPROACHES TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE FOREST SECTOR. By Emma Wilson (International Institute for Environment and Development). April 2009. This paper investigates the potential for using company-led tools and mechanisms to address conflicts in the forest sector. A controversial issue for many in the forestry sector is recognising and negotiating rights to land and resources. The author explains that there is a lack of understanding and skills within countless companies - large and small - when it pertains to developing and implementing effective conflict management procedures, especially in relation to complex issues. This paper offers examples of tools and approaches that are being utilised by companies and non-industry players to address conflict-related issues. Two key approaches include: 1) rights based approaches (favoured by non-industry respondents) which focus primarily on helping communities to identify and defend their rights to land and resources and 2) stakeholder management systems (favoured by companies as part of their overall management systems). In practice, there is considerable overlap between the two approaches. The author concludes that the methods and tools related to each of the approaches are still evolving in the forest sector. To access this report, visit: http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/G02510.pdf
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND USE OF RESOURCES: ASSESSING BIOFUELS. United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). October 2009. Based on a review of published research up to mid-2009, including input from independent experts world-wide, this report by the UNEP International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management maintains that the research accrued over recent years portrays a complex and uncertain picture of the risks and benefits of biofuels. This report’s core argument is that biofuels’ costs and benefits are context-specific, and therefore simplistic approaches to managing biofuel production are unlikely to yield environmentally positive results. Considering not only biofuels for transport, but biomass as a whole, various topics are discussed: the full life-cycle approach needed to completely account for the impacts of biofuels, the issue of land-use change, options for more efficient and sustainable production, and strategies to enhance resource productivity. This report intends to provide information on the assessment of the environmental and social costs and benefits of biofuels. It examines both the concerns of critical developments and illustrates options for a more sustainable use of biomass and measures to increase resource productivity. To access this report, visit: http://www.unep.fr/scp/rpanel/pdf/Assessing_Biofuels_Full_Report.pdf
THE ECONOMIC AND POVERTY IMPACTS OF MAIZE RESEARCH IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA. By Arega Alene, Abebe Menkir, S.O. Ajala, B. Badu-Apraku, A.S. Olanrewaju, V.M. Manyong, and Abdou Ndiaye (Agricultural Economics 40:5). 5 September 2009. This article gathers the results of three multi-country surveys in order to calculate the social rates of return on public investments in maize research in a specific region. These surveys are based on variety performance and adoption patterns in order to gauge the impacts of maize research in West and Central Africa from 1981 to 2005. This article also studies how many people were able to move out of poverty through the adoption of new maize varieties. The authors claim that much of the end results are attributable to international maize research at Agricultural Research for Development in Africa (IITA) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). It concludes with a discussion of strategic options to boost the influence of maize research in the region. Available for purchase at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/agec/2009/00000040/00000005/art00004
AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES IN THE WTO GREEN BOX: ENSURING COHERENCE WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. Edited by Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Christophe Bellmann and Jonathan Hepburn, Cambridge University Press, December 2009. Do the World Trade Organization’s rules on ‘green box’ farm subsidies allow both rich and poor countries to achieve important goals such as food security, or do they worsen poverty, distort trade and harm the environment? Current WTO requirements set no ceiling on the amount of green box subsidies that governments can provide, on the basis that these payments cause only minimal trade distortion. Governments are thus increasingly shifting their subsidy spending into this category, as they come under pressure to reduce subsidies that are more directly linked to production. However, growing evidence nonetheless suggests that green box payments can affect production and trade, harm farmers in developing countries and cause environmental damage. By bringing together new research and critical thinking, this book examines the relationship between green box subsidies and the achievement of sustainable development goals, and explores options for future reform. To learn more or purchase a copy of the book, please visit http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521519694.
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