Recent increases in production of
crop-based (or first-generation) biofuels have engendered
increasing concerns over potential conflicts with food
supplies and land protection, as well as disputes over
greenhouse gas reductions. This has heightened a sense of
urgency around the development of biofuels produced from
non-food biomass (second-generation biofuels). This study
reviews the economic potential and environmental

This study aims to provide the guiding
principles to the government of Mongolia (GOM) towards
creating comprehensive ex-ante risk management strategy
based on the assessment of the pros and cons of historical
approach of livestock risk management as well as best
practices around the world. For instance, it proposes an
option for the National Disaster Indemnification Program
(NDIP) that acts as a state insurance enterprise and

The objective of the Agricultural
Insurance pre-feasibility study is to identify the
institutional, operational, technical and financial
challenges for the development of agricultural risk transfer
solutions and insurance for rice, fruit and vegetables,
livestock, and the aquaculture sector in Guyana. The
specific objectives of the study include: (i) to identify
the production systems, constraints and risks faced by

While Zambia's economy performs
well, in macroeconomic terms, low levels of productivity
plague industry, and this constrains growth, diversification
and prosperity. In recent years, economic growth has
averaged 5-6 percent a year, business reforms are being
implemented, and investment levels are at an all time high.
However, according to the World Economic Forum's global
competitiveness index 2010-2011, Zambia is not a competitive

This report is a window into a larger
initiative, the jobs and prosperity: building Zambia's
Competitiveness (JPC) program. The JPC program is a
'joint venture' between the governments of the
Republic of Zambia, the Zambian private sector, the United
Kingdom's Department for International Development
(DFID), the African development bank group and the World
Bank Group. As such, the report represents the collective

Natural regeneration is sometimes
sufficient for forests and other plant communities to
recover after a disturbance. In the case of severe
disturbances, however, this is unlikely to be true. Natural
regeneration may occur in such cases but the rate is likely
to be very slow. Hence, some form of intervention is needed.
This note is aimed at highlighting some of the factors that
might be needed in the initial stages of restoring forests

This report was prepared to provide
information and analysis of the Samoan livestock sub-sector
for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries through a
technical assistance assignment financed by the World Bank.
The Word Bank contributed technical assistance support to
the Government of Samoa to help identify measures to
strengthen agriculture sector institutions, to improve the
performance of selected commodities - including in the

This study reports on in-depth case
studies of dzud (extreme cold weather during winter,
subsequent to a very dry summer) impacts and responses.
Focus groups, key informant interviews, a household survey,
and photovoice, were used to document individual and
community experiences with dzud, and identify the factors
that make some households and communities more vulnerable,
and some less vulnerable, to the impacts of dzud, and the

The specific objective of this policy
note is to derive insights that can contribute to rapid and
sustainable integration of small-scale farmers into the
livestock and horticulture value chains in Swaziland. It
seeks to do this by identifying constraints that may be
contributing to poor performance in the two value chains,
evaluating technological options that could improve
productivity, and identifying priority areas for future

A reform in Burundi's coffee sector
is currently under way. Even though the reform was launched
by the government of Burundi in 1992, it was only in 2008
that implementation fully started. The purpose of the reform
is to restructure the coffee sector, focusing on the
following processes: privatization of the industrial units
(especially washing and hulling units), liberalization of
government control among the production and export agencies,

Agriculture sector growth has made a
powerful contribution to post-war economic recovery in
Tajikistan, accounting for approximately one third of
overall economic growth from 1998 to 2004. Sector output
increased by 65 percent in real terms during this period,
and has now returned to the level extant at independence in
1990. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) has also increased, by
3 percent per year. Despite this progress, there is

The Living Standards Measurement Study
(LSMS) surveys which have collected information on many
dimensions of household well-being for over 36 countries
since 1980 are one of the most important data sources for
informing policy making on development. The LSMS surveys
have been used to assess household welfare, to understand
household behavior, and to evaluate the welfare impact of
various government policies. These surveys, however, lack