The "State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2006" focuses on the question of why the development and food security needs of developing countries need to be better reflected in the design and implementation of new agreements on further liberalization of international agricultural markets, and on the mechanisms under discussion to achieve this goal. In the WTO Doha Development Round, how to safeguard the interests of enveloping countries, especially the lower-income countries, has proved to be highly topical but is also problematic: the issues and arguments are complex and sometimes controversial.

Communication for Development is about dialogue, participation and the sharing of knowledge and information among people and institutions. The 9th UN Roundtable (Rome, September 2004), focused on "Communication and sustainable development" and addressed three key inter-related themes that are central to this issue: Communication in Research, Extension and Education; Communication for Natural Resource Management; and Communication for isolated and Marginalized Groups.

Communication pour le Développement doit à la fois permettre un meilleur dialogue et une participation et un partage des connaissances et de l'information entre les peuples et les institutions. La 9éme Table ronde (Rome, septembre 2004), s'est intéressée à la "Communication et au développement durable" en abordant les trois principales thématiques suivantes, liées entre elles mais aussi centrales pour cette problématique: la communication dans la recherche, la vulgarisation et l'éducation; la communication pour la gestion des ressources naturelles; et la communication pour les groupes isolés et marginalisés.

La comunicación para el Desarrollo permite el diálogo, la participación y el intercambio de conocimiento e informaciones entre personas e instituciones. La Novena Mesa Redonda de la ONU (Roma, Septiembre del 2004), se centró en "La Comunicación para el Desarrollo Sostenible" y abordó tres áreas temáticas interrelacionadas que son fundamentales para este tema: Comunicación para la Investigación, Extensión y Educación; Comunicación para la Gestión de los Recursos Naturales; y Comunicación para Grupos Aislados y Marginados.

The articles in this supplement the recent publication Good governance in land tenure and administration (Land tenure studies No. 9), which provides practical advice for land professionals on improving governance in a land administration system or other land tenure arrangement. They also present important lessons to be learned from two case studies (one on Georgia, and one on the reunification of Germany).

This publication analyses the use of voluntary standards and certification schemes in the food markets of the United States of America and Canada. The main product categories examined are tropical fruits, coffee and cocoa owing to their economic significance to many developing countries and their high market potential in North America.

The Tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004 affected a dozen Indian Ocean countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Maldives, Malaysia and Myanmar, with a death toll reportedly exceeding 250,000 and millions more left homeless. Survivors found shelter in temporary barraks and tents. Since then, there has been a pressing need to provide survivors with adequate permanent housing.

Agricultural trade has been and continues to be a major factor determining food security outcomes in Caribbean countries. In these small open economies, exports are essential to income-earning opportunities, while imports provide a large component of the food supply. This book examines various dimensions of trade policy and related issues of relevance to the countries in the region and presents policy instruments to address trade and food security and rural development linkages.

The impacts of increasing climatic variability and change are global concerns but in Bangladesh, where large numbers of people are chronically exposed and vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, they are particularly critical. This resource book, Climate variability and change: adaptation to drought in Bangladesh, has been tested and prepared as a reference and guide for further training and capacity building of agricultural extension workers and development professionals to deal with climate change impacts and adaptation, using the example of drought-prone areas of Bangladesh.

Design for Sustainability (D4S), improving products while taking environmental and social concerns as key strategic elements into consideration, is one of the most useful innovation approaches available to enterprises today.

This Compendium presents the findings of a series of regional studies, consultations and workshops organized by FAO in preparation for the World Congress on Communication for Development (Rome, October 2007). The compendium serves as a reference document and compares present trends, experiences and challenges in Communication for Development across regions, and projects. It focuses on the applications of communication methods and media, particularly in the field of food security, natural resources management and rural development, with a view for offering new directions for mainstreaming Communication for Development in different regions and for fostering new partnerships.

"El estado de los mercados de productos básicos agrícolas 2006"se centra en las razones por las cuales las necesidades de los países en desarrollo en materia de desarrollo y seguridad alimentaria deben reflejarse mejor en la concepción y la aplicación de los nuevos acuerdos sobre mayor liberalización de los mercados agrícolas internacionales, así como sobre los mecanismos que se están discutiendo para alcanzar este objetivo.

Significant changes are taking place in the value chain for many agricultural commodities, particularly those fresh products destined for supermarket shelves. The changing patterns of these value chains in agriculture affect equity between producers and buyers and equity among producers themselves, alter the allocation of resources in agriculture and have implications for domestic as well as international policy.

This report has two objectives. It assesses the nature and the extent of vulnerability among rural households in Tanzania with a particular focus on smallholder cash crop growers though exploring all risks, including the decline in commodity prices. It further explores the potential role for market based insurance schemes such as commodity price and weather based insurance to mitigate household vulnerability.

Can a dialogue between these two communities contribute to mitigating degradation of natural and human environments in developed and developing countries; help avoid the economic marginalization of developing countries facing digital exclusion from global markets; and help maintain and promote cultural diversity and traditional knowledge? Internet Governance and Sustainable Development contemplates such questions, and stimulates further dialogue. (Includes a CD with 10 draft background papers.)