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In this month's New Agriculturist...

With the G8 Summit last July, 2005 was heralded as the year that put development on the map. 'Making Poverty History' certainly hit the headlines in the UK but is eradicating poverty any more achievable in 2006 than it was before? The WTO ministerial meetings in Hong Kong certainly did little to boost developing country hopes, with almost no progress made on the reduction of agricultural subsidies or freeing of trade in industrial goods. In the Caribbean, the end of EU preferences for banana growers is causing huge concern, as reported in Developments, while our Picture Feature looks at the challenges faced by growers and exporters in Kenya's horticulture sector.

For small island states, both in the Caribbean and Pacific, a sustainable future for agriculture may depend on diversification - see our Country Profile of Samoa. A comprehensive treatment of agricultural sustainability has recently been published by Earthscan, reviewed as our lead book in the In Print section. And in News we feature the launch of DFID's new agriculture policy paper, which specifically outlines the need to make the agricultural sector in Africa more productive.

As the anniversary of the Asian tsunami has passed, many areas remain in a critical condition and 500,000 people in Aceh alone are still living in temporary accommodation. Water and sanitation has been a major issue and in Points of View we review how access to safe drinking water impacts on populations in rural areas.

Finally, the subject of this edition's Focus On is biocontrol, a rapidly expanding field. We feature topical developments in several areas, including the challenge of putting legislation in place to regulate the use of biopesticides and other types of biocontrol agents.

The start of a new year is a time to reflect and to look forward. Thank you to the many readers who have given feedback in recent months via the online questionnaire. This information, in taking New Agriculturist forward in 2006 and beyond, is invaluable. Meanwhile, we are pleased to announce the availability of the latest version of New Agriculturist CD Resource. For readers who have not received this in the past and would like to do so, please email us for a copy.

Points of view Water, sanitation and hygiene Focus on Biological control Regulating for safe biocontrol A sweet solution for sugarcane woolly aphid Finotin, a promising new biopesticide Biocontrol in tea Halting the march of African armyworm In print The Earthscan Reader in Sustainable Agriculture Food for the future Natural disasters and extreme events in agriculture: Impacts and mitigation Smart Water Solutions Happier meals: Rethinking the global meat industry (Worldwatch Paper 171) Agricultural trade liberalization in the WTO and its poverty implications Drawing water: A resource book of illustrations on water and sanitation in low-income countries Politics in land and water management: Study in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Ethics in agriculture: An African perspective Perspective Client-oriented breeding (COB): bridging yield gaps and addressing food and income security By Krishna Joshi Research Co-ordinator for the DFID Plant Sciences Research Programme

News Food shortage crisis in southern Africa Organic farming flourishing in China and India The power to resist powdery mildew Improving lives for a low cost - UNESCO unveils arsenic water filter Weevil-resistant GM pea causes allergic reactions Doing it right for animal health DFID launches new agricultural policy paper Enhancing the nutritional value of maize Colombian biocontrol expert honoured Genetic sequencing for beetle pest Top prize winners from the CGIAR annual science awards Ensuring quality: rodent management in South Africa Developments Mapping the way forward Battling it out for bananas Advice for sale - who will buy? Saving the bottle gourd Country profile Samoa Picture feature Kenya's horticulture business

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