Bridges: linking rural communities to livelihoods http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd/indexen/framee07.htm This May 2000 issue of IFRTD's Forum News is devoted exclusively to the low cost solution of using bridges to link people in rural parts of the developing world. One article focuses on farmers in Zimbabwe and their access to markets; another on trail bridges in Nepal; others on suspension bridges in Bhutan and simple timber bridges for Madagascar. Notable Feature(s): Contact information. Contact Information: International Forum for Rural Transport and Development Email: ifrtd@gn.apc.org Poverty Reduction and Biodiviersity Conservation - by John W. Mellor http://www.panda.org/downloads/policy/mellor.pdf Agriculture practices in countries around the world have multiple and enduring impacts on the environment and on biodiversity conservation. Agriculture is one of the most widely-spread productive activities, using nearly 40% of the earth's land surface, providing sustenance for us all and generating direct employment or livelihoods for the vast majority of rural dwellers worldwide. As a result, agriculture occupies a central place in the quest for economic betterment for a large proportion of the people who are poor and live in rural areas. As stated in WWF's Global Agriculture Network Initiative, expanding the agricultural frontier in countries around the globe is largely responsible for the destruction of nearly 17 million hectares of forests each year. That land use conversion process has consequently become a leading driver in loss of topsoil and sedimentation of freshwater and marine systems. Moreover, excessive use of chemicals in input-intensive production systems has caused pollution of freshwater reserves with attendant consequences for the world's ecology and human health. In this paper, John Mellor looks at this dilemma — at the need for supporting agricultural productivity growth, on the one hand, and the challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation on the other. His analysis examines the complex interplay in countries with different levels of national income and different potentials for intensifying agricultural production. Notable Feature(s): World Wildlife Fund offices around the world. Contact Information: WWF - USA 1250 24th St. N.W. Washington, DC   20037-1175 USA Telephone: 202.293.4800   Fax: 202.293.9211 Email: questions@wwfint.org The treadle pump - An irrigation technology adapted to the needs of small farmers - by Ed Perry http://www.hrwallingford.co.uk/projects/IPTRID/grid/g8tread.htm The treadle pump has significant advantages over motorized pumps for irrigation of agricultural land of less than one hectare. The treadle pump is considerably less expensive than motorized pumps. Under typical market conditions, the treadle pump is about 25 percent of the retail price of motorized pumps of comparable flow rate capacity. The treadle pump costs much less to operate, having no fuel and only limited repair and maintenance costs. The treadle pump is much less tiring than other manual pumps that utilize the upper body and relatively weak arm muscles. In addition, the treadle pump is fabricated entirely from materials typically available locally and can be manufactured using welding equipment and simple hand tools. By reducing irrigation time from almost 12 person-hours per day to slightly more than 4 person-hours per day, while simultaneously enabling the typical market gardener to increase garden size by 40%, the treadle pump has had a remarked impact on the profitability of more than 1,400 agricultural enterprises in Senegal. Voices for Change - Rural women and communication - Prepared by Silvia Balit http://www.fao.org/docrep/X2550E/X2550E00.htm This 1999 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome looks at communication in a changing world. "In today's climate of political and socio-economic change, communication can play a decisive role in promoting food security and rural development. By fostering a dialogue between rural people and other sectors of society, communication processes can empower both women and men to provide information and knowledge as a basis for change and innovation. They can enable people to take decisions concerning their own livelihood and thereby increase their overall involvement in development. More specifically, gender-sensitive communication processes can give rural women a voice to advocate changes in policies, attitudes and social behaviour or customs that negatively affect them." Notable Feature(s): The publication is available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. Contact Information: Riccardo de Castello Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome   00100 Italy Email: Riccardo.DelCastello@fao.org New Agriculturalist http://www.new-agri.co.uk/ http://www.wrenmedia.co.uk/ This initiative of WRENmedia is a mine of useful information about projects and research around the world addressing agricultural and rural development issues. The appropriate technology approach yields practical advice on seed selection, aquaculture, livestock handling, pesticides, fruit trees, fish catches, agricultural science policy, and more. Notable Feature(s): Archive of back issues; country profiles; news briefs; featured books on revelant topics. Contact Information: Michael Pickstock, WRENmedia Email: m.pickstock@wrenmedia.co.uk Planet Radio: Sharing Community Programming Over the Internet - by Keane Shore http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=861 http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=788 An international broadcasting association is helping community radio stations in the global South use the Internet to strengthen their programming. The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) has more than 2,500 members and associates in 110 countries. AMARC created its Internet initiative, MoebiuS/Planeta Radio, to counter unequal access to telecommunications, says Lorencita Pinto, the Programme Director. The goal is to democratize the airwaves by helping small, often low-powered, community radio stations around the world produce and share radio programs featuring different viewpoints than those of mainstream media. Notable Feature(s): Spanish version of this article; numerous links to related articles. Contact Information: Lorencita Pinto, MoebiuS Programme Director 666 Sherbrooke Ouest bureau 400 Montréal, Québec   H3A 1E7 Canada Telephone: 514.982.0351   Fax: 514.849.7129 Email: lorencita.pinto@amarc.org Solar Power Is Reaching Where Wires Can't - by David Lipschultz http://www.changemakers.net/library/temp/nyt090901.cfm This September 2001 article from The New York Times addresses solar energy's good prospects in the developing world. Solar power has become the energy of choice in many rural markets, in large part because the price has dropped considerably in the last few years. Prorating over roughly 10 years, the upfront cost of solar panels and accompanying batteries gives the energy a cost of roughly 18 cents a kilowatt-hour, competitive with any off-grid power. Sustainable Agricultural/Rural Development & Vulnerability to the AIDS Epidemic This is a FAO/UNAIDS Joint Report of seven case studies of agricultural/rural development projects operating in countries with high, medium and low HIV prevalence. The study posits that when people are exposed to poverty, food insecurity, gender inequality, migration, war and civil conflict, their vulnerability to HIV increases. In rural areas of most developing countries the spread of HIV is accelerated by