"The Lore Lindu region in Indonesia—as in many forest frontier areas in Southeast Asia—has experienced rapid deforestation due to agricultural expansion in the uplands, at the forest margins. This has resulted in aggravated problems of erosion and water availability, threatening agricultural productivity growth. At the same time, technical progress is promoting agricultural intensification in the lowlands. In this article, we examine how improved technologies for paddy rice cultivation in the lowlands have affected agricultural expansion and deforestation in the uplands.

Agriculture is fundamental to achieving nutrition goals: it produces the food, energy, and nutrients essential for human health and well-being. Gains in food production have played a key role in feeding growing and malnourished populations. Yet they have not translated into a hunger-free world nor prevented the development of further nutritional challenges. Micronutrient deficiencies (for example, of vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc) are now recognized as being even more limiting for human growth, development, health, and productivity than energy deficits.

"With half the world’s population living in cities and towns, many poor urban dwellers face problems gaining access to adequate supplies of nutritionally balanced food. For many urban populations, an important source of food is urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). Production and processing of crops—particularly horticultural crops—and livestock is frequently part of urban and peri-urban livelihood strategies, and the food produced forms a large part of informal sector economic activity.

"Agricultural production relies on environmental services to transform raw inputs into the nutritious and diverse food that humans rely on for survival. Although the practice of agriculture is essential for human health, careless and inappropriate agricultural practices can degrade and contaminate natural resources and in so doing, harm human health. Modified agricultural practices can help mitigate these problems.

"Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the majority of people affected by HIV and AIDS globally, and it is being progressively undermined by the disease. In Sub-Saharan Africa AIDS is affecting the rural landscape in ways that demand a rethinking of development policy and practice, and parts of South Asia may soon face a similar situation.... There is clearly tremendous scope for agricultural policy to become more HIV-responsive, both to further AIDS-related objectives and to help achieve agricultural objectives. Yet there are no magic bullets.

Samenvatting van wetenschappelijke kennis over de effecten van klimaatverandering en de mogelijkheden om daar mee om te gaan. Dit rapport helpt om een strategie op te stellen om bij ruimtelijke ordening rekening te houden met de gevolgen van klimaatverandering. Dit onderzoek is mogelijk gemaakt door bijdragen van de BSIK programma’s Klimaat voor Ruimte, Leven met Water en Habiforum

Bij de oprichting van het Lunters Landfonds zijn ter verkenning een aantal landelijke en regionale initiatieven met hun doelen, financiering en onderscheidende kenmerken geïnventariseerd. Het betreft o.a. ‘Boeren voor Natuur' in de polder van Biesland en op landgoed Twickel. In de BD landbouw zijn een aantal bedrijven met een eigen beheerstichting, zoals stichting Loverendale.