In print

Cultivating Peace edited by Daniel Buckles Published by International Development Research Centre, PO Box 8500, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1G 3H9 Email: pub@idrc.ca or http://www.idrc.ca/booktique/index.htm In collaboration with World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433, USA 1999, 288pp., ISBN 0-88936 899-6 (Pb) Ca$35

To cultivate peace: agriculture in a world of conflict Prio Report No 1. 1999 by Indra de Soysa & Nils Petter Gleditsch with Michael Gibson, Margareta Sollenberg & Arthur H. Westing Published by International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), Fuglehauggata 11, 0260 Oslo, Norway Email: info@prio.no or http://www.prio.no 1999, 100pp., ISBN 82-7288-204-3 (Pb) NOK 125 (The report is also available online at http://www.futureharvest.org)

As agriculture is increasingly marginalized in the economies and the perceptions of people in the more industrialized countries, a recently published report and book are timely reminders that agriculture is more than a source of food, it is very often a cause of conflict. A report by the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), has found that the majority of recent national and international conflicts have been driven by subsistence crises over food, land and water, rather than by ideology and nationalism.

The PRIO report, "To cultivate peace: agriculture in a world of conflict" has a resonance in the title of an important new book from IDRC, Canada, "Cultivating Peace: Conflict and Collaboration in Natural Resource Management". Both examine conflict but, whereas the PRIO report examines the need to develop donor and government policies and funding to support agricultural research and development, the IDRC book provides ten case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America where more localized conflicts over natural resources have been peacefully resolved.

The PRIO Report is the first of five to be commissioned by the CGIAR's Future Harvest programme. It points out that most of the serious conflicts that have taken place since the end of the Cold War have been in the world's poorest regions, where most of the population still works on the land and where poverty is rife. There is a strong link between conditions affecting agriculture and poverty, and the failure of agricultural development often provides the conditions for the collapse of states, and internal or external strife. When people are unable to meet food requirements and other basic needs, their strategies for survival become more desperate and they seek solutions through rebellion or other violence. Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr Norman Borlaug is quoted as saying, "Starving people don't seek food - they get guns."

The cost to the industrialized countries is not only the US$10 billion per year it spent on international peacekeeping through the mid-1990s, but to say nothing of the threat of instability caused by massive influxes of refugees and asylum-seekers, and the damage to the global economy and environment. Scientists estimate that hungry regions of the world could double their present food production if they had the appropriate technology communicated and provided, and the opportunity to apply it properly through the right policies. In effect, agricultural research may be seen as a form of defence spending.

Cultivating Peace focuses on how community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) can achieve equitable and acceptable resolution of a variety of situations where there appear to be entrenched attitudes in the presence of violent conflict, or of potential conflict. Following an introduction to conflict and collaboration in natural resource management, sections, each with three or four case histories, examine the issues in the context of culture, society and peace. The book is densely written, because of the detail, but it is highly readable, and, for anyone involved in working on development projects where there is potential for conflict, Cultivating Peace will provide examples and processes to ponder and practise.

Farmers' Seed Production: new approaches and practices

By Conny Almekinders and Niels Louwaars
Published by IT Publications, 103/105 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HH, UK
Email: itpubs@itpubs.org.uk or http://www.oneworld.org/itdg/publications.html
1999, 240pp., ISBN 1 85339 466 1 (Pb) £14.95/US$29.95

Taking the local seed system as a starting-point offers many opportunities for improving seed supply. In most situations where farmers rely on their own or locally produced seed, limitations exist in seed quality or access to good seed. Seed technology, when properly applied, can provide a valuable input, offering a range of alternatives which can be tested and incorporated into small-scale farmers' seed production.

This handbook covers a range of issues in relation to local seed supply systems, including participatory plant breeding, and both technical and practical information on seed production and variety maintenance. It suggests new approaches and methods to support on-farm seed production by small-scale farmers in developing countries. The book will be of interest to people who work directly with farmers including extension agents, national and international NGOs and farmers' co-operative workers.