migration, trade, the movement of refugees and strengthened rural-urban linkages. Contact Information: Erwin Northoff Email: Erwin.Northoff@FAO.org The treadle pump - An irrigation technology adapted to the needs of small farmers - by Ed Perry http://www.hrwallingford.co.uk/projects/IPTRID/grid/g8tread.htm http://www.itdg.org/home.html As part of its programme on the Optimization of Components for Small-scale Irrigation, IPTRID is promoting the use of treadle pumps in West Africa as a means to increase small farmers' income at low cost. (In the same programme, it is also promoting the use of low cost technologies for wells.) Although the treadle pump was initially developed by International Development Enterprises in Bangladesh where about one million have been sold, Appropriate Technology International (ATI) and the World Lutherian Relief have been very successful in disseminating the use of treadle pumps to small farmers in West Africa. Contact Information: Email: enquiries@itdg.org.uk Action for Agricultural Renewal in India http://members.123india.com/watershedhtml/ Contact Information: Centre for Management of Local Resources 216 Narayan Peth Pune, Maharashtra   411030 India Telephone: 91_20_4450584   Fax: 91_20_4452145 Email: prasadrasal@yahoo.com Agriculture http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/magazine/default.htm The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization provides a wealth of information and news for both rural and urban communities in its on-line magazine Agriculture. Contact Information: FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome   00100 Italy Email: ag21@fao.org B-REED http://www.b-reed.org/ The Brazil Rural Energy Enterprise Development (B-REED) program in Brazil, with funding from the United Nations Foundation, seeks to develop energy enterprises that use clean, efficient and sustainable energy technologies to meet the energy needs of under-served populations, thereby reducing the environmental and health consequences of existing energy use patterns and stimulating local economic growth. B-REED will initially focus in Brazil's Northeast, specifically in Bahia and Alagoas. The B-REED approach will offer sustainable energy entrepreneurs and existing companies a combination of enterprise development services and early stage financing, including seed capital in the form of debt or equity. For entrepreneurs, this might include assistance to transform their business plans into established companies capable of accessing mainstream financing. For existing companies, the early-stage financing might allow them to expand or enter the sustainable energy business. B-REED will also work closely with financial institutions, NGOs and government entities in order to facilitate the successful integration of these energy technologies into local markets and communities. Notable Feature(s): Extensive information, trainimg materials, and business models to apply to renewable energy development in Brazil; links to groups working around the world. Contact Information: David de Mendonça Cerqueira Rua Prof. Sinval Gama Filho, 14 Gruta de Lourdes Maceió - AL Brazil CEP 57.052-630 Telephone: +82.338.3644   Fax: +82.338.3841 Email: David@ecoengenho.org.br Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) http://www.brac.net/ BRAC, formerly known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, was established as a relief and rehabilitation organisation in 1972 after the Bangladesh Liberation War by Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed. Over the years BRAC has gradually evolved into a large and multifaceted development organisation with the twin objectives of alleviation of poverty and empowerment of the poor. BRAC works with people whose lives are dominated by extreme poverty, illiteracy, disease and other handicaps. With multifaceted development interventions, BRAC strives to bring about positive change in the quality of life of the poor people of Bangladesh. BRAC firmly believes and is actively involved in promoting human rights, dignity and gender equity through poor people's social, economic, political and human capacity building. Although the emphasis of BRAC's work is at the individual level, sustaining the work of the organization depends on an environment that permits the poor to break out of the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. To this end, BRAC endeavours to bring about change at the level of national and global policy on poverty reduction and social progress. Notable Feature(s): BRAC news; a profile on BRAC founder BRAC Builds on Microcredit; human rights education in Bangladesh and throughout South Asia, including BRAC program models and classroom ideas; details on the Global Partnership (GP) namely, a collaboration of BRAC in Bangladesh, the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) in Zimbabwe, and the School for International Training (SIT) in the USA, that has created programs to provide rigorous and relevant coursework in NGO Leadership and Management (NLM); BRAC University, through which BRAC demonstrates that development strategies, information technology and effective management play significant roles in modernizing Bangladesh and in securing meaningful jobs for the Bangladeshi workforce at home and abroad. In line with BRAC's continued support to education as a force of change and development, BRAC University has been established to provide high quality education to meet the demands of the modern age. BRAC University is accredited by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh. The BRAC University will provide instructions and confer degrees in all branches of Arts, Social Science and Science including Medicine, Engineering, Architecture, Agriculture, Business, Computer Science, etc. Degrees will be granted at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate (doctoral) levels. In addition, the University will offer Diploma programs on professional courses. Contact Information: BRAC 75 Mohakhali Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh Telephone: 880-2 9881265-72   Fax: 880-2 8823542 Email: brac@brac.net Biotechnology in Agriculture http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/magazine/9901sp1.htm Contact Information: FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome   00100 Italy Centre for Alternative Agricultural Media (CAAM) http://www.farmedia.org/ http://www.indiatogether.org/stories/caam.htm A novel venture in the field of agricultural communication has been initiated in Dharwad, Karnataka. The Centre for Alternative Agricultural Media (CAAM) was established to focus on farmer friendly communication system. The first of its kind in India, CAAM is the model of various alternative communication efforts, which are need-based, pro-farmer and involving farmers' participation, that have sprung up all around the world. The alternative agricultural media, which stresses the need for pro-farmer ideologies and practices in agricultural research and communication, is encouraging the farmers' self- respect and self-reliance. The CAAM mission has encouraged the 'farmers first' approach in the overall agricultural development process. Accordingly there is a 'paradigm shift' in extension system away from the terminology -'transfer of technology'- towards an interactive approach entirely subordinate to the needs of the farming community. Thus, along with this emerging phenomenon, agricultural communication process has also been altered radically. While presenting facts as established by research as well as in-situ findings, attention was given