"AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY: WILL IT HELP?" By the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in FOCUS (March 2003). This article takes a brief look at the environmental and health related benefits and costs related to the use of agricultural biotechnology.
REFORMING AGRICULTURAL MARKETS IN AFRICA. By Mylene Kherallah et al, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002. In this book, the authors analyse the effects that economic reform in the agricultural sector in Africa have had in the past twenty years, specifically focusing on food crop, fertilizer, and export crop markets. The book evaluates the extent to which these reforms have been implemented and explains how economic constraints have limited these processes. It goes on to suggest that improvements in non-agricultural sectors and the governmental promotion of the involvement of private institutions are necessary in order for agricultural reform to have a greater effect.
SELLING FOREST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS FOR CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT. By Stefano Pagjola, Joshua T. Bishop and Natasha Landell-Mills, IIED, 2002. Although the use of market-based mechanisms for the conservation of forests have been considered, their implementation has been difficult. This book uses the results of extensive research to construct a realistic plan for the implementation of a payment system and evaluates its effectiveness, as well as the implications it would have on the poor.
AMBER WAVES. This new magazine, produced by the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, covers the research of the agency on the economics of agriculture, food, rural America, trade, and the environment. It is replacing Agricultural Outlook, Food Review, and Rural America and will be published five times per year.
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WATER-L (International Institute for Sustainable Development). A news and announcement list related to the 3rd World Water Forum and water policy issues. To subscribe, visit http://iisd.ca/scripts/lyris.pl?join=water-l.
OUTCOMES OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR THE RISK ASSESSMENT OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS AND DERIVED FOOD AND FEED. By the European Commission on Food Safety, 2003. The European Commission’s Scientific Steering Committee has released a website containing its opinions on risk assessments of GM plants used in food and feed. The site also features the latest version of a guidance document for the risk assessment of GM plants and derived food and feed that was initially released in September 2002. The guidance document was designed to assist organisations that apply for authorisation to commercially release GM plants that are to be used in human food, animal feed, or medicinal products in EU member states.
IUCN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROGRAMME PORTALS: GMO PORTAL. This portal is designed to enable comments and feedback to the IUCN Council regarding the draft IUCN background/scoping paper entitled "Biosafety and Genetically Modified Organisms: Background for the Enunciation of an IUCN Position and Plan of Action." It is open to IUCN Members and to members of any of IUCN’s six Commissions.