03/2008 - 04.02.2008
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FISHERIES | |
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Assessment of freshwater fish seed resources for sustainable aquaculture
By: Bondad-Reantaso Melba G. Four of the most important resources to aquaculture, outside human and technological resources, are land, water, seed and feed. Efficient use of these resources are necessary to guarantee optimum production from aquaculture. A project Study and Analysis of Seed Production in Small-scale Rural Aquaculture was implemented through a desk study and expert workshop (held in Wuxi, China from 23-26 March 2006) to assess the status of freshwater fish seed resources and supply and its contribution to sustainable aquatic production. This publication is presented in two parts. Part 1 contains the proceedings and major recommendations of the expert workshop which tackled three major themes: (a) seed quality, genetics, technology and certification; (b) seed networking, distribution, entrepreneurship and certification and (c) how rural fish farmers can benefit from the freshwater aquaseed sector. Part 2 contains the detailed outcomes of the desk study consisting of three regional syntheses (Africa, Asia and Latin America) based on 21 country case studies, five thematic reviews (quality, genetics and breeding, seed networks and entrepreneurship, seed supply in rural aquaculture, farmer innovations and women involvement) and three invited papers (self-recruiting species, decentralized seed networking in Bangladesh and establishment of national broodstock centres in Viet Nam).
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Comparative assessment of the environmental costs of aquaculture and other food production sectors. Methods for meaningful comparisons. FAO/WFT Expert Workshop 24-28 April 2006 - Vancouver, Canada
FAO Fisheries Proceedings No. 10 The global food production sector is growing and in many areas farming systems are intensifying. Although food production from all sectors has environmental impacts and environmental costs, public opinion and regulatory oversight amongst the sectors in this area is uneven. In order to understand better the place of aquaculture amidst the other food production sectors in regards to environmental costs, the first session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries' Sub-Committee on Aquaculture recommended "undertaking comparative analyses on the environmental cost of aquatic food production in relation to other terrestrial food production sectors". Comparisons can be useful for addressing local development and zoning concerns, global issues of sustainability and trade and consumer preferences for inexpensive food produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. Methods to assess environmental costs should be scientifically based, comparable across different sectors, expandable to different scales, inclusive of externalities, practical to implement and easily understood by managers and policy-makers. These proceedings include review papers describing methods for such comparisons as well as the deliberations of their authors, a group of international experts on environmental economics, energy accounting, material and environmental flows analysis, aquaculture, agriculture and international development.
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Pearl oyster health management. A manual
By: Bondad-Reantaso Melba G., McGladdery, S.E., Berthe F.C.J. The pearl oyster industry is a growing multibillion dollar sector of molluscan aquaculture. The end product of pearl farming, the pearl, is unique to this sector. Pearl production is entirely based upon health. The pearl itself is a product of the oyster's immune defences as a response to soft-tissue irritation. Today, most disease problems are caused by opportunistic pathogens taking advantage of oysters weakened by the stress of handling, including pearl surgery and sub-optimal growing conditions. Further development of the industry will inevitably lead to increased risk of disease introduction, spread or emergence. Against such an unwanted future, health management is the critical line of defence. This publication provides guidance on the management of pearl oyster health and reviews pearl oyster mortalities and disease problems that will be useful for designing programmes aimed at reducing the risks from diseases. Part 1 consists of pearl oyster health - the current interest in it and an overview of the cultured marine pearl industry. Part 2 examines pearl oyster health management: husbandry and handling, hatchery production, diseases, field collections of samples, laboratory protocols, national strategies... Certain countries in the pearl oyster producing regions have acquired a great deal of experience in health management of cultured species. Experiences from Australia, the Cook Islands, Japan, French Polynesia, the Philippines, China, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea are included in Part 3 which also contains a general review of pearl oyster mortalities and disease problems. |
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Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras; International plan of action for the conservation and management of sharks. FAO Species Identifications publications excerpts - CD-ROM
Rome, 2007 This CD-ROM is a compilation of several FAO species identification publications dealing with Elasmobranches (Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras). It includes complete publications such as the Catalogue of sharks of the world, the Field guide of sharks and rays of the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Field guide of sharks and rays of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It also includes excerpts dealing with elasmobranches from several regional guides: Eastern Central Atlantic, Western Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Seas, Eastern Central Pacific, Western Central Pacific and Western Central Atlantic. [Browsing document system requirement: Adobe® Reader® for Windows®, Linux® or MacIntosh®]
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LAND AND WATER DEVELOPMENT | |
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Irrigation management transfer. Worldwide efforts and results (+CD-ROM)
By: Garces-Restrepo, C., Vermillion D., Muñoz G. The present water report is the final product emanating from efforts by FAO, IWMI and others to document and understand the implications of the irrigation sector embarking on a wide reform process. It is intended to be a knowledge synthesis document that captures the global experiences emerging from a wide-reaching process targeting the reform of the irrigation sector. This study indicates that irrigation management transfer (IMT) is an approach for irrigation sector reform with the potential to improve the sustainability of irrigation systems.The process requires inter alia strong political commitment, negotiations among stakeholders, and long-term capacity development. Irrigation management transfer should not be seen as a process that has a clear "beginning" and "end". While the former can be more easily identified, the latter is much more difficult to determine. In fact, IMT can be the initial stage of an evolving long reform process. The accompanying CD-ROM contains IMT country profiles and case studies, an international IMT e-mail conference, a bibliography and links. Order on-line |