to need-based information, defined in farmers' own medium. With the farmers first approach, the focus was on to encourage farmers to learn, adopt and do better analysis not by outsiders' help - scientists, extensionists - but on their own. Notable Feature(s): Excellent collection of practical solutions and applications for agricultural and rural development needs; opportunities for writing about farm problems; valuable archive of past bulletins; cross-cutting global comparison of approaches, e.g., A Fukuoka There, A Cherkadi Here. Contact Information: Shivaram Pailoor, Director Centre for Alternative Agricultural Media (CAAM) Krishnalaya, 1st Main, 4th Cross Narayanapur Dharwad, Karnataka State   580 008 India Email: spailoor@satyam.net.in Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific http://www.cirdap.org.sg/ Contact Information: Chameli House 17 Topkhana road GPO Box 2883 Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh Telephone: +880-2-9558751   Fax: +880-2-9562035 Email: cirdap@citechco.net Common Ground: A Vision from the South Asia-Canada Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture http://www.farmedia.org/organicbytes/commonground.html http://www.farmedia.org/index.html Farmers and activists from Canada, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, have visited Canadian farms together and discussed the issues that affect the lives of farming communities all over the world. They expressed their concerns at the World Organic Congress in Victoria, British Colombia and at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johanesburg, South Africa. They are determined to develop and defend ecological and biodiversity-based agriculture all over the world, and they oppose the policies of multi-lateral and bilateral agencies and practices of transnational corporations that undermine the culture and systems of production of agrarian communities. Notable Feature(s): News and information at the parent site: Centre for Alternative Agriculture Media (CAAM); events; related links on organic farming sites worldwide; collection of CAAM bulletins with farmers' and self help journalists' firsthand testimony, experience, and advice. Contact Information: Shivaram Pailoor, Director Centre for Alternative Agricultural Media (CAAM) Krishnalaya, 1st Main, 4th Cross Narayanapur Dharwad - 580 008, Karnataka India Email: ddshyd@hd1.vsnl.net.in caam@sify.com Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) http://www.cgiar.org/secretar.htm Contact Information: Danielle Lucca CGIAR Secretariat Email: dlucca@worldbank.org Crops of Truth: Conserving Agricultural Biodiversity in Andhra Pradesh, India - Lionel Lumb http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=231 Contact Information: Email: mag@idrc.ca ECEAT-Poland http://www.sunflowerfarm.com.pl/eceat/ The principal goal of ECEAT-Poland association is to introduce rural ecotourism to stimulate ecological agriculture. The main reason for the creation of ECEAT-Poland was to help small Polish farms (which in Poland are led mainly by women) using tourism as a tool, with a strong emphasis on organic farming and ecological tourism. The approach has benefits for both farmers and visitors and has a very positive impact for saving the environment. ECEAT-Poland is the only NGO in Poland which connects the three areas of agriculture, tourism and ecology. It also has educational and economic benefits for the farmers as well as visitors. ECEAT-Poland's work to spread the idea of ecological cooperation among farmers and consumers is also unique among Polish NGO's and has already economically benefitted many women farmers in Poland. Since January 1997 ECEAT-Poland has been co-partner of the project Ecological Tourism in the Karkonosze Protected Area, whose goals are to stimulated the development of ecological farming through tourism and a network of cooperatives in the protected area. (It raised the number of farmers in transition to organic farming and cooperation in ecological tourism in that area from 3 to 27, with future planning for ecological projection also). From the beginning of 1998 ECEAT-Poland has been involved in the PAN Park Project in the Bialowieza National Park in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature to increase ecological tourism and agriculture in that area. Notable Feature(s): Catalog of tours; ecolinks to related programs in Poland and Germany and the Czech Republic. Contact Information: Jadwiga Wietrzna-Lopata ECEAT – Poland woj. malopolskie 34-146 Stryszow 156 Poland Telephone: +48 33 8797114   Fax: +48 33 8797114 Email: Jadwiga@eceat-pl.most.org.pl EcoSystems - Energy and Transport Solutions in Nepal http://www.ecosystemsnepal.com/index.html EcoSystems was started in 1996 by Bay Area expatriates David and Haydi Sowerwine. The company works to improve the welfare of Nepal's rural people by offering transport and energy systems that are safe, efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally sound. To date, EcoSystems has successfully installed 21 WireBridges throughout Nepal, and is nearing completion of the WireRoad, an innovative transportation system that utilizes banana farm cableway technology to transport people and cargo. EcoSystems does not have a factory. The company prefers to subcontract fabricating work such as welding and galvanizing to local shops. The quality of the work is excellent, and EcoSystems supports small business whenever possible. Notable Feature(s): Design and construction details for the WireBridge; photos of sites throughout Nepal. Contact Information: Email: sowerwine@wlink.com.np FAO - World Agriculture http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/Default.htm Contact Information: FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome   00100 Italy Email: ag21@fao.org Farmer Innovation in Africa: A Source of Inspiration for Agricultural Development - Edited by Chris Reij and Ann Waters-Bayer http://www.earthscan.co.uk/asp/bookdetails.asp?key=3489 http://www.earthscan.co.uk/home.htm One of Africa's major untapped resources is the creativity of its farmers. This book presents a series of clear and detailed studies that demonstrate how small-scale farmers, both men and women, experiment and innovate in order to improve their livelihoods, despite the adverse conditions and lack of appropriate external support with which they have to contend. The studies are based on fieldwork in a wide variety of farming systems throughout Africa, and have been written primarily by African researchers and extension specialists. Numerous lively examples show how a participatory approach to agricultural research and development that builds on local knowledge and innovation can stimulate the creativity of all involved – not only the farmers. This approach, which recognizes the farmers' capacity to innovate as the crucial component of success, provides a much-needed alternative to the conventional 'transfer of technology' paradigm. Notable Feature(s): A complete listing of contents and authors is included, as well as online text of a chapter. Contact Information: Earthscan Publications Ltd 120 Pentonville Road London N1 9JN UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7278 0433   Fax: +44 (0)20 7278 1142 Email: earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk Forests, Trees and People Programme & Network http://www-trees.slu.se/ This site is part of the Forests, Trees and People Programme. It is run jointly by the Department of Rural Development Studies (DRDS) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Studies (SLU), the Community