A Global Land Grab?

FAC's Ian Scoones announces a new joint research effort with a small grants opportunity
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Hot Topic

In Search of Africa's
Future Farmers

Why no thought for Food?

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development (APPG) launches the Inquiry Report into Global Food Security. Wednesday, 27th January 2010, (15.15 - 15.45) In the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Room. RSVP.

Climate change and smallholder agriculture

Agriculture and Rural Development Day was held in Copenhagen on 12 December 2009.

350 policymakers, farmers and scientists acknowledged agriculture’s vital role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Find addiitonal resources and links HERE

"The Role of Agriculture in Growth Revisited for Africa"

What is the role of agriculture in Africa's economic growth? An opinion article by Stefan Dercon and Kareen El Beyrouty critiques arguments for "agriculture first" programmes. Michigan State University Food Security Group provides comment and stresses the importance of re-investing in agriculture.

Read more and Steve Wiggins' rebuttal

Africa Forum
Conference and FAC blog posts

1st Annual ReSAKSS Conference Brings Together Diverse Stakeholders

Close to 100 policymakers, researchers, and representatives from farmers’ organizations, donors and development agencies, and the private sector convened on November 23 and 24, 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the ReSAKSS Africa-wide conference, “Exploring New Opportunities and Strategic Alternatives to Inform African Agricultural Development, Planning, and Policy”.

Conference and CAADP

IDS Bulletin:
Two special agriculture issues

Pastoralist Responses
to Change

SOS Sahel International UK publishes a booklet on ' scenario planning' as a way to help pastoralists in Africa manage uncertainty and change. See:

> Planning with Uncertainty: Using Scenario Planning with African Pastoralists

> Pastoralist Innovation Systems

FAC researcher Steve Wiggins (ODI) posts reactions to the Forum, his paper and related links through this FAC 'Hot Topic'.

FAC Newsletter

The Future Agricultures Consortium first Newsletter (September 2009). Current research, links and news from country and theme perspectives.

Future of Agricultural Research

FARA's Africa consultations on GFAR's global conference in 2010.



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Ethiopian Agriculture

Dfid-sponsored research on Ethiopian agriculture and development

Link to these papers

E-Debate

Big farms or small farms:
how to respond to the food crisis?

Debate is closed

Contributions can be read here. Please also see this featured on IDS' web site here and the debate report by Steve Wiggins here.

FAC Commentary:
G8 Joint Statement

FAC Co-Covener Ian Scoones' commentary on the recent L'Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security.

Read here

International Conference

Institute of Development Studies

Link here for more conference information.

Dfid White Paper Released

"Eliminating World Poverty: Building
our Common Future"

Link to the White Paper

Ethiopian Economics Association

The Future Agricultures
Consortium presents
research on Social Protection and Farmer Organisations in East Africa.


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Farmer First: Transforming Agriculture through Farmer-Centred Innovation

On 16 June 2009, IDS Research Fellow Dr John Thompson and a distinguished panel of experts officially launched two new books that emphasise the importance of putting farmers at the centre of agricultural innovation and development: Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for Agricultural Research and Development and Innovation Africa: Enriching Farmers’ Livelihoods