The production of commodities such as palm oil and pulpwood is leading to large-scale land use change in the rural tropics to fulfil the demands of the increasing world population and overall living standard. On the one hand, such land use changes provide income to companies, smallholders and government actors. On the other hand, these can lead to land use conflicts and declines in forest cover, biodiversity, carbon stocks, and local food production.

Following the financial and food crisis in 2008 the phenomenon of land grabbing through large-scale investments in land leading to forcible displacement of rural population, increasing their food insecurity and disregarding Human Rights became a hot topic on the global agenda. At the same time it became clear, that more investments were needed into the agricultural sector to increase food security and secure agricultural productivity.

In a long-term project in Kenya, the Swiss-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture has examined the potential of organic and conventional agriculture regarding soil fertility, the occurrence of pests and diseases, and profitability. Initial results make a strong case to implement policy measures necessary for supporting the adoption of organic management practices on a large scale.

This paper assesses past trends in agricultural land and labour productivity, as a test whether it is feasible to meet the SDG target 2.3, namely doubling productivity and incomes of smallholders within a 15-year time span, if history were to serve as a guide. The target implies agricultural productivity would need to increase by 4.6% per year on average during 2015-2030. Available country-level data on land productivity (1961-2012) and labour productivity (1980-2012) for 140 countries shows that past trends fall well short of the desired pace of productivity growth.

Utaran began work on the Sustainable Access to Land Equality (SALE) project to ensure transparency and accountability in land governance in December 2012, in partnership with CARE Internaional UK and Manusher Jonno Foundaion (MJF). The project engaged communiies in three pilot upazilas - Amtali Upazila of Barguna District, Mohanpur of Rajshahi, and Sadar of Jamalpur-to raise the awareness of vulnerable landowners about land administraion, and to effect transparent processes for selecing landless people and for khasland setlement.

This Land Degradation Neutrality National Report is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Plan is 15 years between 2016 and 2030. The overall goal of the policy is to ensure soil improvement and conservation.Agricultural productivity will be increased through land improvement in order to meet the food demand.Rural employment will be enhanced through agricultural development. To this end, the living standards in rural areas will be raised.Forest areas will be expanded through afforestation, rehabilitation of mine sites and soil conservation.

Most stakeholder-based research concerning agri-environmental schemes (AES) derives from work engaging with farmers and land managers. Consequently, the voices and opinions of other actors involved in AES tends to be unrepresented in the wider literature. One group of actors that seem particularly overlooked in this respect are private (independent) farm advisors (i.e., the consultants contracted by farmers and land managers to advise-on AES and agronomic matters).

Muito oportuna e elucidativa essa publicação do FBSSAN que me foi dada a honra de apresentar. A biofortificação de alimentos tem se destacado entre os temas do crescente debate nacional e internacional no campo da nutrição, aí incluída sua relação com a agricultura. Como é usual em se tratando dos alimentos, este debate é permeado por interesses de várias ordens, sobretudo econômicos, com a apropriação de significados acompanhada do tradicional apelo à gravidade dos problemas (fome ou deficiência de nutrientes) que clama por soluções urgentes e milagrosas.

O ritmo migratório rural-urbano é frequentemente superior à taxa de crescimento natural dapopulação citadina, em resultado da procura de oportunidades de emprego por parte daspopulações rurais, o que reflecte (e cria novas) pressões sociais e económicas.Ao longo deste texto procura-se compreender os factores que levam as populações de origemrural a migrar para a cidade de Maputo, assim como compreender as dinâmicas de relacionamentodas mesmas, uma vez na cidade, com o seu universo de origem.

Zambia’s agriculture sector provides the main support for the rural economy. This assertion is based on the fact that about forty nine percent of the Zambian population depends on agriculture, primarily through smallholder production for their livelihoods and employment (CSO, 2014). Notwithstanding this fact, in 2015 the sector contributed 8.5 percent to the GDP and approximately 9.6 percent of national export earnings (CSO, 2015; World Bank, 2016). The potential for agricultural growth in Zambia is staggering.

Equitable access to land is vital for inclusive economic growth, sustainable development and food security. Although much is known about the topics of land governance and food security, it is not always clear how the two relate to each other, especially in specific country contexts. This reflection paper, based on literature, LANDac country factsheets and three learning trajectories initiated by LANDac in Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia, brings together findings and outcomes to provide policy recommendations for improved land governance and food security in Africa.