Forestry Unit (CFU) based at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Italy and regional programme facilitators in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin and North America. Notable Feature(s): Quarterly newsletter on planning and strengthening community forestry activities (English, French and Spanish versions). Contact Information: FTPP Network Department of Rural Development Studies (DRDS) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Box 7005 Uppsala   750 07 Sweden Telephone: +46-18-672001   Fax: +46-18-673420 Email: Network@lbutv.slu.se Gender Dimension in Biodiversity Management http://www.mssrf.org/fris9809/gender-management1.html#top Rural women in developing countries hold the key to many of the planet's agricultural systems for food production, seed selection and protection of agrobiodiversity. Women using diverse wild and indigenous species often use home gardens as experimental plots. Gender analysis deals with the socially constructed roles and relationships among men and women in their day today activities. There is widespread misunderstanding of the distinction between gender analysis and exclusively women-centred approaches. Hence, there is often the tendency to focus on women separately, rather than on the relations between men and women. Hopi Foundation http://www.hopifoundation.org/pages/1/index.htm The basic mission of the Hopi Foundation is to Help People Help Themselves. The Hopi name—Lomasumi'nangwtukwsiwmani—signifies the process of furthering unity of aspiration blossoming into full maturity over time. The directors Poley and Taylor believe in the Hopi concept of Naya, which means people working together for a common good. Naya means that every Hopi individual has a valued role in building a better community. Notable Feature(s): One of the foundation's initiatives is Native Sun, a solar electric enterprise to allow Hopi people to remain independent of utility companies; another initiative, Gentle Rain Designs, is creating local self-sustainable employment opportunities while balancing modern financial needs with strong cultural values of family, environmental stewardship and self determination. Contact Information: The Hopi Foundation Barbara Poley and Loris Taylor P.O. Box 301 Kykotsmovi, Arizona   86039 U.S.A. Telephone: 928.734.2380 888.   Email: bapoley@direcway.com kuyi@direcway.com hopifound@direcway.com International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) http://www.icimod.org.sg ICIMOD promotes the replication and dissemination of innovative, low-cost, local resource-based, productive options and appropriate technologies for the sustainable development of mountain areas. Best practices and appropriate technologies are management and cultural practices that allow people to get the most beneficial use out of the land and other available natural resources in a sustainable manner. Contact Information: Tej Partap Head Mountain Farming Systems International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development 4/80 Jawalakhel, G.P.O. Box 3226 Kathmandu Nepal Telephone: (977 1) 525313   Fax: (977 1) 524509 Email: tej@icimod.org.np icimod@icimod.org.np International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD) http://www.gn.apc.org/ifrtd/ The International Forum for Rural Transport and Development is a global network of individuals and representatives from government, academia, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, consultancies and technical institutions, national and international NGOs and groups of community organisations in 83 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America. There are over 1800 members in the network. The Forum's long-term vision is of a world in which rural communities, particularly those who are poor and disadvantaged, have improved accessibility and mobility. The conventional approach to rural transport has been to invest in roads and motorized transport systems. Many villages in the South are not part of road networks. Even where there are links, villagers often cannot afford motorized transport. Therefore goods and persons are mainly transported on foot. These transport constraints can hamper agricultural production and restrict rural development. IFRTD promotes an alternative approach towards rural transport. Notable Feature(s): Forum News, a quarterly newsletter on pressing issues: transport with animal power, bridges, bicycles, gender and transport, financing, engineering, sustainable rural livelihoods, community planning. Contact Information: Priyanthi Fernando and Kate Czuczman IFRTD Secretariat 2 Spitfire Studios 63-71 Collier Street London   N1 9BE United Kingdom Telephone: 44 20 7713-6699   Fax: 44 20 7713-8290 Email: ifrtd@gn.apc.org priyanthi.fernando@ifrtd.org kate.czuczman@ifrtd.org International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) http://www.ifad.org/home.html IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. The Conference was organized in response to the food crises of the early 1970s that primarily affected the Sahelian countries of Africa. The Conference resolved that "an International Fund for Agricultural Development should be established immediately to finance agricultural development projects primarily for food production in the developing countries". One of the most important insights emerging from the Conference was that the causes of food insecurity and famine were not so much failures in food production, but structural problems relating to poverty and to the fact that the majority of the developing world's poor populations were concentrated in rural areas. Since its establishment, IFAD has financed 578 projects in 115 countries and independant territories, to which it has committed USD 6.93 billion in grants and loans. Governments and other financing sources in the recipient countries – including project beneficiaries - have contributed USD 7.29 billion, and multilateral and bilateral donors have provided USD 6.14 billion in cofinancing. These projects have aimed at assisting 52 million rural poor households, equivalent to approximately 237.5 million people. Notable Feature(s): Rural Poverty Report 2001: The Challenge of Ending Rural Poverty; list of IFAD publications, annual reports and more, often available in English, French, Spanish, or Italian. Contact Information: IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development Via del Serafico, 107 00142 Rome Italy Telephone: 39.0654591   Fax: 39.065043463 Email: ifad@ifad.org International Water Management Institute (IMWI) http://www.iwmi.org/ http://www.cgiar.org/iwmi/ IWMI conducts a worldwide research and capacity building program to improve water resources and irrigation management through better technologies, policies, institutions, and management. Scarce and polluted water supplies have their greatest impact on poor people, especially women and children. Improving the productivity of water can make a major contribution to reducing poverty and improving peoples' lives. IWMI's work explores ways to help alleviate poverty, protect and conserve the environment, maintain food security, provide poor and disadvantaged people better access to water resources, and contribute to food security and poverty eradication by fostering sustainable increases in the productivity of water through better management of irrigation and other water uses in river basins. IWMI's World Water and Climate Atlas is a growing collection of data products and analytical tools focused on climate and water resources. IWMI has assembled these data and tools in a standardized format