Globally, there is growing demand for increased agricultural outputs. At the same time, the agricultural industry is expected to meet increasingly stringent environmental targets. Thus, there is an urgent pressure on the soil resource to deliver multiple functions simultaneously. The Functional Land Management framework (Schulte et al., 2014) is a conceptual tool designed to support policy making to manage soil functions to meet these multiple demands. This paper provides a first example of a practical application of the Functional Land Management concept relevant to policy stakeholders.

In response to numerous reports and
claims of poor quality or fake fertilizer that were
extensively reported by farmers, fertilizer dealers, and
government officials of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) over the past three years,
the World Bank, in support of the Royal Government of
Cambodia and in response to the food crisis through the
smallholder agricultural and social protection support

This paper's objective is to strengthen the capacity of various institutions in the Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation for sustainable water resources management, and to develop training tools for innovative techniques for further dissemination to state agencies and other stakeholders.

This article examines the effect of
water pricing policies on farmers’ water saving behaviors,
using original water user group (WUG) data from a reservoir
irrigation system in China. The introduction of volumetric
water pricing at the group level, to replace area-based
pricing, induces institutional change to prevent each
member’s overuse of water when the volumetric price levels
are moderate. Depending on the initial conditions, the

This paper is intended to provide a
brief overview of the different SEZ experiences in China and
Africa, the key lessons that Africa can learn from China, as
well as the recent Chinese zones in Africa. For this
purpose, the paper is structured in the following way:
section 1 starts with definition of SEZs, then followed with
the Chinese experiences (section 2), African experiences
(section 3), the lessons that Africa can learn from China

Migration is transforming rural
economies, landscapes, and potentially, gender relations.
Migration is one of the drivers of the so-called
feminization of agriculture in Latin America. This
feminization has relevance for everyone given agriculture’s
role in regional food security, national shared prosperity,
and household resilience to shocks. The objective of this
study is to investigate the feminization of agriculture as

The overall goal of this report is to
assist the World Bank Group (WBG) to achieve greater impact
for women from its current activities in agribusiness in
Papua New Guinea (PNG), and to provide clear recommendations
on additional interventions aimed at improving outcomes for
women. The report focuses on the supply chains for coffee,
cocoa, and horticultural products (fresh produce), as there
is a wealth of knowledge on these supply chains and on

In this issue: ELD CA National teams defined and visited pilot research sites. ELD CA Initiative presented at the International Water Forum of Mountain Countries. ELD CA National teams defined ecosystem services and their valuation methods. ELD CA and UNDP BIOFIN project in Kazakhstan defined the cooperation during the
meeting in Astana. Strengthened the cooperation between ELD CA and partners in the region. Description of research pilot sites in the ELD approach in Central Asian countries.

The Department of Mineral Resources is attempting to develop oil and gas drilling in South Africa through Operation Phakisa. The project is still in the early stages of research and exploration, but the Department aims to have 30 wells built in 10 years. DME estimates very roughly, that as many as 9 billion barrels of oil and 9 billion barrels of gas could be within South African borders, and many national and international companies have expressed interest in investing in South African drilling.

Experts agree that the rising demand for fish for human consumption cannot be met without a major expansion and sustainable intensification of aquaculture. Our WorldFish authors describe the areas in which research plays a particularly important role in this context.

This report helps policy makers, practitioners and funding agencies identify emerging adaptation good practices and the conditions necessary for scaling up those good practices to achieve adaptation success at scale.