Since the global food crisis of 2008 the Tanzanian government has made food security through increases in agricultural productivity a policy priority. The emphasis is on commercialisation, with a particular focus on large-scale rice and sugarcane production. Gender equity within African agricultural production is a critical issue; yet limited empirical research exists on the gender implications of agricultural commercialisation now taking place in the region. Presents findings from fieldwork in Kilombero District in 2013-14.

Moçambique é hoje um excelente exemplo para ilustrar a relação de reciprocidade entre desenvolvimento económico e o Direito. De facto, as dinâmicas económicas que se têm verificado no país, caracterizadas por sucessivas descobertas de recursos naturais, e que colocam o país numa posição de destaque sob ponto de vista económico, têm estado a contribuir para uma intensa actividade legislativa e normativa para responder aos desafios económicos que o presente e o futuro apresentam para o país.

The loss of woodland in Mozambique is more than an environmental issue. Choices about land use — whether made locally, provincially or nationally — affect the availability of water, firewood, fertile land and other ‘ecosystem services’ delivered by woodlands. When these services underpin food security and routes out of poverty, what happens to woodlands becomes as much about people.

This study discusses the impact of economic geography and (low) population density on development outcomes in Mali and explores how policies to reduce poverty can be made more effective by taking these two factors into account. The crisis in north Mali which started in 2012 and continues to date has brought questions of economic geography to the center of attention.

Esta publicação representa a continuidade do trabalho iniciado por Magda Zanoni, no Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário (MDA), no sentido de discutir os riscos das plantas transgênicas para a saúde e o meio ambiente. Em sua atuação no MDA e como representante do Ministério na CTNBio, Magda dedicou esforços para chamar a atenção à importância desse debate.

Novas intervenções na cadeia de fornecimento no setor de carne bovina no Brasil oferecem a promessa de reduzir o desmatamento vindo da expansão da agricultura comercial, à medida que multinacionais tem concordado em desistir de comprar de fazendas com desmatamento recente. Analisamos os acordos de desmatamento zero assinados pelos principais frigoríficos no Estado do Pará, na Amazônia Brasileira, usando dados de propriedades componentes das cadeias de fornecimento de carne bovina.

In Mozambique there is strong support for sustainable agriculture from different actors, with approaches including agroforestry and conservation agriculture increasingly promoted throughout the country by the
Ministry of Agriculture, civil society, farmers’ groups and development agencies. Research trials and anecdotal evidence suggest that these practices increase yields, are more resilient and are economically accessible for small-scale farmers. Despite this, uptake among smallholders remains low.

Em Moçambique há um forte apoio à agricultura sustentável: métodos como sistemas agroflorestais e agricultura de conservação são promovidos cada vez mais pelo Ministério da Agricultura, a sociedade civil, organizações de camponeses e agências de desenvolvimento. Resultados de investigações sugerem que essas práticas aumentam a produtividade, são mais resilientes e economicamente acessíveis. Apesar disso, a adoção pelos pequenos produtores permanece baixa.

Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy. Agriculture in Kenya is characterized by low productivity due to low external inputs, lack of good farming practices, soil erosion, and other losses. In most farming regions of the country, agriculture depends entirely on rainfall which sometimes is scarce. The problem of selecting the correct land for the cultivation of certain crops is a long-standing and mainly empirical issue. The objective of this study is to extrapolate and generate a crop suitability map showing areas suitable for agricultural activities in Taita Hills in Kenya.

The National Rural Land Use Policy NRLUP 2015 – 2020 supports the implementation of the National Agriculture and Livestock Sector Policy and the National Action Plan to address Land Degradation. NRLUP is intended to deliver on the Government's policies targeting the land users from rural to national level. NRLUP shall be guided by the following principles: Alignment with and guidance from the national constitution. Gender equity and involvement of youth, children, people with special needs and church leaders.

Drawing on insights from multiple studies, this policy brief addresses the importance of gender considerations for small-scale livestock farming communities relative to food security in the South African context. The brief examines some key elements of gender issues in relation to small-scale livestock farming, asks how some of these elements align with current policies and practices, and suggests a number of focused policy recommendations. Two thirds of the world’s 600 million poor livestock keepers are rural women.

The demand to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger has been the centrepiece of the Millennium Development Goals; the first MDG stands for the inextricable link between poverty and people’s ability to access safe, nutritious and sufficient food. How will the objective of achieving global food and nutrition security be embedded in the SDGs? Will the SDGs be a further step towards this target?