that can be quickly and easily analyzed using the accompanying software package, the Synthesizer. Examples of what can be done with the Atlas include: identify areas suitable for rainfed agriculture, provide inputs for hydrologic modeling of river basins, extract climate inputs for crop modeling, and help project water supply and demand globally, nationally, and by river basins. IWMI is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Founded in 1984, IWMI's headquarters are located in Sri Lanka. IWMI has residential offices in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Turkey, and Mexico. In Côte d'Ivoire, IWMI has a staff member located at the headquarters of a sister institute, the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA). IWMI also has a number of important non-residential activities located in South Africa, Kenya, India and Nepal. Notable Feature(s): IWMI will be pleased to answer questions concerning the overall Atlas and the Synthesizer: send email to IWMI (i.makin@cgiar.org); the IIMI library database currently holds over 23,000 citations relevant to irrigation and water resources management of published and unpublished monographs, research reports, conference and workshop proceedings, journal articles etc added to the database from 1986 onwards; excellent collection of related links; on-line newsletter of research and case studies on water management, community development and related issues. Contact Information: David Seckler, Director General, CGIAR Email: d.seckler@cgiar.org ITC e-Choupal http://www.itcportal.com/ruraldevp_philosophy/echoupal.htm ITC believes that an effective growth strategy for the nation must address the needs of rural India, home to 75 percent of its poor. It is imperative to ensure that India's economic growth is inclusive, embracing its villages, so as to free millions of disadvantaged citizens from the indignity of poverty. It is ITC's belief that India's rural transformation cannot be brought about by the government alone. Nor can the efforts of a few enterprises make a decisive difference. Only an inspired public-private partnership can transform lives and landscapes in rural India. ITC's humble endeavours have demonstrated that it is possible to create and sustain a model that can harmonize the need for shareholder value creation with making a substantial contribution to society. ITC has partnered with the Indian farmer for close to a century. ITC is now engaged in elevating this partnership to a new paradigm by leveraging information technology through its trail-blazing e-Choupal initiative. Additionally, ITC is significantly widening its farmer partnerships to embrace a host of value-adding activities: creating livelihoods by helping poor tribals make their wastelands productive; investing in rainwater harvesting to bring much-needed irrigation to parched drylands; empowering rural women by helping them evolve into entrepreneurs; enhancing livestock quality to significantly improve dairy productivity; providing infrastructural support to make schools exciting for village children. -Choupal delivers real-time information and customised knowledge to improve the farmer's decision-making ability, thereby better aligning farm output to market demands; securing better quality, productivity and improved price discovery. The model helps aggregate demand in the nature of a virtual producers' co-operative, in the process facilitating access to higher quality farm inputs at lower costs for the farmer. The e-Choupal initiative also creates a direct marketing channel, eliminating wasteful intermediation and multiple handling, thus reducing transaction costs and making logistics efficient. The e-Choupal project is already benefiting over 3.5 million farmers. Over the next decade, the e-Choupal network will cover over 100,000 villages, representing 1/6th of rural India, and create more than 10 million e-farmers. Legal Frameworks for Land Markets that Improve Land Access for the Poor http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/B-SPAN/sub_legal_framework.htm http://www.rdiland.org/HOME/HomeOne.html There are approximately two billion people in rural areas of the developing world who depend on agriculture for both food and income. A recent study in India suggested that access to land for agriculture is a greater indicator of poverty than other variables including literacy. On January 22, 2003, Leonard Rolfes from the Rural Development Institute presented an overview of how legal frameworks for land markets may improve the poor's access to land. RDI is a nonprofit organization of attorneys helping the rural poor in developing countries obtain legal rights to land. RDI attorneys are experts in land law and policy who work with governments of developing countries, foreign aid agencies, and other partners to reform land law and consult on land policy. Notable Feature(s): Excellent collection of links. Contact Information: Rural Development Institute 1411 Fourth Avenue Suite 910 Seattle, WA   98101 USA Telephone: 206.528.5880   Fax: 206.528.5881 Email: info@rdiland.org MercyCorps http://www.mercycorps.org/ Mercy Corps is a not-for-profit organization that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression. The agency now operates in more than 25 countries reaching 4 million people worldwide. With headquarters in the United States and Scotland, Mercy Corps is an international family of humanitarian organizations that includes Mercy Corps, Mercy Corps Scotland, Pax World Service in Washington, DC, Proyecto Aldea Global in Honduras, Proyecto Aldea Global Jinotega in Nicaragua, and MerciPhil Development Foundation in the Philippines. Mercy Corps is a humanitarian organization established by Christian leaders who incorporated their faith values into an agency that has developed into the broader vision we share today. Among the faith values most influential in the life of the organization have been Catholic social teaching and Quaker-Mennonite peace philosophies. Mercy Corps provides assistance exclusively based on need, without regard to religion or politics. Since 1981 Mercy Corps has provided more than half a billion dollars in aid in 73 countries. It has gained a reputation as an innovative, problem-solving organization, committed to a strategy of social entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty, improve health and build just communities in some of the world's most challenging regions. Notable Feature(s): The Bridge civil society newsletter; profiles of Mercy Corps programs in environment, alleviating food shortages, micro-enterprise, development training, and emergency relief in communities around the world; top news stories. Contact Information: Mercy Corps 3015 SW First Dept W Portland, Oregon   97201 USA Telephone: 800.292.3355 x250   Email: info@mercycorps.org NABUUR http://www.nabuur.com NABUUR.com is run by Stichting NABUUR, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit-foundation. NABUUR is independent of any government, political ideology, or religious creed. The dream is to give tens of thousands of local communities ("villages") in developing countries access to the resources they need to solve their problems. There are a great many local communities that would be capable of solving their own problems themselves, if only they had access to the right resources, resources that are available elsewhere in the world: information, existing solutions, expertise, ideas, manpower, money. NABUUR aims to bring "villages" all over the world into direct contact with people who live elsewhere and who want to help