Yet the current situation differs from
2007-2008 in critical respects. First, recent international
price increases are more widespread across agricultural
commodities than in 2008, when price spikes were led by few
grains such as wheat and rice. Second, natural resources are
affecting food production: land and water constraints are
more binding than in the past and weather induced production
shortfalls are more of a factor now than it was 2008.

Agriculture and fisheries are the main pillars of Mozambique's economy, having contributed in the last few years to more than 25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and around 7 to 11 percentage points of the rate of economic growth. Agricultural development in Mozambique has been part of the government agenda because it is crucial to reducing poverty within rural zones.

This paper argues that climate change
poses two distinct, if related, sets of challenges for poor
rural households: challenges related to the increasing
frequency and severity of weather shocks and challenges
related to long-term shifts in temperature, rainfall
patterns, water availability, and other environmental
factors. Within this framework, the paper examines evidence
from existing empirical literature to compose an initial

Disease risks to humans, animals, and
plants are determined by interconnected environmental
variables that affect incidence, transmission, and outbreak.
Climate change affects many of the environmental variables
that lead to disease. Regardless of the species involved,
the impacts can ultimately affect the health, livelihood,
and economic security of humans. The objective of this World
Bank economic and sector work is to build on scientific and

On 24th and 25th December, 2013 a
tropical trough system produced heavy rains in Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines (SVG). The ensuing rapid and intense
flash flooding resulted in severe damage and 9 confirmed
deaths with 3 persons still missing. Additionally, there was
widespread damage to road infrastructure, electricity and
water infrastructure, housing as well as public and private
buildings. This report serves as a reminder and proof of the

Despite a decline in both monetary and
multidimensional poverty rates since 2000, Haiti remains
among the poorest and most unequal countries in Latin
America. Two years after the 2010 earthquake, poverty was
still high, particularly in rural areas. This report
establishes that in 2012 more than one in two Haitians was
poor, living on less than $ 2.41 a day, and one person in
four was living below the national extreme poverty line of

The aim of the rapid assessment is to
support the transition from emergency post conflict recovery
to a development approach. The completion of the water,
sanitation, and hygiene, or WASH strategic framework in 2011
was intended to mark the beginning of this transition in the
water resources sector. Among other things, the transition
involved the adjustment of policy and strategy and possibly
a rethinking of approaches as the government shifts from

This First Phase Report on Sierra Leone
growth poles is the result of a 9 months consultative
process led by the Office of the President which
specifically requested that the output of this diagnostic be
in an engaging format. The fundamental concept of growth
poles is that they exploit agglomeration economies and
spillover effects to spread resulting prosperity from the
core of the pole to the periphery. At the basis of this

Knowledge exchange, or peer-to-peer
learning, is a powerful way to share, replicate, and scale
up what works in development. Development practitioners want
to learn from the practical experience of others who have
gone through, or are going through, similar challenges. They
want to be connected to each other and have ready access to
practical knowledge and solutions. When done right,
knowledge exchange can build the capacity, confidence, and

The purpose of this Agriculture Business Indicators Study was to isolate the success factors and construct
indicators that reflect the performance of the agriculture sector in Nigeria and that benchmark it in terms
directly comparable to agriculture sectors in other developing countries. Providing policy makers and public
officials with access to this type of empirical information is seen as way to stimulate and inform policy
dialogue about what reforms are needed and about how scarce public resources can be most effectively

Changes in climate and their impact on agricultural systems and rural economies are already evident throughout Europe and Central Asia (ECA). Adaptation measures now in use in Albania, largely piecemeal efforts, will be insufficient to prevent impacts on agricultural production over the coming decades. There is growing interest at the country and development partner levels to have a better understanding of the exposure, sensitivities, and impacts of climate change at farm level, and to develop and prioritize adaptation measures to mitigate the adverse consequences.