SARD and Policy Brief series, SARD Initiative, Rome, Italy

The first six in the SARD and ...Policy Brief series are now available online. Prepared in collaboration with other international organizations, these briefs encourage and assist policy-makers in developing and implementing policies to achieve SARD. Here you can access: SARD and Agricultural Workers, outlining policy options to promote fair conditions of employment in the agricultural sector; SARD and Child Labour outlining policy options to prevent and eliminate forms of child labour that harm, abuse or deprive children of an education; SARD and Organic Agriculture outlining policy options for making organic agriculture broadly accessible so its full benefits can be realized; SARD and the Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction outlining policy options for utilizing sustainable agriculture as an effective poverty reduction strategy; SARD and Agricultural Trade outlining policy options for using trade to address poverty and hunger as well as provide livelihood and food security; and SARD and Rural Enterprises outlining policy options for rural enterprise as a means to improve equity through local economic growth.

Solution Exchange (2007) Booklet on NREGA Works for Resource Management - Experiences in India, Work and Employment Community, New Delhi, India

The Booklet summarizes experiences during the implementation of Natural Resource Management (NRM) programmes and initiatives undertaken through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in India. Recent manuals and resource books on how to integrate NRM and watershed development activities into the NREGA are also presented.

GTZ Sustainet (2007) Sustainable Agriculture: A pathway out of poverty for East Africa's rural poor, GTZ Eschborn, Germany, with funding from the Governments of Germany

The publication presents nine examples of successful projects, plus lessons on policy changes and approaches to scale up sustainable agriculture approaches in Kenya and Tanzania.

IFAP (2007) The Struggle to Combat Desertification: Guidelines to Good Practices and Farmer Experiences for Sustainable Development, Paris, France, with support from the French Government

This publication on good practices capitalizes on the experiences and observations of farmers from over 25 countries and their strategies and techniques to combat the effects of desertification on agriculture, the environment , and socioeconomic well-being. Technical fact sheets on 12 countries, including South Africa, Australia, Algeria, Nicaragua and Ghana, are also included.

SARD Initiative (2007) SARD Initiative Newsletter, 4th Issue, FAO, Rome, Italy, supported by the Government of Italy

The Newsletter provides updates on activities implemented by the Initiative and information on selected topical issues. To receive the Newsletter electronically, or to submit a contribution for the next issue, contact the editor at: SARD-Initiative@fao.org.

GTZ Sustainet (2006) Sustainable Agriculture: A pathway out of poverty for India's rural poor, GTZ Eschborn, Germany, with funding from the Governments of Germany, Norway and the SARD Initiative.

The publication includes 14 examples of successful sustainable agriculture approaches (organic farming, forest home gardens, rainfed sericulture) documented by Sustainet’s Indian project partners.

SARD Initiative and SEI (2006) Guide to produce a succinct description of a SARD Good Practice, FAO, Rome, Italy, supported by the Government of Norway

The guide consists of a questionnaire and a template to document SARD practices that have had a demonstrated impact at community level. The guide is aimed particularly at civil society partners supporting the introduction or replication of good practices and those that are managing learning networks..

SARD Initiative, IITC and The Christensen Fund (2006) Cultural indicators of Indigenous Peoples' food and agro-ecological systems, draft version for peer review, FAO, Rome, Italy, supported by the Government of Norway

The technical paper analyses, elaborates on and validates Indigenous Peoples’ views about some of the most important cultural indicators of food security, food sovereignty and sustainable development, with the aim to promote improved understanding and accountability between Indigenous Peoples and those working to support them.

SARD Initiative (2006) SARD Project Toolkit, FAO, Rome, Italy, supported by the Governments of Italy and Norway

A practical manual to support project staff, technicians and designers to improve the sustainability and impacts of agriculture and rural development projects, including those that are already on-going.