them. These people ("virtual neighbors") can help by finding the resources needed by the local community. NABUUR's ambition is to create a mechanism that will enable the problems of local communities to be solved on a scale that really matters. Notable Feature(s): Frequently Asked Questions on how to apply to be a village and what it takes to provide the virtual help needed; the villages already identified; the issues different villages are addressing; opportunities for providing best practice suggestions, resources, and other forms of help; NABUUR newsletter. Contact Information: NABUUR Foundation Noorderpad 4 8355 AP Giethoorn The Netherlands Telephone: +31 (0)70 3070553   Email: info@nabuur.com Participation in Practice - lessons learned from rural assistance programs http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/SUSTDEV/PPdirect/PPre0044.htm RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship http://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org/ http://www.heartlandcenter.info/ One of the missions of the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship is to connect economic development practitioners across rural America with each other and with the model practices that can help them work more effectively to energize entrepreneurs in their rural regions. Notable Feature(s): Working in Rural America; Economic Development Today. Contact Information: RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship PO Box 83107 Lincoln, Nebraska   68501 U.S.A. Telephone: 402.323.7336   Fax: 402.323.7349 Email: taina@ruraleship.org Rural Development & Agriculture - World Bank portal http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/essd/essd.nsf/rural+development/portal An extensive global collection of resources, data, documents, initiatives, news, publications, and other features. Contact Information: Email: eadvisor@worldbank.org Rural Development and Food Security: Towards a New Agenda http://www.odi.org.uk/past_meetings/summer2001.html This site provides a valuable collection of meeting notes and background information and policy/action papers and reports on rural development, agriculture, poverty, and sustainable development. Contact Information: Email: meetings@odi.org.uk Rural Development Directory of Links http://www.prout.org/res/Links9.html http://prout.org/ PROUT is an acronym for PROgressive Utilization Theory, a socio-economic philosophy that synthesizes the physical, mental and spiritual dimensions of human nature. The goal of PROUT is to provide guidance for the evolution of a truly progressive human society. PROUT advocates economic democracy based upon local economic planning, cooperatively managed businesses, local governmental control of natural resources and key industries, and socially agreed upon limits on the individual accumulation of wealth. Only by decentralizing the economy and putting decision-making power in the hands of local people can we ensure the availability of food, shelter, clothing, health care and education for all. This is also the only way to ensure that the ecological systems of the earth are not exploited beyond their capacity to renew themselves. Notable Feature(s): Links organized around the following themes: The Family Farm; Organic Gardening and Sustainable Agriculture; Beekeeping; Soil Conservation; Pests; Tools/Machinery; Building Construction; Rural Community Development Resources; Research; and The National Agricultural Library. Contact Information: Proutist Universal 7627 16th Street NW P.O. Box 56466 Washington, DC   20040 USA Telephone: +1-202-829-2278   Fax: +1-202-829-0462 Email: nysector@prout.org Rural Transport: issues, planning, practices http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/transport/rt_over.htm http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/transport/index.html This World Bank site focuses on Rural Transport that encompasses all the transport activities which take place at local government and community levels. It is composed of two elements, the rural transport services for passengers and freight by non-motorized and motorized means of transport, and rural transport infrastructure, mainly rural roads, tracks, trails, paths and footbridges, and in some cases rural waterways. Notable Feature(s): Innovative practices in Guatemala and Zambia; links to rural transport related Web sites; home portal of news, updates, resources, publications, training and events. Contact Information: Email: transport@worldbank.org Selected Best Practices for Rural Poverty Reduction http://www.unescap.org/rural/bestprac/index.htm http://www.unescap.org/rural/ UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) sustainable rural livelihoods program and examples of successful programs in China, Republic of Korea, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Notable Feature(s): Vast amount of news, information, and models to replicate for poverty relief in rural areas, employment, sustainable agriculture, green farming, and more at the UNESCAP rural home, page, including many related publications. Contact Information: UNESCAP United Nations Building Rajdamnern Nok Avenue Bangkok   10200 Thailand Telephone: 662.2881394   Fax: 662.2881056 Email: hegenbarth.unescap@un.org Selected Best Practices for Rural Poverty Reduction http://www.unescap.org/rural/index.htm http://www.unescap.org/ The Rural Development Section (RDS) of ESCAP strives to strengthen national capacity in the development of policies and programmes on rural poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural development. Notable Feature(s): ; e-newsletter; news; economic and social research on Asia and the South Pacific. Contact Information: Poverty Reduction Section Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific United Nations Building Rajdamnern Nok Avenue Bangkok 10200 Thailand Telephone: 662-2881394   Fax: 662-2881056 Email: webmaster@unescap.org State of Food and Agriculture 2001 http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x9800e/x9800e00.htm Five years after the World Food Summit, and at the beginning of the twenty-first century, The State of Food and Agriculture 2001 reflects on some of the main challenges faced in eliminating world hunger and poverty. Ensuring the full, equitable and beneficial participation of all parties in an open, globalized world system is a shared responsibility. The State of Food and Agriculture 2001 discusses the negotiations on international agricultural trade, which have been launched within the World Trade Organization. Agricultural trade is of particular importance to most developing countries, in their capacity as either exporters or importers, and frequently both. Barriers to agricultural trade still represent a significant obstacle for many of them. Contact Information: Email: SOFA@fao.org Sustaining the Soil - Edited by Camilla Toulmin, Chris Reij and Ian Scoones http://www.earthscan.co.uk/asp/bookdetails.asp?key=1914 Indigenous soil and water conservation practices are rarely acknowledged in the design of conventional development projects. Instead, the history of soil and water conservation in Africa has been one of imposing external solutions without regard for local practice. There is a remarkably diverse range of locally developed and adapted technologies for the conservation of water and soil, well suited to their particular site and socio-economic conditions. Sustaining the Soil documents farmers' practices, exploring the origins and adaptations carried out by farmers over generations, in response to changing circumstances. Through a comparative analysis