The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) jointly presented on the implementation of the One District, One Agri-Park programme in the context of the framework of the rural economic transformation model.

Paddy rice agriculture affects food supply, climate, water, biodiversity, and ecosystems. It varies substantially over time and space, for example, continuous expansion in northeastern China and rapid loss in southern China in the past decades. However, no maps at fine spatial resolution (e.g., 30-m) are available to document and illustrate the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of paddy rice planting areas in China.

Women comprise 50 percent of the
agricultural labor force in Sub-Saharan Africa, but manage
plots that are reportedly on average 20 to 30 percent less
productive. As a source of income inequality and aggregate
productivity loss, the country-specific magnitude and
drivers of this gender gap are of great interest. Using
national data from the Uganda National Panel Survey for
2009/10 and 2010/11, the gap before controlling for

Global food production needs to be increased by 60–110% between 2005 and 2050 to meet growing food and feed demand. Intensification and/or expansion of agriculture are the two main options available to meet the growing crop demands. Land conversion to expand cultivated land increases GHG emissions and impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services. Closing yield gaps to attain potential yields may be a viable option to increase the global crop production. Traditional methods of agricultural intensification often have negative externalities.

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.

The present document consists of the official Agenda for the Options by Context Training, held in Kenya, 25-29 May 2015. The event aimed to:
1. Familiarise all ICRAF DryDev staff with the OxC, R in D and planned comparisons approaches being used.
2. Test and revise processes for implementing the approaches.
3. Plan how the methods will be taken 'to scale' in each country.
4. Produce OxC matrices and planned comparison designs for Kenyan sites.

Step-by-step guidelines on implementing the options by context approach.

The Deputy Minister tendered apologies on behalf of the Minister and the Director General for their absence due to other ministerial commitments.

The Commission on Restitution of Land Reform (Commission) briefed the Committee on responses to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) findings on systematic challenges affecting land restitution in South Africa. The brief focussed on the background of the SAHRC investigative hearing, summary of the findings of the SAHRC, strategic plan of the commission, and response on each finding and recommendations of the SAHRC.

The Chairperson went through the A-List and verified that the amendments had been effected in the Agrément South Africa Bill [B3B-2015]. Members moved to adopt the Bill, and it was adopted.

This paper examines the micro and macro
correlates of aid project outcomes in a sample of 3,821
World Bank projects and 1,342 Asian Development Bank
projects. Project outcomes vary much more within countries
than between countries: country-level characteristics
explain only 10–25 percent of project outcomes. Among macro
variables, country growth and the policy environment are
significantly positively correlated with project outcomes.

African governments and international
development groups see boosting productivity on smallholder
farms as key to reducing rural poverty and safeguarding the
food security of farming and non-farming households.
Prompting smallholder farmers to use more fertilizer has
been a key tactic. Closing the productivity gap between male
and female farmers has been another avenue toward achieving
the same goal. The results in this paper suggest the two are

Governments have power to compulsorily acquire land or other interest in land for a public purpose subject to prompt payment of the compensation to the affected persons. The process of land acquisition involves several government departments which have different mandates depending with the purpose of the acquisition. In several instances departments involved have been seen to be disjointed hence causing gaps and unfinished work in the whole process.