The aim of this discussion paper is to
ascertain the government of Lao's (GoL) current
practices in negotiating, awarding, and managing land
concessions; enhance GoL understanding and commitments to
develop national capacities targeting improved land
management, that will generate revenues for GoL, and ensure
sustainable development as an urgent priority; and provide a
basis for dialogue within the government to enable its

This report analyzes land issues in Sri
Lanka, which cannot be seen in isolation from the ethnic and
political conflict and, at the same time, even though land
conflict is often linked with the ethnic conflict in Sri
Lanka, a large number of land conflicts in the North and
East can be resolved prior to a full and national political
solution to the ethnic situation. This report analyzes
constraints and opportunities for an effective governance

Land policy, administration and
management are areas of strong client demand for technical
advice and operational support. This review sought to help
the Bank better position itself to present coherent advice
on policy, institutional arrangements and practice. The
potential implications are a lowering of reputational risk
to the Bank; greater efficiency in the process including
joint data gathering; and building of greater momentum and

The Tugi Silvo-pastoral Project (TUSIP)
is a South-South Cooperation between the Tropical
Agriculture Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE)
based in Costa Rica (www.catie.ac.cr) and the Akwi Memorial
Foundation (AMF) based in the North West Region of Cameroon.
The main goal of TUSIP was to assess the environmental
benefits of a set of silvo-pastoral practices and to empower

This report highlights the great potential of the agribusiness sector in Africa by drawing on experience in Africa as well as other regions. The evidence demonstrates that good policies, a conducive business environment, and strategic support from governments can help agribusiness reach its potential. Africa is now at a crossroads, from which it can take concrete steps to realize its potential or continue to lose competitiveness, missing a major opportunity for increased growth, employment, and food security. The report pursues several lines of analysis.

The Government of Burkina Faso (GoBF)
has indicated that it wishes to relocate the current
international airport of Ouagadougou, which lies close to
the centre of the capital, to an alternative site at Donsin,
35 km northwest of the city. This report briefly describes
the economy of Burkina Faso within which the airport
operates, the current infrastructure of the existing airport
and examines the reasons why the GoBF believes that it is

The purpose of this policy note is to
contribute to an understanding of the factors that combine
to constrain the development of smallholder agriculture in
Swaziland. It seeks to shed light on why, despite being
well-endowed in land and water resources, and despite having
a climate that is generally favorable for the production of
crops and livestock, Swaziland is obliged to import
substantial amounts of food to feed the population. Also,

This report presents the key message,
lessons, and insights from agrifin's first knowledge
exchange event, held in Hyderabad, India, March 7-12, 2011.
Agrifin is a special initiative aimed at building capacity
in agriculture finance for commercially-oriented
smallholders and small and medium enterprise (SME)
agribusiness market segments. The initiative, managed by the
World Bank, through generous support from the bill and

Cote d'Ivoire was an economic
success story in the first twenty years of independence, but
a sharp reversal began in 1980 and by 1993 per capita
incomes was back to the level of 1960. Devaluation of the
African Financial Community (CFA) franc triggered an
economic rebound, but this was soon undermined by the
political crisis beginning in 1999. Just as the economy was
starting to move forward, a new crisis struck in early 2011,

Over the past few years there has been a
growing interest in the role that forests play in supporting
the poor, in reducing their vulnerability to economic and
environmental shocks, and in reducing poverty itself.
International workshops in Italy, Scotland, Finland and
Germany have focused on the contribution of forests to
livelihoods and the policies needed to strengthen that
contribution. At the same time, Forestry Ministries, though

This overview paper positions the
question of benefit sharing in the context of REDD plus. It
shares findings from a cursory review of a sample of
Readiness Preparation Proposals (RPP) for REDD plus
submitted to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).
It deconstructs the concept of benefit sharing. It also
provides a summary of the main findings from three recent
studies on benefit sharing that were financed by the Program