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State of the World 2000

By Lester R Brown, Christopher Flavin and Hilary French
Published by Worldwatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-1904, USA.
Email: macaron@worldwatch.org or www.worldwatch.org

Also available from:
Earthscan Publications Ltd, 120 Pentonville Road, London N1 9JN, UK.
Email: earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk or www: http://www.earthscan.co.uk
2000, 276pp., ISBN 0 393 31998 9 or ISBN 1 85383 680 X (Pb) US$14.95/£12.95

The first edition of State of the World was published in 1984. Many of the concerns then - record rates of population growth, soaring oil prices, debilitating levels of international debt, and extensive damage to forests from acid rain - are still the concerns of today. Just before the new century dawned the world population reached 6 billion. In a world where despite technological advances, there are still 1.2 billion people hungry and without access to clean water, and where nearly 1 billion adults are illiterate. As the report states "passing this demographic landmark, was not a cause for celebration." The biological impoverishment of the Earth is accelerating and local ecosystems are starting to collapse as populations grow and rising human demands on them become excessive. "Not only is nature scarce today, there is no substitute for it once it is depleted: no matter what technologies human ingenuity dreams up, pure air and water, intact forests and fisheries, and a stable global climate are irreplaceable."

Ultimately, what may cause the greatest impact on all our lives are the effects brought about by dramatic climate change. In the past year alone, evidence that the Earth's climate is getting warmer has mounted dramatically. In addition to the spate of unusually severe hurricanes and typhoons, with their resultant cost in human lives and infrastructure, increased precipitation has already allowed infectious diseases such as cholera and malaria to spread far beyond their normal ranges in the tropics. "The scale and urgency of the challenges facing us in this century are unprecedented" states Lester Brown, President of the World Watch Institute and senior author of this book. "We cannot overestimate the urgency of stabilizing the relationship between ourselves, now six billion in number, and the natural systems on which we depend. If we continue the irreversible destruction of these systems, our grandchildren will never forgive us." As the report notes, 'Nature has no reset button'.

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Forests for the Future: local strategies for forest protection, economic welfare and social justice

Edited by Paul Wolvekamp
Published by ZED books, 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK
www: zedbooks.co.uk
1999, 270pp., ISBN 1 85649 757 7 (Pb) £15.95/US$25.00

It is estimated that the world's forests are vital for the daily survival of more than 300 million indigenous and peasant people (World Bank Forest Policy 1990). These communities have devised sophisticated systems for managing watersheds, catchment areas and fragile forest ecosystems, and possess a wealth of knowledge about rational land use and environmental protection.

The case studies in this book are drawn from around the world and include tropical, temperate and boreal zones. They describe the many positive efforts undertaken to consolidate the still vital tradition of community forest management. One of the things that distinguishes this book is that the authors belong to local groups and their recommendations on how to re-establish community control over forest lands and preserve them for the future are based on their experiences.

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Genes in the Field

Edited by Stephen B Brush
Published by IDRC/IPGRI/Lewis, IDRC, PO Box 8500, Ottawa, Canada K1G 3H9
Email: pub@idrc.ca or http://www.idrc.ca/booktique/index.htm
1999, 300pp., ISBN 0 88936 884 8 (Pb) Ca$35

The diversity of crop plants is one of our most important biological resources, and the most important source of crop genes are the fields of peasant farmers in regions where crop domestication and evolution have occurred. Today, however, crop genes are threatened by social and technological changes such as human population growth, the use of new agricultural technologies, the development of new varieties and the commercialization of agriculture. Gene banks have been a success in capturing much of the diversity of crop species but it is also essential that the environmental systems where the crop genes evolved are conserved.

Genes in the Field offers a global view of the on-farm conservation movement and provides a comprehensive review of issues and challenges of on-farm conservation of genetic resources. The chapters in the book are written by a number of outstanding scholars and academics from a variety of disciplines; they include biologists, agronomists, anthropologists, economists, lawyers, and agricultural development specialists.

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Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums

Crop Production Science in Horticulture Series, No. 12
By P Bosland and E Votava, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, New Mexico State University, USA
Published by CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, UK
Email: orders@cabi.org or http://www.cabi.org/bookshop
1999, 216 pp., ISBN 0 85199 335 4 (Pb) £27.50/$45.00

Peppers originated in the Americas but are currently grown in most countries in the world and the uses for peppers are as diverse as the colour and shape of Capsicum genus fruit types. They are primarily consumed as fresh vegetables, providing essential nutrients and minerals, or dehydrated as a spice to add flavour and colour to foods. Pepper extracts are also used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and natural remedies and, because of their great versatility, are now a major world commodity. Aimed at advanced students and growers, this indispensable handbook provides a wealth of information on the history, diversity, crop management and processing of this adaptable crop.

