network of research and training centres and programmes
Issue 26: July-August 2003
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UNU Update | |
| The newsletter of United Nations
University and its network of research and training centres and programmes |
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Issue 26: July-August 2003 |
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New books from UNU Press
Farmers Across the World Generations of smallholder farmers have nurtured a rich diversity of plants and animals, both wild and domesticated.. While the recent focus has been on the accelerated loss of biodiversity, this book describes how large numbers of smallholder farmers are conserving biodiversity on their farms and surrounding land. It is based on the
fieldwork of UN University Project
on People, Land Management and Environmental Change (PLEC), which has
observed how farmers use their knowledge and skills to preserve diversity
while managing their resources conservatively and profitably. The book covers the work of PLEC members, coordinators and advisers working out of over 60 institutions in Brazil, China, Ghana, Guinea, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Britain, the United States, Japan and Australia. PLEC looks for exceptional or expert farmers who manage resources better than others. This book highlights their work with exceptional or expert farmers to draw lessons in support of "agrodiversity" as a developmental approach to policies for reversing loss of biodiversity, controlling land degradation, and improving small farmers' livelihoods.
Smallholder Farms of East Africa The rich variety of plants found in smallholder farms in Africa is a storehouse of food, fuel and fibre. This biodiversity provides not only food, beverages and marketable produce, but also supports communities by producing a range of valuable resources from medicines to construction material. Smallholder
farmers are the guardians and beneficiaries of a greater diversity of
species than can be found in protected areas. The farmers’ diverse
practices are conserving these species for the benefit of future
generations. In turn, agricultural biodiversity is an important way for
the poor to cope with difficult biophysical environments and precarious
social and political circumstances. This book documents how the smallholder farmers of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are playing their part in the global agenda for the conservation, sustainable use and the equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity. UN University's PLEC project is showing how the accumulated knowledge and experience of smallholders and their diverse practices leads to clear benefits for both biodiversity and society. The book draws on lessons learned from farmers, researchers, extension staff, policy-makers and aid agencies supporting PLEC demonstration sites in East Africa, demonstrating the potential for learning from farmers and basing policy on tried and tested ways of managing complex agricultural systems.
The
performance of Asian and African economies over recent decades clearly
shows that engagement with the global economy can play a key role in
advancing development. Researchers
and policymakers have paid particular attention to the marked contrast
between growth in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. One of the
obvious differences in their performance and economic structure has been
the extent of their participation in the global economy. While many East
Asian economies have accelerated their integration into the world economy,
sub-Saharan African countries have been increasingly marginalized. The
role of different policy, institutional, and structural issues – and the
manner in which they have interacted – in explaining the divergent
performances is less clear. A strategic approach is important because the
benefits and costs of globalization are unevenly distributed, and because
the optimal level of openness may differ for each aspect of trade,
investment, capital flows, technology, and stage of development. These
considerations have implications for the policy mix needed to achieve
integration and determine the pace, sequencing and time-frame for reforms.
Asia and Africa in the Global Economy deciphers the different experiences in the two regions as they have interacted with an ever-changing global economy. It provides a comprehensive coverage of policies and institutions, focusing on the key sectors of primary exports, resource processing for export, manufacturing, foreign direct investment, financial flows and official development assistance. Contributors include some of the leading scholars from Southeast Asia and Africa.
Perspectives on Growth and Poverty The relationship between growth and poverty lies at the heart of development economics. While many see aggregate growth as both necessary and sufficient for reducing poverty, and consequently focus their efforts on achieving the desired macroeconomic outcomes, others stress that the benefits from growth may not be evenly spread. In fact critics of globalization often
point out that growth of the macroeconomy may well have an adverse effect
on the most vulnerable members of society. Thus the distributional impact
of growth, as well as its level, needs to be taken into account when
considering the consequences for poverty. The importance of this topic, and the continuing controversies surrounding it, prompted UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) to organize a major academic conference on growth and poverty in May 2001. Its purpose was to review current thinking on the issue, to stimulate fresh research, and to allow researchers from various backgrounds to exchange ideas on future policy directions. Perspectives on Growth and Poverty contains a selection of papers from the conference dealing with institutional and policy questions, as well as sectoral issues and individual country experiences that illustrate the broad range of objectives and topics. One set of conclusions to emerge is that initial conditions, institutions, specific country structures, and time horizons all play a significant role. The country- and
context-specific nature of these factors point to the need for creative
national solutions to the problem of poverty. This in turn requires an
informed policy debate within countries: one which may hopefully lead to a
consensus between different interest groups or at least help to clarify
the basis of opposing views. The aim of this volume is to stimulate and
enhance this debate.
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