How does decentralisation affect people’s lives? What has it accomplished or failed to deliver? Who plays what role in the process? These are some of the questions this paper aims to answer by looking at what has happened in the rural municipality of Sanankoroba in Mali as events here, broadly reflect some of the major concerns about decentralisation.

This paper looks at the relationship between natural resource endowment and economic development. Certain types of natural resources such as oil and minerals have a tendency to lead to production and revenue patterns that are concentrated (point-sourced economies), while revenue flows from other types of resources such as agriculture are more diffused throughout the economy (diffuse economies).

This paper examines change in West African agricultural systems, the major challenges being faced by smallholders in the region and pathways for the future, given international pressure and domestic restraints. It aims to strengthen debate on West African agriculture, the role of family farms and trade policy at national, regional and global levels. It also aims to identify and document how agricultural patterns and livelihoods are evolving in different parts of the region, to identify winners and losers, to outline the impact of OECD trade and agricultural policy on farming livelihoods, and to highlight the opportunities for producer organisations to influence policy design and negotiations in partnership with diverse organisations and interests in West Africa.

The publication is a guide for all urban stakeholders - policy makers, professionals, private sector, civil society organizations and concerned citizens working to improve the quality of life in their cities.

This paper reviews 23 recent Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) to consider how they define and measure urban poverty and the extent to which they actually consider urban poverty.

Integrated pest management (IPM) emerged in Indonesia in the late 1980s as a reaction to the environmental and social consequences of the Green Revolution model of agriculture. A cooperative programme between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Indonesian Government centred on farmer field schools (FFS) which are schools without walls. The FFS aimed to make farmers experts in their own fields, enabling them to replace their reliance on external inputs, such as pesticides, with endogenous skills, knowledge and resources. Over time the emphasis of the programme shifted towards community organisation, community planning and management of IPM, and became known as Community IPM (CIPM). This study assesses the extent to which Community IPM has been institutionalised in Java (Indonesia). The dynamics of institutionalising people centred and participatory processes were found to be closely dependent on the following mutually reinforcing factors: 1. Enabling national policy decisions by the State were complemented by farmer led attempts to contest and shape policies from below. 2. Actors with emancipatory values, attitudes and behaviours championed the cause of FFS/CIPM. 3. Farmer centred learning and critical education promoted ecological knowledge for sustainability, both among farmers and those who work with them. 4. Enabling organisations that emphasise farmers’ abilities, promote organisational learning and which are flexible in their structure and procedures. 5. The existence of safe spaces where farmers can get together, share problems and decide on action. Linking together these safe spaces and local groups into broader federations has helped farmers capture power back from centralised, top down agencies. 6. A context in which farmers have some control over funding decisions and allocations made by local, national or international funding bodies.

Agenda 21 called on all countries to develop and implement sustainable development strategies - a need focused on again by the preparatory process for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.