Developments

The first Millennium Development Goal to halve hunger and poverty by 2015 is on course to fail. A global partnership is being established to take decisive, corrective action.

A public-private partnership is helping DRC establish a fledgling medicinal plants industry, producing to international standards. As well as having the potential to lift rural communities out of poverty, could DRC soon become a player in the world's burgeoning health food market?

A collapse of wild sea cucumber stocks has had a severe impact on incomes and food security in coastal areas of Madagascar. But a project to introduce sea cucumber farming is showing early signs of success.

Thanks to the efforts of Malian rice farmers, a new wave of rice technology has begun to ripple across the region. It has the potential to more than double yields, while raising the productivity of land, water, labour and capital.

Across Africa, "slow food" campaigners are raising awareness of the social impact of food traditions and the value of indigenous foods, in order to support traditional food production.