GENERAL | |
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Designing national pesticide legislation
By: Vapnek, J., Pagotto, I., Kwoka, M. International and national legal frameworks governing the trade and use of pesticides have undergone significant changes over the last twenty years. The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, the Rotterdam Convention, the Stockholm Convention, the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol are only some of the binding and non-binding international instruments applicable to part or all of the life cycle of a pesticide. Specific guidelines for implementation are often available from the secretariat of the applicable international instrument, but comprehensive guidance is generally lacking. Governments need a clear picture of their international obligations as well as guidance on the accepted international consensus on the proper management of pesticides. Upgraded national legislation is needed to align national frameworks with international norms. This text aims to provide governments wishing to design, reform or update their national legislation with up-to-date advice on all aspects of pesticide management. Although the recommendations for national legislative change are designed to be useful to all countries, the text highlights the particular problems faced by developing countries and countries in transition, offering practical solutions to common problems. Order on-line |
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Development of an analytical tool to assess national Biosecurity legislation
By: Manzella, D., Vapnek, J. Biosecurity aims to facilitate the implementation of international obligations related to international trade and the protection of human, animal and plant life and health as well as the environment. It looks at the coordination of sectoral regulatory authorities in order to manage biological risks for food and agriculture in an efficient and holistic manner. Upgraded legislation is needed to align national laws to international standards and to enhance institutional coordination. Countries require comprehensive and consistent national legal frameworks for Biosecurity in order to implement effective controls, increase cost effectiveness and improve consistency across sectors. Reviewing and assessing what legislation is in place is the first step toward implementing a Biosecurity approach. It is not an easy exercise as the normative and functional components of Biosecurity are often found in a plethora of laws and regulations. Based on the six pilot country studies, this text develops an analytical methodology to review and assess national legal frameworks for Biosecurity. Order on-line |
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International trade rules and the agriculture sector. Selected implementation issues
By: Mosoti, V., Gobena, A. Since the establishment of the WTO, there have been significant changes in the legal and institutional landscape of many developing countries. Whatever the motivation for trade-related legal reform, our experience in the FAO Legal Office has been that besides the substantial costs involved, there are many challenges to successful and meaningful legal and institutional reforms. Legal drafters must therefore be well aware of the existing legal and administrative culture. They must also have a realistic appreciation of the resource constraints in the country, for inadequate resources certainly restrict the ability of implementing bodies to put new rules into practice. This study is about the nature and extent of these trade-related legal and institutional reforms with a particular focus on those of direct relevance to the agricultural sector. In addition to the sectoral focus on agriculture, the study places distinct emphasis on the challenges of developing countries in the implementation of trade-related international obligations in the agricultural sector. It derives from FAO's experience in advising countries on the implementation of agriculture-related WTO agreements, key elements of which are discussed and illustrated by three representative case studies. Order on-line |
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Recent trends in the law and policy of bioenergy production, promotion and use
By: Jull, C., Carmona Redondo, P., Mosoti, V., Vapnek, J. In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the need for sound regulatory frameworks for bioenergy. Faced with high petroleum and natural gas prices, and increasingly aware of climate change and environmental concerns, many countries are implementing national policies and legislation to encourage bioenergy production and use. These developments stem from the desire to achieve energy security and self-sufficiency, the need to reduce reliance on foreign fossil fuel reserves and the hope of providing increased trade opportunities for some agricultural commodities. Land use, and the competing needs of energy and food security are key issues in the bioenergy debate. International and national regulatory frameworks will have to establish clear guidelines for the sustainable development of the bioenergy industry. This paper aims to stimulate discussion on the elements of appropriate national legal frameworks for bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. It provides legislators and policy-makers with a tool to assist in identifying areas of law which may affect bioenergy regulation, and in designing key elements of national bioenergy laws. Order on-line |
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AGRICULTURE | |
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Bonne gouvernance des régimes fonciers et de l'administration des terres
FAO Études sur les régimes fonciers nº 9 Le présent guide a été écrit à l'attention des personnes qui interviennent dans l'administration foncière et de toutes celles qui portent un intérêt aux problèmes des terres, du foncier et de leur administration. Une bonne gouvernance est de nature à faciliter le développement économique et la réduction de la pauvreté. En revanche, une gouvernance défectueuse a des conséquences néfastes sur l'ensemble de la société. Une gouvernance défaillante, aussi bien dans un contexte d'administration foncière légale que dans les systèmes foncier coutumiers se traduit par une absence de protection des droits fonciers de certains. Les pauvres en sont souvent les premières victimes. Une autre conséquence d'une mauvaise gouvernance est une utilisation non optimale de la terre pour la production de richesses. Une administration foncière bien gouvernée peut renforcer les institutions locales et apporter ainsi une contribution a une bonne gouvernance en général. Les administrateurs du foncier peuvent tenter de profiter de la corruption dans une société ou la gouvernance fait défaut, ou bien décider de contribuer au progrès vers une bonne gouvernance.
