The forestry and forest industries sectors have been borne on the tide of this wider reform. This issue of Unasylva offers an analysis of experiences with regard to forestry in transitional economies, with the aim of facilitating an understanding of the important issues involved in the process.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Germany, IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), Finland, GTZ (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), UN-Habitat, World Bank and UNDP, and IPC (International NGO/CSO Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty), Food First International Action Network (FIAN), ILC (International Land Coalition), FIG (International Federation of Surveyors) and other development partners are working together with countries to prepare Voluntary Guidelines that will provide practical guidance to states, civil society, the private se

Issues relating to land and land reform have been moving up the agenda of rural poverty and food security in recent years with the increasing acceptance that the prerequisites for broad-based and equitable development include the essential need for people to have access to land and other natural resources. Access needs to be on an equitable basis allowing the poor and the disadvantaged, including women, to secure the assets needed for them and their families to generate sustainable livelihoods.

The articles in this issue supplement the recent publication "Good governance in land tenure and administration" (Land Tenure Studies No. 9), which provides practical advice for land professionals on improving governance in a land administration system or other land tenure arrangement.

The Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) evolved from the belief that FAO could have a greater impact on reducing poverty and food insecurity, if its wealth of talent and experience were integrated into a more flexible and demand-responsive team approach. This paper represents part of an area of work which examines ways in which the poor can use small amounts of land to establish homegardens to support their livelihoods.

This joint FAO-World Bank publication aims to draw attention to the negative impacts of weak governance in land administration and to point out the manifold benefits of good governance in the protection of property rights and the development of efficient land and property markets. It provides positive examples of good practices from around the world, as well as an overview of principles and key questions to be applied in any country for the evaluation of governance in land administration.

In this issue of the NR Newsletter, we welcome 2012 as the UN-declared International Year of Energy for All, an opportunity to concentrate global attention on the challenges facing both developed and developing countries when addressing access to and efficient use of sustainable energy sources. We also take a look at an interesting land tenure project that aims to bring advanced technology land registration systems to developing countries, through low-cost open-source software.

La FAO conduit la lutte internationale pour l’éradication de la faim. Sa mission est d’aider à construire un monde où les générations présentes et futures seront libérées de l’insécurité alimentaire. Atteindre la sécurité alimentaire pour tous est au cœur des efforts de la FAO – faire en sorte que chacun ait un accès régulier à une alimentation de première qualité suffisante pour pouvoir mener une vie saine et active.

Esta guía presenta una visión de conjunto de las Directrices voluntarias sobre la gobernanza responsable de la tenencia de la tierra, la pesca y los bosques en el contexto de la seguridad alimentaria nacional. La guía describe la naturaleza, propósito, contenido y destinatarios deseados de las Directrices; explica qué se entiende por tenencia, e indica de qué manera el mejoramiento de la gobernanza de la tenencia puede servir para reducir el hambre y la pobreza y conducir al uso sostenible de los recursos naturales.

A humanidade tem sido testemunha e participante nas múltiplas mudanças pelas quais a agricultura passou no decorrer dos séculos. Desde os primórdios desta antiga prática, o cultivo tem sido a espinha dorsal do desenvolvimento econômico de muitas sociedades e a principal fonte de preservação e evolução da vida. Nas civilizações pré-históricas e agrárias mais antigas, a agricultura não somente era uma fonte de alimento e de matérias-primas, mas também representava uma fonte de expressão da ordem inata da natureza.

Política de Desarrollo Agrícola – Conceptos y Experiencias forma parte de las actividades de la FAO destinadas a generar contextos de política favorables a la agricultura, tanto globales, en el marco de regulaciones y compromisos internacionales, como nacionales, mediante estrategias y políticas adecuadas.