A lot is expected of poverty reduction strategies, and high hopes have been placed in the Voluntary Guidelines on the right to food.

What will be the impact on forests of future economic development, globalized trade and increases in the world's population? The 2009 edition of the biennial State of the World's Forests looks forward, with the theme "Society, forests and forestry: adapting for the future".

The report of the discussion that took place online in September 2012 is now online!!! (Special thanks to Andrea...) Check it in the attachement below. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information, we would be glad to recveive more feed back from you. Jai jagat!

Transnational Institute

If legal instruments are not fully implemented, there is a risk they remain in the domain of virtual reality and wishful thinking.The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has come a long way since it came into force in 1996, with current membership standing at 191 Parties. 2006 was a landmark year.

Following unanimous approval of the Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) on the Right to Adequate Food by FAO member states, with civil society's broad support, the question of «next steps» arises.

Economic theory, as well as empirical findings, suggest that the way in which agricultural support is provided has an influence on land markets, because payments capitalise to some degree into land values, affecting both the sale and rental price of land. This would also have effects on the transfer efficiency of support, on structural change, etc.

The purpose of this paper is to outline guidelines to be considered by EU donors in the design of their support for interventions in land policy and administration in developing countries. The focus in these Guidelines is on rural land, however much of the discussion will be of considerable relevance to urban areas and can contribute to a national land policy.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment projects that the intensification of freshwater scarcity in combination with continuous water extraction from delicate dryland ecosystems is likely to exacerbate desertification, thus leading to a downward spiral of ecological deterioration and a precarious depreciation of livelihoods in many developing regions.

Fragile states, posing a major challenge of our times, are increasingly becoming a focus of attention in international politics and development cooperation. But very often, the viewpoint of the people affected by fragile statehood is not sufficiently heard. Parts of the international community prioritize their own security policy interests, the motto being the «war on terrorism».