This publication seeks to assist government and institutional policy-planners and decision-makers in identifying places where energy crops could be grown and in understanding the geographic (agro-ecological

and economic) context of bioenergy supplies, at country and regional levels. It will not only increase awareness about the environmental challenges

related to the production systems of bioenergy crops, but will also contribute to the development of new production practices and technologies for sustainable agricultural intensification and diversification

This review of land tenure in West Asia and North Africa (WANA or the Near

East region) places contemporary developments in their historical context. Land

tenure in the region has its origins in state, customary or religious law, or more often a

combination of the three. With the ascendancy of the nation state over the past

century, official legal systems has sought to entrench sovereignty over land with the

abolition of customary law and the evolution of

Shari’ah to deal with modern needs of

This study investigates the gender dimensions of the socioeconomic outcomes of selected agricultural investments in Northern Tanzania. The report draws on a review of the literature and on field research conducted in 2011. Fieldwork mainly involved stakeholder interviews and focus groups discussions with investors, local farmers, outgrowers and wage workers involved with two private-sector companies – in horticulture and jatropha – and with group-based producer schemes organized with the assistance of a member-based organization.

This training manual is for people working on emergency response and disaster risk management; it

aims to provide an overview of the major land issues that may arise following a natural disaster that

require consideration and inclusion in the decision-making processes associated with response,

recovery and rehabilitation. These issues also should be considered for inclusion in follow-on

reconstruction and development projects to improve tenure security for the more vulnerable as part of a

disaster mitigation process.

The continuing and rapid degradation of rural watersheds has been a major concern for governments and civil society in Asia and the Pacific region. A root cause is the segmented management of land and water resources. This has been exacerbated by the cumulative and linked effects of an increase in demand for food, fuel and water due to population growth, competition for scarce land resources from biofuel production and a shift in preference for protein-rich diets. The expected adverse impact of climate change in the coming decades will most likely worsen the situation.

Production of guidelines for best sustainable land management (SLM) technologies and approaches in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) has been part of TerrAfrica’s programme during 2009-2010. These guidelines and case studies are intended to help create a framework for investment related to SLM in SSA. The particular aim of these guidelines is to identify, analyse, discuss and disseminate promising SLM practices - including both technologies and approaches - in the light of the latest trends and new opportunities.

LADA (Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands project) is a scientifically-based approach to assessing and mapping land degradation at different spatial scales ? small to large ? and at various levels ? local to global. It was initiated in drylands, but the methods and tools have been developed so as to be widely applicable in other ecosystems and diverse contexts with minimal required adaptation.

The WOCAT-LADA-DESIRE mapping tool is based on the original WOCAT mapping questionnaire (WOCAT, 2007). It has been expanded to pay more attention to issues such as biological and water degradation, it also places more emphasis on direct and socio-economic causes of these phenomena, including their impacts on ecosystem services. It evaluates what type of land degradation is actually happening where and why and what is being done about it in terms of sustainable land management (SLM) in the form of a questionnaire.

This paper reviews existing microeconomic empirical literature on gender differences in use, access, and adoption of non-land agricultural inputs in developing countries. This review focuses on four key areas: (1) technological resources, (2) natural resources, (3) human resources, and (4) social and political capital. In general, there has been more empirical research on inorganic fertilizer, seed varieties, extension services, and group membership than on tools and mechanization, life-cycle effects, and political participation.

The objective of the Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands (LADA) project was to develop tools and methods to assess and quantify the nature, extent, severity and impacts of land degradation on dryland ecosystems, watersheds and river basins, carbon storage and biological diversity at a range of spatial and temporal scales. This builds the national, regional and international capacity to

This edition of The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture presents objective and comprehensive information and analyses on the current state,

trends and challenges facing two of the most important agricultural production

factors: land and water.

Land and water resources are central to agriculture and rural development,

and are intrinsically linked to global challenges of food insecurity and poverty,

climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as degradation and depletion

In rural areas, land is the basis for agricultural production and the source for securing natural

resources through fishing, hunting, pasturing or other activities. Land is used by many people for

different purposes (e.g. for agricultural production, housing, industry, services and government).

Land also has social, cultural and political functions related to each country’s history.

Because land is used for so many purposes, land and property rights have broad impact on people’s