of conservation measures - from the humid zones of West Africa to the arid lands of the Sudan, from rock terraces in Morocco to the grass strips of Swaziland - the book explores the various factors that influence adoption and adaptation; farmers' perceptions of conservation needs; and the institutional and policy settings most favorable to more effective land husbandry. Contact Information: Earthscan Publications Ltd 120 Pentonville Road London N1 9JN UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7278 0433   Fax: +44 (0)20 7278 1142 Email: earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk Swayam Shikshan Prayog - Shaping the Future of Rural Women in India http://www.sspindia.org/ Swayam Shikshan Prayog is an organisation which seeks to bring women into the centre of development process. It is specifically involved in building the capacities of rural women's collectives to access and manage resources so that they can participate in decision making processes that affect the allocation and management resources. Located in Mumbai (Bombay), Swayam Shikshan Prayog partners with women's collectives and communities across 889 villages supported by field centres in Latur, Osmanabad, Solapur, Amaravati, Beed and Nanded districts in Maharashtra and in Jamnagar and Kutch in Gujarat. Swayam Shikshan Prayog partners with over 1,680 savings and credit groups with a membership of 22,507 women belonging to rural communities. These women's groups adddress priority issues such as credit, food security, water and sanitation, health, education, and social infrastructure by initiating demonstration projects, community planning, skills training, and increasing participation in governance. Notable Feature(s): Special resources on credit and livelihood, water resource management, disaster response, and community health. Contact Information: Ms. Prema Gopalan, Director Swayam Shikshan Prayog 58, CVOD Jain High School 84, Samuel Street, Dongri Mumbai 400 009 India Telephone: +91-22-23434730   Fax: +91-22-28223139 Email: ssp2000@vsnl.com Telecommunications for Rural Development http://www.devmedia.org/Category.cfm?Category=42 Excellent global networking sources for communications information and exchange of case studies and educational programs. Contact Information: Email: don@tdg.ca The Land Institute http://www.landinstitute.org/ The Land Institute has worked for more than two decades on the problem of agriculture. Its purpose is to develop an agricultural system with the ecological stability of the prairie and a grain yield comparable to that from annual crops. The strategy now is to collaborate with public institutions in order to direct more research in the direction of Natural Systems Agriculture. The institute is seeking funds to construct and operate a research center devoted to Natural Systems Agriculture and to underwrite scientists elsewhere who will engage with its research. The research cost is estimated at $5 million a year for 25 years, which is a small fraction of one percent of the nation's annual agricultural research investment. The goal is to improve the security of our food and fiber source by reducing soil erosion, decreasing dependency upon petroleum and natural gas, and relieving the agriculture-related chemical contamination of our land and water. The institute's specific research is an innovation for agriculture, using "nature as the measure" to develop mixed perennial grain crops as food for human beings just as farmers use nature as a standard or measure in making their agronomic decisions. Over 75 percent of human calories worldwide come from grains such as wheat and corn, but the production of these grains erodes ecological capital. The institute's research is directed toward the goal of having conservation be a consequence of agricultural production. Notable Feature(s): Program descriptions and calendar; extensive collection of scientific publications and research findings and applications; general publications; Prairie Writers on the character and culture of rural farm life; and an online bookstore; Contact Information: Wes Jackson The Land Institute 2440 E. Water Well Road Salina, Kansas   67401 U.S.A. Telephone: 785.823.5376   Fax: 785.823.8728 Email: theland@landinstitute.org UN Agriculture and Rural Development http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agri.htm Contact Information: Eric Keueneman Email: eric.kueneman@fao.org United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/iwgcsd7.htm Contact Information: United Nations Division for Sustainable Development 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2-2220 New York, NY   10017 USA Telephone: + 1 212/963 3170   Fax: + 1 212/963 4260 Email: dsd@un.org Useful techniques: irrigation, grassland development, water conservation http://members.tripod.com/~mah_watershed/tech.html Contact Information: Centre for Management of Local Resources 216 Narayan Peth Pune,, Maharashtra   411030 India Email: prasadrasal@yahoo.com Vetiver Network http://www.vetiver.org/ http://www.vetiver.org/TVN_FRONTPAGE_ENGLISH.htm The Vetiver Network is a nonprofit managed by professionals, with the objective of disseminating information on the use of VETIVER GRASS for soil and water conservation, land rehabilitation, embankment stabilization, pollution control, and enhancement of the environment. Extensive vetiver research undertaken throughout the tropics, particularly in Thailand, Australia, China, Malaysia and India, over the past 10 years demonstrates a wide range of applications and uses as well as better understanding of the physiology and mechanics of the plant and system. The Vetiver System is a “biological” or “soft” engineering method that is responsive to environmental mitigation needs over a broad range of ecological conditions for a range of applications that are normally treated with “hard” engineering solutions or not at all. Vetiver grass and the Vetiver System could play a crucial role in improving the availability and quality of water in tropical and semi-tropical countries, since it behaves as a biological sieve in preventing the movement of soil (and the attached pollutants), by conserving and “cleaning” water, and by strengthening, through its root system, soil profiles, thus preventing water induced slippage and collapse and subsequent damage to property and life. There are twelve known varieties of vetiver grass, the most important is Vetiveria zizanioides. For centuries the oil extract from the roots of V.zizanioides has been used in the perfume trade. Indigenous peoples have recognized vetiver for its medicinal uses, for thatching, mulch, and feed, and for soil and moisture conservation. In more modern times the sugar industry has used vetiver grass quite widely as contour conservation hedges and for the stabilization of road sides and embankments. Vetiver once thought to be confined to wetlands thrives over a range of ecological conditions. It grows both on highly acidic (< pH3) and alkaline soils (pH11). Its roots will grow to depths of 3 - 4 meters. It is not effected seriously by pests or diseases. Many cultivars are non flowering, these when combined with a non spreading root system prevents "escape". Each clump of vetiver is extremely dense, so dense that if con figured correctly will act as a near perfect filter. The grass is easy and cheap to establish, and needs minimum maintenance. The average root strength is estimated at 75 Mpa. Roots of vetiver will increase soil shear strenght by 35% at a depth of 0.6 meters Notable Feature(s): Vetiver Newsletter on projects and applications in Latin