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Manuel pour la préparation et la vente des fruits et des légumes. Du champ au marché
Par : López Camelo, A.F. Le secteur de la production de fruits et légumes de l'Amérique latine, des Caraïbes, de l'Asie et de l'Europe de l'Est, fait face à une nouvelle situation où, d'une part, les chaînes de supermarchés représentent un pourcentage croissant du marché de détail national et où, d'autre part, les producteurs de fruits et légumes non traditionnels et hors saison sont en concurrence sur le marché mondial, de plus en plus exigeant. Les producteurs qui ont les fonds nécessaires, les capacités de gestion et les qualifications technologiques adéquates relèvent d'ores et déjà les nouveaux défis, tandis que les petits fermiers se retrouvent de plus en plus marginalisés. Ces derniers se heurteront à des conditions de marché inégales, à moins qu'ils ne changent leurs pratiques et satisfassent aux besoins d'un réseau de commercialisation alimentaire moderne. Indépendamment du système de production, le défi technologique vise à augmenter les revenus grâce à l'utilisation raisonnable des ressources disponibles, en réduisant les coûts de production et les pertes après récolte, en augmentant la compétitivité et la valeur ajoutée du produit fini. C'est sur la base de ces principes que ce manuel analyse les techniques capables de réduire les pertes après récolte et d'assurer la qualité et la sécurité du produit, de la moisson à la consommation. Le nouveau concept de la qualité implique de fournir à la fois un produit compétitif et un produit qui réponde aux attentes des revendeurs et des consommateurs.
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AGRICULTURA | |
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Buena gobernanza en la tenencia y la administración de tierras
FAO Estudios sobre tenencia de la tierra Nº 9 Estas orientaciones están dirigidas a aquellas personas que se ocupan de la administración de tierras y a todos los que tienen algún interés en la tierra, en su tenencia y gobernanza. Una buena gobernanza puede contribuir a lograr el desarrollo económico y reducir la pobreza así como una carente gobernanza repercute desfavorablemente en toda la sociedad. Una gobernanza débil, ya sea en la administración formal de tierras como en los sistemas de tenencia consuetudinaria, significa que no todos los derechos sobre las tierras están protegidos, lo que afecta en particular a los pobres, llegando incluso a dejarlos marginados y fuera de ley. Significa asimismo que no se utiliza apropiadamente la tierra para crear riqueza. Los problemas relacionados con la tierra afectan a todas las esferas de la sociedad, por lo que un sistema bien gestionado de administración de tierras puede ayudar a reforzar las instituciones locales y contribuir así al buen gobierno, el desarrollo económico y la reducción de la pobreza.
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PRODUCCIÓN Y PROTECCIÓN VEGETAL | |
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Medios de vida de los sistemas socioproductivos de Maíz y Frijol en Mesoamérica
Tegucigalpa, 2007, 68 págs. En Mesoamérica se distribuyen cuatro ecosistemas principales: bosques, montañas, zonas áridas y áreas de cultivos; y se compaginan cuatro prácticas culturales agrícolas distintas que marcan formas y procesos diferentes de construcción social y económica: el maíz, el frijol, el arroz y la yuca (mandioca). Estas culturas humanas y agrícolas, en mestizaje y en evolución, y la diversidad ecológica, agrícola, social y cultural de Mesoamérica obligan a un análisis integral y socio-ecológico de su desarrollo rural y agrícola. El presente ensayo pretende responder a dos retos críticos del desarrollo agrícola en Mesoamérica: i) ¿Cómo pueden ser fortalecidos los medios de vida en el marco de los sistemas de maíz y frijol?. ii) ¿Qué aporta el enfoque de medios de vida al diseño de políticas e intervenciones para el desarrollo?. El ensayo utiliza y analiza el enfoque de medios de vida (o "livelihoods") a través del examen de varias experiencias de terreno en América Latina. Los sistemas de maíz y frijol en la región son el objeto principal del estudio. (Coedición con Zamorano, Honduras).
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PESCA | |
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Estado mundial de la acuicultura 2006
FAO Documentos técnicos de pesca Nº 500 La acuicultura se está desarrollando, expandiendo e intensificando en casi todas las regiones del mundo. Si bien el sector parece ser capaz de cubrir la brecha entre las futuras demanda y oferta de alimentos acuáticos, existen muchas limitaciones y desafíos para por lo menos mantener el nivel actual de consumo per cápita a nivel global. Este documento examina las tendencias pasadas en el desarrollo de la acuicultura y describe su actual estado mundial.
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