• home page
• this issue
• contents
• focus on
• points of view
• developments
• news brief
• book reviews
• my perspective
• country profile
• in pictures
• listen in
• for the diary

• download
• subscribe
• archives
• contact

In this issue...

An additional 75 million people have fallen below the hunger threshold this year
credit: IRIN

During recent weeks, the developed world has seen the collapse and subsequent bail-out of many of its major financial institutions. Billions of dollars of support has been paid by governments in an effort to underpin the economy and lessen the impact of a worldwide recession.

FAO has stated that, with rising food and fuel prices, over 75 million people have fallen below the hunger threshold this year (see News brief). It is not yet clear how much the current financial crisis will further impact on the poor. But there are concerns that despite the rapid assistance to ailing banks, developing countries will fail to be supported in the same way and that pledges of aid from donor countries will not be honoured.

In the shadow of these crises, aid organisations strive to help those most in need. In the Democratic Republic of Congo tens of thousands of people have fled amid escalating violence in the region. In My perspective, Sheila Sisulu of the World Food Organisation (WFP) stresses that whilst their emergency feeding programmes are vital in keeping people alive, much work needs to be done to break the long-term cycle of hunger. More on the current financial crisis and the lack of political will to fight worldwide hunger is highlighted in an overview of a recent a recent conference in Dublin (see Developments).

Around the world, millions of people, particularly poor indigenous groups, depend on collective ownership of resources, including forests, pastures and wetlands, to survive. In Focus on…Common resources, we review some of the threats, benefits, constraints and opportunities that are experienced by communities, whose efforts and dependence on such resources often goes unrecognised. In pictures features an insight into the lives of Maasai pastoralists, while the success of community dairies in Haiti are highlighted in Developments.

The importance of banana and plantain to smallholders was highlighted by a recent conference in Kenya
credit: WRENmedia

Trade not aid is often hailed as key to successful development. In our leading Book review, A Splendid exchange, author William Bernstein details how trade has changed the world - for better or worse. Improved marketing and trade was also a major part of discussions at an international conference on bananas and plantain in Kenya recently. A selection of viewpoints on how this versatile fruit can benefit African smallholders are summarised in Points of view.

Plans in Malawi to move away from food aid by promoting an ambitious new programme to develop fertile zones is reported in News brief, along with an update on the impact of the floods in Haiti, crop failure in Syria, and pests and diseases in Pakistan, Burma and Morocco. The challenge of living life in the Solomon Islands archipelago is reported in Country profile.

Finally, we would like to thank all those who have taken a few minutes to complete the online survey, giving us your insights into how you perceive New Agriculturist. Your comments will be invaluable in our continuing efforts to develop and refine the site. The survey will be available for a few more weeks if you have yet to provide your comments, although we are open to receiving your feedback by email at any time.

An overview of the results will be published in the next edition. In the meantime, whether you're a farmer, policymaker, researcher, or simply have an interest in the role of agriculture in international and rural development, we hope that New Agriculturist will continue to give you more than a glimpse of some of the issues facing farmers in developing countries, and the wider world.