America, Europe, Africa, the United States and Asia; on-line library; links; country papers, databases, publications and other research; editor's page with news updates and conference data; a global contact directory of individuals working with the Vetiver grass system; extensive bibliographies. Contact Information: Joan Miller The Vetiver Network 3601 N 14th Street Arlington, VA   22201 USA Telephone: 703.525.7092   Fax: 703.243.6203 Email: vetiver@vetiver.org Village Computer and Internet Program (VCIP) http://www.grameen-info.org/vcip/index.html The VCIP program is providing information to the villagers in Bangladesh on health, agriculture, education, environment, etc. Grameen Communications is a non-profit organization committed to poverty alleviation and promotion of democracy. The goal of Grameen Communications through the program is to provide multipurpose information services for isolated regions to promote poverty alleviation, reducing migration from villages to cities, creating IT (information technology) related job opportunities for the rural poor and creating familiarity with computers among the rural population of Bangladesh. The 'Village Computer and Internet Program' was originally the idea of Dr. Yunus, who as we all know is the mastermind behind all the brilliant schemes that Grameen has implemented over the years. It was inaugurated in June 1st 1999 in Madhupur village, Tangail. This particular village was chosen because of its suitability with the requirements for such a project. It has to have proper telephone lines to facilitate the Internet connection, families with friends or relatives abroad so that they can make use of E-mail, and an important produce which can be promoted on the net. Contact Information: Muhammd Tariq Alam Project Coordinator, VCIP Project Engineer, Grameen Communications Grameen Bank Bhaban Mirpur-2, Dhaka Bangladesh Email: madhupur@grameen.com tariq@grameen.com gc@grameen.com Water Pyramid http://www.geocities.com/waterpyramid/history1.htm http://www.geocities.com/waterpyramid/index.htm The supply of water, clean water in particular, is a serious problem in many parts of the world. Ground water levels sink, severe droughts occur, landscapes dry up and desert spreads. Other places have plenty of water, but it is highly polluted and not potable. Coastal areas don't have enough fresh water. All of these problems lead to disease and disaster among both people and animals. During the string of natural disasters hitting the African continent in the early 1990's, the Norwegian inventor, Per Krumsvik, set out to find a practical remedy to address this acute need. He visualized the creation of water from air without the need of an external power source. He was inspired by the amazing capabilities of the desert flowers. They have built-in mechanisms that enable them to survive in the harshest climates. At night they open and absorb humidity from the air and during the day they close up, retaining the life-giving water. In 1996, a 12' experimental water pyramid was installed in the Middle East. This pyramid, loaded with instrumentation, collected data necessary for evaluating construction and design, choice of materials, fiber composition and density as well as the impact of varying atmospheric conditions. The results were very encouraging. In 1998, an improved water pyramid was sent to the Gobabeb Desert Research Institute in Namibia. The tests conducted here proved that even under the most extreme conditions, the pyramid produced water. Research was also conducted using the water pyramid to convert seawater and polluted groundwater to clean, potable water. The water pyramid was created conceptually to produce clean water from high air humidity. Through the evolution of the concept and experimentations, however, its use and potential for desalinization and purification became clear. Notable Feature(s): Technical information on construction and operation of a water pyramid. Contact Information: Email: waterpyramid@home.com Web-Agri: The Agricultural Search Engine http://www.web-agri.com/ Billed as "the smart farming site," Web-agri's search engine generates a massive amount of information, tools, and practice for those involved in rural or urban agriculture anywhere in the world. The database yields everything from seeds to soil erosion, solar or wind energy and provides the contact details for practitioners to build networks and get answers to their questions. Contact Information: Hyltel Multimédia 12a Rue de Brest 35000 - RENNES France Email: contact@hyltel.fr Winrock International http://www.winrock.org/ Winrock International is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1985. Building on the half century-long tradition of its predecessor organizations, Winrock works in the United States and some 40 countries around the world each year. Programs are supported by grants and contracts from national and international agencies, foundations, corporations, and gifts from public and private sources. Winrock International is committed to achieving long-term success by consolidating innovative concepts, sound research, new technologies, and indigenous knowledge to form a strong foundation on which to build sustainable and replicable multidisciplinary programs. Notable Feature(s): Program information and tools in several fields: Agriculture Forestry & Natural Resource Management Leadership & Human Resource Development Renewable Energy Rural Employment & Enterprise Development Contact Information: Winrock International 38 Winrock Drive Morrilton, Arkansas   72110-9370 USA Telephone: 1-501-727-5435   Fax: 1-501-727-5242 Email: Information@Winrock.org World Education http://www.worlded.org/ World Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the poor through economic and social development programs. World Education provides training and technical assistance in nonformal education for adults and children, with special emphasis on income generation, small enterprise development, literacy, education for the workplace, environmental education, reproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS education, and refugee orientation. Projects are designed to contribute to individual growth, as well as to community and national development. There is special emphasis on linking health to literacy and on cultivating environmentally conscious farmers. Notable Feature(s): Web site links to specific World Education projects in literacy, health, and adult learning. Contact Information: World Education Headquarters 44 Farnsworth St Boston, MA   02210 USA Telephone: 617.482.9485   Fax: 617.482.0617 Email: wei@worlded.org World Neighbors In Action http://www.wn.org http://www.wn.org/Programs.asp World Neighbors is a 48-year-old grassroots, international development organization working side-by-side with rural villagers in remote corners of Asia, Africa and Latin America. World Neighbors works with the rural poor in 18 countries to strengthen the ability of individuals and communities to solve their own problems of hunger, poverty, and disease. Rather than offering direct material relief, World Neighbors works to address the root causes of problems, helping people find practical solutions to the challenge of meeting their own basic needs. World Neighbors programs integrate improved agriculture, community-based health and family planning, environmental conservation, water and sanitation, and small business. Contact Information: World Neighbors International Headquarters 4127 NW 122 Street Oklahoma City, OK   73120 USA Telephone: 405.752.9700   Fax: 405.752.9393 Email: info@wn.org