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The Southern African Chicken Book: how to start a small business keeping chickens

By Ed Welthi
Published by Juta & Co Ltd, PO Box 14373, Kenwyn 7790, South Africa
Email: cserv@juta.co.za
1999, 104pp., ISBN 0 7021 4709 5 (Pb) R35.00

Keeping chickens is one of the most popular business options for both rural and urban areas in many regions. Dr Ed Wethli, principal of the KwaZulu-Natal Poultry Institute Training Course together with the Environmental and Development Agency Trust, has written the Southern African Chicken Book as an easy to read and well illustrated manual which provides business ideas and detailed technical information on owning chickens. Brief information on other poultry species is also provided as well as an appendix of useful addresses. (See also Focus On Poultry 99-5)

Voices from the Land: experiences of Land Reform in South Africa

By Marlene Winberg
Published by Juta & Co Ltd, PO Box 14373, Kenwyn 7790, South Africa
Email: cserv@juta.co.za
1998, 48pp., ISBN 0 7021 4710 9 (Pb) R30.00

This book gives voice to different communities in South Africa who share a common need for land. It tells the stories of communities rebuilding their lives amongst the challenges and demands of post-apartheid South Africa and includes case stories of homeless and the landless from the Makuleke people of Parfuri, now part of the Kruger National Park, to the shack-dwellers of the Eastern Cape (See also Perspective 99-5).

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All the Right Ingredients: feeding hungry cities in the next century

By David Abbass
Published by the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, PO Box 42, Shanhua, Taiwan 741, ROC
Email: avrdcbox@netra.org.tw
1999, 20pp., AVRDC publication No. 99-496 (Pb) Limited no. of copies available free-of-charge

Finding the means of feeding the rising populations in the cities of the developing world is not straightforward. Each city has different parameters to be taken into consideration, such as where is the land available to grow the food, outside or, in the case of vegetables in particular, inside the urban areas themselves? (See Points of View) If outside, are there adequate transportation systems in place to get the food to the cities cheaply and efficiently before perishable food deteriorates and becomes inedible? If inside urban areas, are there adequate safeguards against contamination from polluted water, air, careless recycling of wastes and overuse of pesticides?

In this book, the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) considers these problems in relation to vegetables in particular, as well as looking at the questions of marketing and supply, improving year-round vegetable production systems, and at the socio-economic aspects of human nutrition.

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Impact Assessment for Development Agencies: learning to value change

By Chris Roche
Published by Oxfam Publishing, 274 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DZ, UK
Email: publish@oxfam.org.uk
1999, 308pp., ISBN 0 85598 418 X (Pb) £9.95/US$15.95

Impact assessment is a vital part of the development process and this book considers the process of how and why it needs to be integrated into all stages of development programmes from planning to evaluation. Its basic premise is that impact assessment should refer not to the immediate outputs or effects of a project or programme, but to any lasting or significant changes that it has brought about.

In-depth case studies by Oxfam and Novib (one of the largest development agencies in The Netherlands) present a variety of situations. These range from large-scale integrated development projects to projects involving only one community. In this way the book attempts to share with others the lessons learned from these experiences, as well as some of the challenges that arise from thinking about and practising impact assessment. It is therefore aimed particularly at practitioners rather than evaluators of impact assessment and is a companion volume to the earlier Capacity Building: an approach to people-centred development.

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Energy for the Rural Poor: Guidance Note

Published by Department for International Development, 94 Victoria St., London SW1E 5Jl UK
Email: enquiry@dfid.gov.uk
1999, 12pp., ISBN 1 86192 175 6 (Pb)

This comprehensive booklet presents the key issues and options relating to the levels of required energy for the rural poor, presenting the material in attractive, manageable sections for readers to draw out aspects of most interest. The booklet offers guidance to all concerned with sustainable rural development and also provides an interesting insight for those interested to learn more about the energy issues faced by marginalized people in rural areas (see news).

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Published by British Crop Protection Council:
BCPC Publications Sales, Bear Farm, Binfield, Bracknell, Berkshire RG24 5QE UK
Email: publications@bcpc.org or http://www.bcpc.org/

Hand-Held & Amenity Sprayers Handbook: a complete guide to smaller-scale spraying 1999, 58pp., ISBN 1 901396 03 7 (Pb) £8.50

Boom & Fruit Sprayers Handbook: a complete guide to larger-scale spraying 1999, 82pp., ISBN 1 901396 02 9 (Pb) £8.50

These small but detailed handbooks give guidance on the efficient and safe use of hand-operated sprayers, trailed and mounted boom sprayers and air-assisted fruit sprayers. Although the material in these booklets is drawn from a wealth of practical experience, it should not be considered as definitive. The booklets are, however, easy to read and well illustrated and will be particularly useful for those who are receiving instruction in the use of these types of sprayers. Although safety issues are highlighted throughout both publications, further advice on safe practices is outlined in the more comprehensive BCPC publication Using Pesticides: A complete guide to safe, effective spraying (ISBN 1 901396 01 0).

