Brazilian technology for agriculture in Africa The objective is to optimize the use of farm labour and help reduce widespread land degradation School kids and street food Street food could become "part of the solution" to alarming levels of micronutrient deficiency in Tanzania How to bottle coconut water A simple cold preservation process keeps bottled coconut water fresh for up to three weeks Livestock impacts on the environment The challenge is to reconcile demands for animal food products and environmental services Buried treasure: the potato This hardy Andean tuber is a staple food of hundreds of millions of people around the world... Starch market adds value to cassava Cassava-producing countries should turn more of that relatively low-cost raw material into high-value starch Farm animal biodiversity Sustainable management and genetic improvement of local breeds are essential if countries are to meet their future food needs Safer coffee An FAO project has developed good hygiene practices for coffee producers aimed at reducing contamination of raw beans by a potent fungal toxin More fruit and vegetables An FAO/WHO initiative seeks to boost production, supply and consumption of fruit and vegetables worldwide A global plant breeding initiative "Conservation of crop diversity will be futile if plant breeding programmes in developing countries are unable to fully utilize it..." Arsenic threat in Bangladesh High levels of arsenic in water used to grow crops could degrade soils, reduce yields - and find its way into food Global pest control Natural and national borders that were once effective barriers to the spread of unwanted pests are now under intense pressure Challenges to Near East agriculture Irrigated agriculture faces growing pressure for "cost recovery", while introduced pests jeopardize access to exports markets Sustainable grazing systems In Latin America, even small payments for environmental services have encouraged livestock owners to adopt silvo-pastoral systems What's water worth? Purely economic valuation of water often overlooks environmental values, such as water's role in maintaining ecosystems, and social values - such as growing food to eat Food security in Ethiopia In two of the country's most disadvantaged rural areas, an FAO project achieved measurable improvements in the health and nutrition of an estimated 26,000 people Fighting hunger – and obesity A growing number of developing countries must cope with the persistence of undernutrition, along with a rapid rise in overweight and diet-related chronic diseases New paradigm: Quality FAO's Agriculture Department begins 2006 with a new, broader mandate and a new unit, the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division (AGN). Protecting the pollinators Farmers have long considered pollination as one of nature's many "free services". But mounting evidence indicates that pollinator populations, essential for food production and farmers' livelihoods, are declining worldwide Rice faces the future Urbanization, diminishing natural resources, climate change, and uncertainties over domestic support and trade pose new challenges to rice production Stopping avian influenza The H5N1 virus has devastated domestic poultry, but has not yet mutated into a form transmissible to humans. The "window of opportunity" is still open... Science and the livestock revolution A range of "new" issues have social implications - such as the impact of livestock on the environment or the use of biotechnology Water use in agriculture As cities draw on more water resources for their rapidly growing populations, agriculture must significantly improve its water use efficiency and productivity Farmers and supermarkets in Asia The good news is that the region's rapidly expanding supermarket chains are particularly keen on selling fresh produce... Globalization and livestock While market integration can increase national income and improve nutrition, it also "globalizes" potential threats to livelihoods, human health and the environment Securing the food chain FAO is developing a comprehensive strategy to help countries ensure a "safe and nutritious" food supply... Good agricultural practices and SARD FAO's programmes for sustainable agriculture and rural development are responding to new challenges and targets After the tsunami "Agricultural reconstruction will be a huge task - we are talking about damage to thousands of kilometres of coast and hundreds of small islands..." Avian influenza in Asia Highly Pathogenic AI has become a major transboundary epidemic with wide-ranging economic, trade and social repercussions Water, food and ecosystems in Africa "Agriculture and ecosystems are inherently linked: both use the same resources and are based on the same biological processes..." The Joint FAO/IAEA Division at 40 Better cooperation, less duplication of effort and shared approaches to building a peaceful and prosperous world Policy coherence for agriculture and development "Can we move beyond the myth of policy coherence and take realistic steps toward the Millennium Development Goals?" Fertilizer and the future "There is still a lot of misunderstanding and confusion about mineral fertilizers. The public needs objective, science-based information from all partners involved in nutrient management..." A new social contract on biotechnology The "molecular divide" between developed and developing countries threatens to aggravate current inequalities Water management: towards 2030 Objective: unlock the potential of water management practices to raise productivity, promote equitable access to water and conserve the resource base Rinderpest on the ropes Smallpox was the first disease in history to be eradicated. By 2010, bovine plague could be the second Shaping the future of agriculture "In times like these, we have to look for opportunities, and reshaping agriculture for the common good presents just such an opportunity..." Genetics and animal health As veterinary drugs falter in the face of increasingly virulent pathogens, an FAO report proposes a new animal health strategy - breeding for disease resistance Family poultry Backyard- and free-range birds account for as much as 70% of total poultry production in low-income, food-deficit countries Irrigation in the Near East With less than 2% of the world's fresh water supply, the region's food security depends on getting "more crops per drop" Urban food security In the "century of cities", a major challenge will be providing food for urban inhabitants, especially the poor New livestock disease threats A global early warning system would help control the current upsurge in epizootic emergencies World livestock trade Claims that developing countries stand to lose from economic globalization have "probably been exaggerated", says a new FAO discussion paper Sweet sorghum in China This "camel among crops" could be the key to agricultural development in areas affected by aridity and saline soils A new strategy for cassava The aim is to spur rural industrial development and boost incomes for producers, processors and traders A Treaty on agrobiodiversity The historic accord represents a legally-binding, international commitment to improvement of the world's key food crops Agrobusiness and small farmers Well managed contract farming contributes to both increased income for producers and higher profitability for "sponsors" Toward "safe trade" At age 50, the International Plant Protection Convention adapts to new challenges in the era of globalization Oil palm in western Kenya A new hybrid tree will help reduce the country's edible oil deficit and provide a badly needed source of extra income for farmers Agriculture after September 11 In a world shaken by terrorism and war, does it make sense to talk about agriculture, poverty and hunger? Yes... Genetically modified crops Evidence suggests that the technology has so far addressed too few challenges, in few crops of relevance to production systems in developing countries Tick control in the Caribbean An FAO programme to eradicate tropical Bont tick is helping revive the livestock industry, reduce beef imports and enhance food security Hazardous pesticides The Rotterdam Convention aims to create a shared responsibility between countries that export and import toxic agro-chemicals Global farming systems FAO's new "agricultural atlas" will help the World Bank target investment to relieve hunger and rural poverty Crop science and ethics In order to continue their contribution to human development, crop scientists must regain credibility