Hot from Johannesburg, this edition of New Agriculturist comes to you as weary delegates head home, hoping that their efforts will not have been in vain. It is too early to say whether there will be any long term political change but, for a few days at least, the publicity accompanying the event itself has meant that people otherwise blind or impervious to faraway worlds have been forced to acknowledge the gross global inequality that exists not least in agricultural production and trade. And many issues demand action if agriculture is to contribute to development, whether that be sustainable or not. Confronting the politically influential, both North and South, with the extent and degree of poverty that afflicts so many, and demonstrating that efforts must be made to lessen this affront to humanity, the Summit may have helped to crack the complacency of the comfortable and force some impetus for change. Our report, 'Back from the Summit', written from Johannesburg as the Summit closed, can be found in Developments.

Transnational corporations were, as is usual at such events, criticized for their power over global business generally and agriculture in particular. We reflect some of the concerns expressed by the agrochemicals sector, and their critics, in Points of View. These were recorded at the CropLife International Conference held in the lead up to the Summit. The plant science industry argued successfully at the Summit that the private sector plays an essential role in sustainable food production but in Food for All , reviewed in In Print, the author argues that the key to sustainability lies in small scale, low input agriculture. What is clear is that farmers trying to raise their production in difficult agronomic conditions, including increasing water scarcity, will have a continuing need for the inputs of agricultural research, a point made clear in this edition's Focus On Dryland agriculture.

The Johannesburg Summit has highlighted not only the inequalities that the world contains but also many conflicting views on how to overcome them. At New Agriculturist, we try to present a balanced view, respecting readers' own abilities to judge for themselves. As ever, we welcome your comments.

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Points of view Agrochemicals - sustainable solutions? Focus on Dryland agriculture Barley breeding: believing in what it best More from millet Grasspea a tough choice Sticking to the hillsides Learning from the raincatchers Following in Vavilov's footsteps Molecular mapping for millet In Print Food for All: The need for a new agriculture Water Harvesting: Indigenous knowledge for the future of the drier environments Integrated Vegetable Pest Management: Safe and sustainable protection of small-scale brassicas and tomatoes Farmers' Friends: Recognition and conservation of natural enemies of vegetable pests Strengthening Livelihoods: Exploring the role of bee-keeping in development Natural Resources Management in African Agriculture: Understanding and improving current practices Where there is no data: Participatory approaches to veterinary epidemiology in pastoral areas of the Horn of Africa Mapping Poverty and Livestock in the Developing World Africa's Inland Fisheries: The management challenge Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Prospects for developing countries Farmers, Scientists and Plant Breeding: Integrating knowledge and practice Knowing Poverty: Critical reflections on participatory research and policy Picture Feature Children try a taste of power, rural Rajasthan

Perspective How can agriculture face the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS? By Marcela Villarreal News Making a new 'start' with starter packs Drought and flood in India Bananas in Uganda - wilting under pressure? Making the CAP fit Tightening up cattle movement in Zimbabwe Bread and water getting scarcer Highland coffee affected by new low India's Endosulfan debate Agriculture at WSSD Rabbit control? Inconceivable! Mycorrhizal fungus boost to biofertilisers Nigeria takes biosafety on board Anti-virus technology for peanuts Russian farmers (re-) turn to the church Developments Back from the Summit Taking the cow to school Biopiracy threat to traditional crops Launching SHIP Avoiding Famine in Southern Africa: Lessons from IFPRI Research Country Profile Syria

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