Dr Tom Brooks, Head, Science and Knowledge International Union for Conservation of Nature UNECE, Committee on Environmental Policy, presentation on Biodiversity Indicators: UNECE and the SDGS at the 12th Session of the Joint Task Force on Environmental Statistics and Indicators, 17 November 2016.

Based on the review of the Agricultural Sector Strategy of 2014-2016, and the National Policy Agenda, the National Development Plan (2017-2022) prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture is a nation-wide sectoral document consisting of two key components. The first component is the national policy agenda, which sets out the national vision, priorities and policies.

The present Ordinance introduces some amendments to the Soil Improvement Ordinance of 29 September 2009. In particular, the Ordinance amends article 3 establishing that a site-fixed facility for the abstraction of irrigation water from surface waters or ground water is considered to be eligible for funding within the meaning of this Ordinance, provided that a concession pursuant to the Water Rights Act is available.

Amends: Soil Improvement Ordinance. (2012)

“Water is the lifeblood of the people of Afghanistan, not just for living but also for the economy, which has traditionally been dominated by agriculture.” Nearly “80% of Afghanistan’s population derive their livelihood from the agriculture sector.” And, agriculture remains one of Afghanistan’s principal growth sectors.

As atividades relacionadas à produção agrícola estão entre as que mais têm gerado impactos sobre o meio ambiente. A produção intensiva é grande consumidora de energia, além de fonte de contaminação da água, ar e solo, por meio, especialmente, de resíduos de pesticidas e de fertilizantes. A expansão das fronteiras agrícolas aumenta as taxas de desmatamento, agrava os processos de degradação do solo e põe em risco a biodiversidade.

As atividades relacionadas à produção agrícola estão entre as que mais têm gerado impactos sobre o meio ambiente. A produção intensiva é grande consumidora de energia, além de fonte de contaminação da água, ar e solo, por meio, especialmente, de resíduos de pesticidas e de fertilizantes. A expansão das fronteiras agrícolas aumenta as taxas de desmatamento, agrava os processos de degradação do solo e põe em risco a biodiversidade.

Botswana is a semi-arid, middle-income African country that imports 90 percent of its food. Despite its relative prosperity, Botswana also suffers from one of the highest measures of income inequality in the world, persistent poverty, and relatively high levels of food insecurity. The objective of this paper is to explore how political economy, climate change and livelihood dynamics are synergistically impacting household food security.

Land systems are characterised by many feedbacks that can result in complex system behaviour. We defined feedbacks as the two-way influences between the land use system and a related system (e.g., climate, soils and markets), both of which are encompassed by the land system. Land models that include feedbacks thus probably more accurately mimic how land systems respond to, e.g., policy or climate change. However, representing feedbacks in land models is a challenge. We reviewed articles incorporating feedbacks into land models and analysed each with predefined indicators.

Urban agriculture, a dynamic multifunctional phenomenon, affects the spatial diversification of urban land use, its valorization and its governance. Literature acknowledges its contribution to the development of sustainable cities. The dimension and extent of this contribution depends significantly on the particular form and function of urban agriculture. However, the complexity of interests and dimensions is insufficiently covered by theory. This paper proposes a typology for urban agriculture, supporting both theory building and practical decision processes.

Este texto aborda as questões locais do impacto dos mega-projectos de mineração sobre o meio rural e agricultura - as condições de vida das pessoas reassentadas, não havendo alguma abrangência para aspectos de natureza macro. A pesquisa analisa o percurso do El Dorado Tete e a evolução das condições de vida da população reassentada em Cateme nos últimos cinco anos. A principal conclusão é de que o El Dorado Tete implodiu e as condições de vida das pessoas reassentadas em Cateme estão em contínua degradação.

The nature and significance of China's engagements with African agriculture continues to be hotly debated in the media, academia and policy circles around the world. Although China has been engaged in Uganda’s agriculture for more than 40 years, the recent jostle for agricultural land by private Chinese investors is dystifying and justifies the need to conduct a scientific study to provide clear evidence before the issue gets bundled into the messy anecdotal media inquiry.

Large-scale rice farms are continuing to expand in scale in Japan. However, the increase in the number and extent of these cultivated areas is considered to be problematic. Given its nature, the JA Investment Agriculture Production Corporation, in particular, has difficulty with declining investment in areas that are considered to be less-favorable for rice cultivation.