Cultivating
Our Futures
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Background Paper 1: Agricultural Biodiversity
Background Paper 2: Bioenergy
Background Paper 3: Drylands
Background Paper 4: Environment and Trade
Background Paper 5: Research and Technology
Background Paper 6: Water
Paper prepared for FAO/Netherlands Conference
on " The Multifunctional Character
of Agriculture and Land"
12-17 September 1999
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Introducing the Six Background Papers
Summary Background Paper 1: Agricultural Biodiversity
Summary Background Paper 2: Bioenergy
Summary Background Paper 3: Drylands
Summary Background Paper 4: Environment and Trade
The multiple functions of agricultural biodiversity
i) Agricultural biodiversity's contributions to food and livelihood security
ii) Agricultural biodiversity's contributions to production and environmental sustainability
iii) Agricultural biodiversity's contributions to rural development
Underlying causes of agricultural biodiversity losses
The neglect of indigenous knowledge, local institutions and management systems
The dominance of blueprint paradigms and policies
Inequitable tenure and control over resources
Market pressures and the undervaluation of agricultural biodiversity
Options for sustaining agricultural biodiversity and its multiple functions
1. Expand knowledge on the dynamics of agricultural biodiversity
2. Increase the effective use of agricultural biodiversity in food and fibre production
3. Promote local adaptive management of agricultural biodiversity
4. Support local participation in planning, management and evaluation
5. Transform bureaucracies and professional practice
6. Strengthen local rights and security of tenure
7. Reform trade-related policies, markets and economic incentives
2. Bioenergy and the role of agriculture in the international energy scenario.
3. The role of agriculture in energy consumption, production, and CO2 mitigation.
5. Environmental, health and socio-economic aspects
6. Agriculture and climate change implications
7. Land rehabilitation, food production and biodiversity.
8. Policy approaches to agriculture and energy
1. MFCAL and Drylands: the issues at stake
1.2 The Characteristics of Drylands
1.3 Agriculture and land uses in Drylands
2. The Assessment of case studies
3. The MFCAL APPROACH AND DRYLANDS DEVELOPMENT: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT AND SARD
GATT/WTO Principles Regarding Trade-Related Environmental Measures
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
Potential Conflicts between MEAs and the WTO
Identifying and Measuring Externalities
Issues of Concern for Developing Countries
Applying the MFCAL Approach to the Work of the IARCs
Technologies that enhance the synergies in MFCAL
The impact of changing contexts on the MFCAL
Exploring the Multiple functions of green water
Green water and plant nutrients - basis for agricultural production
Flows and stocks of green water and blue water
The multiple functions of blue water
Trade-offs between alternative water uses
Food production, environmental and social sustainability in various regions
Rainfed biomass production in semi-arid lands
Potential of old non-conventional water management techniques