This month, we invite you to participate in the e-consultation on Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources. Following a lengthy regional consultation process, additional input is being requested prior to the drafting of the Zero Draft Guidelines. FAO Headquarters marked World Water Day 2011, examining the urgent need for safe water supplies for the world’s rapidly growing urban populations.

This paper was prepared as a Background Paper for Chapter 2 of the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s 2009 Rural Poverty Report. It begins by providing an overview discussion of the diversity of natural resources in developing countries, and rights of access, tenure and governance relevant to the rural poor, who are disproportionately dependent on natural resources.

Meeting Name: Committee on Forestry
Meeting symbol/code: COFO/2014/4

A description of the forest areas and types in Japan. This report reviews the current state of both protected and economic forest areas and predicts long term future demand.

An overview of Eritrea's main wood products, covering the natural and planted forest resources, wood products like sawn wood and woodfuel as well as the imported wood products. It also details the existing methodologies for data collection and makes some recommendations to further improve the process.

New Zealand works closely with FAO in support of shared food and agricultural development and food security goals. Over the past five years, the country has channelled more than US$7.5 million into FAO projects, principally for emergency assistance in the Asia and Pacific region. Other areas of New Zealand cooperation – both in the region and further afield – include support to development projects ranging from food safety to livestock development.

The purpose of the expert consulation was to review of current policies that affect the management of livestock and natural resources, focussing on sub-regions and different agro-ecological settings and the identification of policy trade-off. Presentations/resource papers were delivered from each of the five different sub-regions of the Latin American/Caribbean region (Amazon/Brazil; Andean countries/highlands; Central American countries and Mexico; Southern Cone; Caribbean).

Land Tenure Working Paper 11. This co-publication of FAO and UN-HABITAT seeks to better understand and define the processes, mechanisms and institutions of governance of tenure in rural and urban areas. The paper recognises that excellent land policies, laws and technical reforms have been developed. However, in many cases their implementation has slipped, stalled or even been reversed. By adopting a governance and political economy perspective, the paper offers insights for the design of reforms and for the development of land governance tools.

Meeting Name: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Meeting symbol/code: CGRFA/WG-PGR-8/16/Inf. 5
Session: Sess. 8

This regional study presents an overview of the socio-economic importance and ecological impact of the use of non-wood forest products (NWFP) in the Near East. The document consists of two main parts: i) presentation of background information on the programme activities and analysis of the available information on the regional level; and ii) presentation of data on NWFP on the national level (so-called "country profiles"). The country profiles were originally compiled to be made available on the FAO Web site.