FUTURE SMART FOOD


Book Description

This publication demonstrates the benefits of neglected and underutilized species, including amaranth, sorghum and cowpea, and their potential contribution to achieving Zero Hunger in South and Southeast Asia.




The global economy of pulses


Book Description

The production, trade and consumption of pulses have seen substantial growth over the last fifteen years. This report examines the trends and patterns of this growth, and the factors that explain these for different kinds of pulses. The report presents an analysis of trends of consumption of pulses in different regions of the world and discusses the role that pulses can play in human nutrition. The report presents an analysis of the dynamics of growth of major pulses in different pulse-producing countries of the world. It describes the increasingly important role of trade in the global economy of pulses and presents an analysis of changing patterns of trade. The report argues that there is a pressing need to close the large gap between potential and actual yields, particularly on smallholder farms in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, by increased adoption of improved varieties and modern agronomic practices in all developing countries. This in turn requires a major thrust in agricultural research and extension, improving credit availability, and public investment directed at pulse production. The report discusses future prospects and policy imperatives for sustaining the growth of pulse production.




Towards Sustainable Global Food Systems


Book Description

One of the major knowledge challenges in the domain of Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems refers to the integration of perspectives on consumption, patterns that support public health, inclusive value chains, and environmentally sustainable food production. While there is a long record of the analysis of separate interventions, this special issue generates integrated insights, provides cross-cutting perspectives, and outlines practical and policy solutions that address these global challenges.The collection of papers promotes the view that sustainable food systems require thorough insights into the structure and dynamics of agri-food production systems, the drivers for integrating food value chains and markets, and key incentives for supporting healthier consumer choices. On the production side, potential linkages between agricultural commercialization and intensification and their effects for food security and nutritional outcomes are analyzed. Value Chains are assessed for their contribution to improving exchange networks and markets for food products that simultaneously support efficiency, circularity, and responsiveness. Individual motives and market structures for food consumption need to be understood in order to be able to outline suitable incentives to enhance healthy dietary choice.The contributed papers focus on interfaces between food system activities and processes of adaptive change that are critical for overcoming key constraints and trade-offs between sustainable food and healthy diets.




Biotechnology and Development


Book Description

Biotechnology Is At The Heart Of Technology Revolution In Asia Today With Immense Potential In The Pharmaceutical And Agriculture Sectors. This Study Covers Economic And Policy Issues And The Experiences In Biotechnology In Japan, India, Malaysia, The Phillipines, Korea, Bangladesh, Thailand, China And Singapore And Also The International Cooperative Strategies Of Asean And In Europe. This Book Is A Valuable Resource For Governments, Multilateral Institutions, Academics And Practitioners In The Field Of Economic Development And Technology Policy Management.




Vetiver Grass


Book Description

For developing nations, soil erosion is among the most chronic environmental and economic burdens. Vast amounts of topsoil are washed or blown away from arable land only to accumulate in rivers, reservoirs, harbors, and estuaries, thereby creating a double disaster: a vital resource disappears from where it is desperately needed and is deposited where it is equally unwanted. Despite much rhetoric and effort, little has been done to overcome this problem. Vetiver, a little-known tropical grass, offers one practical and inexpensive way to control erosion on a huge scale in both humid and semi-arid regions. Hedges of this deeply rooted species catch and hold back sediments while the stiff foliage acts as a filter that also slows runoff and keeps moisture on site. This book assesses vetiver's promise and limitations and identifies places where this grass can be deployed without undue environmental risk.




Advances in Cowpea Research


Book Description

Cowpea: taxonomy, genetics, and breeding, physiology and agronomy, diseases and parasitic weeds, insect pests, postharvest technology and utilization. Biotechnological applications.




Crop Variety Improvement and Its Effect on Productivity


Book Description

This volume reports the findings of a study of the productivity impact of varietal improvement research conducted at a number of international centers affiliated with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Such centers have been at the forefront of the "Green Revolution" that resulted in the breeding of new crop varieties of the world's staple food crops. Econometric models are used to evaluate the investment in these cases of agricultural research and to analyze impact in selected countries.