Challenges for gender equality in governing land and natural resources – The role of voluntary guidelinesFriday, 20th January 2012 The  negative impacts of gender inequalities on the governance of land and other natural resources have been demonstrated by various studies. Empirical research from different developing regions has shown that the general lack of women's participation often leads to inadequate decisions over natural resources, which eventually have harmful impacts on the environment, and on local and global economies, i.e. they hinder the achievement of sustainable growth. FAO studies, such as the recent  flagship publication "The State of Food and Agriculture 2010–11", have also provided evidence on the direct relation between gender inequalities and the underperformance of the agricultural/ natural resources management sector, emphasizing the losses in food security caused by the existing gender gap in access to land. (More...))

New technologies for sustainable agriculture - Role of Agriculture Innovation Systems (AIS) in Europe and Central AsiaFriday, 20th January 2012
The world today is facing numerous challenges reflected in the interwoven food, energy and financial crises, water scarcity, land degradation,  loss of biodiversity, and socio-economic issues (e.g. overpopulation, urbanization, food waste).  These factors are placing increased pressure on agriculture to supply food and raw materials in a sustainable way and if unchecked, they would result in a dramatic increase in poverty and further degradation of natural resources. The sustainability and production security in agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries are further more under threat due to intensive production practices, global competition, all aggravated by climate change and natural disasters. All together, today's challenges differ in complexity, duration, scale and speed from any faced before in human history, which determines the increasing demand for new agricultural research, education and innovations agenda and reforms in current knowledge systems. (More...)