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Safe and Effective Use of Crop Protection Products in Developing Countries

Ed By J Atkin and K.M Leisinger
Published by CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, UK
Email: orders@cabi.org or http://www.cabi.org/bookshop
2000, 192 pp., ISBN 0 85199 471 7 (Hb) £35.00/$65.00

Pesticides have made an important contribution to global food security during the last three decades but there is still much to be learned about these chemicals and also how to reduce crop losses while minimizing pest resistance to pesticides and harmful side effects to human health and the environment. This book presents and discusses the results of a seven-year research programme that examined the best way to encourage farmers in three different developing countries to use pesticides safely and effectively. Sponsored by the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, the study was conducted in India, Mexico and Zimbabwe, as countries that are similar in economic development, but have widely disparate socio-cultural environments and agricultural practices.

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Recent publications from International Institute for Environment Development (IIED):
3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD, UK
Email: sustag@iied.org

IPM and the Citrus Industry in South Africa

By Penny Urquhart
1999, 20pp., ISSN 1357 9258, Gatekeeper Series No 86 (Pb) £6.00

Agriculture is still one of the largest export industries in South Africa. Citrus is grown for export in a range of regions, including several former homelands, which may have the potential to produce 20% of the citrus crop. This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the comparative costs and benefits of adopting IPM, with an emphasis on effects for small-scale farmers and workers.

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Making Water Management Everybody's Business: water harvesting and rural development in India

By Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain
1999, 24pp., ISSN 1357 9258, Gatekeeper Series No 87 (Pb) £6.00

In India alone, nearly 44 million people are affected by water availability or quality problems. A number of recent initiatives, both community and government led, demonstrate that reviving rainwater harvesting systems can dramatically restore ecosystems and contribute to rural development. The success of these cases, however, does not just depend on the development of rainwater harvesting systems; the entire exercise must be underpinned by community-based participation in decision making, backed up by legal and financial measures which promote community action.

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Sustaining the Multiple Functions of Agricultural Biodiversity

By Michel Pimbert
1999, 24pp., ISSN 1357 9258, Gatekeeper Series No 88 (Pb) £6.00

Human communities worldwide have played a central role in shaping nature's diversity and its associated functions. However, throughout the world the diversity of agroecosystems is being rapidly eroded and urgent action is needed if this erosion of agricultural biodiversity is to be halted and reversed. This booklet lists some ways in which this can be achieved.

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Trivial pursuits? Reconciling sustainable development and the global economic institutions.

By John Cameron
1999, 42pp., ISSN 1561 1256 (Pb) £8.00

This paper reviews attempts to integrate the concept of sustainable rural development into the thinking of the global economic institutions (such as the World Bank and IMF), and global policymakers. What does the concept mean at the local level, and what is understood at the international level? Is there any common ground? And what role do the global economic institutions play in the process of developing, and implementing this concept?

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Paper Cuts: recovering the paper landscape

By Janet N. Abramovitz and Ashley T. Mattoon
Published by Worldwatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-1904, USA
Email: macaron@worldwatch.org or www.worldwatch.org
1999, 71pp., ISBN 1 878071 51 3, US$5.00

A new study by the Worldwatch Institute shows that global use of wood fibre for papermaking could be cut by more than 50%. This reduction can be achieved through a combination of trimming paper consumption in industrial countries, improving papermaking efficiency, and expanding the use of recycled and non-wood materials.

In this paper the authors show how to maintain the important services paper provides while reducing the environmental burdens of today's heavy paper usage. Proven and profitable technologies can cut pollution and energy use. Forests and pulpwood plantations can be managed more sustainably. Manufacturers can tap other fibre sources for paper, including the majority of used paper that is still not recycled, in addition to underutilized agricultural residues and other non-wood materials, such as kenaf and industrial hemp, which can be specifically grown for pulp (see Focus On Fibres 99-4).

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