Welcome to the second issue of the Natural Resources and Environment Newsletter. In this issue, we will be looking at work underway on the Voluntary Guidelines on responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources. We will also look at work done in Thailand and lessons learned by the German-financed Bioenergy and Food Security project.

At the Pacific consultation meeting on the Voluntary Guidelines on governance of tenure in Samoa, participants took time to blow the whistle on hunger as part of the 1 Billion Hungry campaign. The campaign is designed to raise awareness about the nearly one billion people in the world today who continue to suffer from chronic hunger.

New research shows how agricultural investments in developing nations can be structured as alternatives to large-scale land acquisitions. It documents a range of more inclusive business models that can bring benefits to small-scale farmers and protect their land rights, while also ensuring returns to companies.