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With ten years to go before 2015 - the target year for the Millennium Development Goals - 2005 is seen by many as the year that real progress has to be made against poverty. If not, then meeting the targets, which is already off track, is unlikely. Jeffrey Sachs, author of The End of Poverty (reviewed in In Print), argues that practical solutions exist but there has to be a greater commitment from donors. Sachs lists agriculture as one of the Big Five interventions required for ending poverty and yet, interestingly, as reported in Developments, the report published by Tony Blair's Commission for Africa fails to give this vital area for Africa's development the attention it deserves.

As leaders gather at the G8 summit in July to discuss the needs of the world, we wonder how much attention they will pay to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, also reported in Developments, which highlights more strongly than ever the impact of humankind on the natural resources of the world. The impacts of growing population, pollution and intensification of fishing and shrimp farming are featured in Focus On, which highlights some of the options for more effectively managing this dynamic environment. But coastal systems are also affected by man's intervention in rivers systems, featured in News along with the latest reports on avian flu and GM crops.

The ethics of intensive livestock production in terms of animal welfare are discussed in Points of View; Nigeria's potential is examined in Country Profile; and the colourful markets of the Mekong Delta are captured in the Picture Feature.

Climate Change, another major theme for the G8 summit, will be the Focus On for the next edition of New Agriculturist. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the articles presented in this current edition. As always, we appreciate your feedback and comments.

Points of view Animal welfare Focus on Coastal Livelihoods Weathering a sea change Bac Lieu to the future Short and sweet An afterlife for Aceh? The future held in reserve Mangroves' community roots Crab culture with a conscience Perils in paradise In print The end of poverty: How we can make it happen in our lifetime Spice: The history of a temptation Sharing power: Learning by doing in co-management of natural resources throughout the world Diet for a dead planet: How the food industry is killing us The state of food insecurity in the world 2004 Family nutrition guide Sustainable composting Women and sustainable agriculture Information and communication technologies for development in Africa. Volume 2 Setting up and running a small flour mill or bakery The role of post-harvest management in assuring the quality and safety of horticultural produce Perspective Global banquet runs out of control By Felicity Lawrence Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Guardian newspaper

News Vaccination, not culling, urged to tackle avian flu Golden Rice re-engineered Controversial dam to go ahead in Laos... ...as study damns big dams Water and sanitation investments provide economic gains UK study rejects GM rape GM rice for sale illegally in China... ...and benefiting farmers' health Eucalyptus under attack in East Africa... ...and elsewhere, as a new website reveals Link between agricultural runoff and algal blooms confirmed Guidelines drafted on GMO genebank intrusion China outgrows World Food Programme aid Stem rust on the rise Developments All used up and nowhere to go? Ready for their close-up Africa's engine for growth A worm's eye view of biocontrol Watch the trees grow Country profile Nigeria Picture feature Mekong Delta markets

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