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Theme: Biodiversity

Agricultural Outlook 2010-2019: Highlights

The goal of this collaborative work is to build consensus on how global agriculture may evolve in the coming decade and the key issues impacting its course.

Published in 2010, by OECD, FAO

Assessing the environmental impacts of consumption and production

The purpose of this report is to assess the best-available science from a global perspective to identify priorities among industry sectors, consumption categories and materials. For the first time, this assessment was done at the global level, identifying priorities for developed and developing countries. It supports international, national and sectoral...

Published in 2010, by UNEP

Back by popular demand: The benefits of traditional vegetables

This booklet describes how reintroducing traditional leafy vegetables had an impact on the lives of people in a community near Nairobi, Kenya, thanks largely to the inspiration of one farmer.

Published in 2006, by IPGRI

Chapter 20: Global climate change

In: The Comparative quantification of health risks -book.

Published in 2004, by Anthony J. McMichael et al.

Climate Change and Food Security: A Framework Document

Until recently, most assessments of the impact of climate change on the food and agriculture sector have focused on the implications for production and global supply of food, with less consideration of other components of the food chain. This paper takes a broader view and explores the multiple effects that global warming and climate change could have on...

Published in 2008, by FAO Interdepartamental Working Group on Climate Change

Climate Change and Human Health: Risks and responses

This book seeks to describe the context and process of global climate change, its actual or likely impacts on health, and how human societies and their governments should respond with particular focus on the health sector.

Published in 2003, by WHO

Cooking up a storm: Food, greenhouse gas emissions and our changing climate

This report sets out what we know about the food system’s contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Taking a life cycle perspective, it looks at how these emissions arise, both by life cycle stage (from plough to plate to bin) and by food type. It then explores the flip side of the coin: the global impact of a changing climate on how we grow,...

Published in 2008, by Tara Garnett

Double Pyramide: healthy food for people, sustainable food for the planet

"The double pyramide" positions foods not only following the criteria nutritional science has long recommended on the basis of their positive impact on health, but also in terms of their impact on the environment. The work aims to encourage the publication of further studies on the measurement of environmental impacts of food. The objective is to increase...

Published in 2010, by Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition

Enhancing the use of crop genetic diversity to manage abiotic stress in agricultural production systems

There are still important unknowns concerning the diversity in local varieties managed by farmers subject to significant abiotic stress. These include: • Whether within farmers' use of diversity for managing abiotic stress: Does the use of stress-tolerant germplasm 'cost' lower yield? In the stressed environment? In benign environments? In both? •...

Published in 2006, by IPGRI

Food and the Environment - Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2

Tunza in UNEP's magazine for youth, and this Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2 is a special issue concentrating on themes on food and environment.

Published in 2008, by UNEP

Food Security and Climate Change: The Answer is Biodiversity

Climate change will profoundly affect agriculture worldwide.Food security in many countries is under threat from unpredictable changes in rainfall and more frequent extremeweather. Farmers in poorer countries with harsh climateconditions will likely be most affected. A review of recent scientific literature underlines that the most effective strategy to...

Published in 2008, by Janet Cotter, Reyes Tirado

Gender and Climate Change: Women as agents of change

Climate change briefing

Published in 2007, by IUCN

Gender, Climate Change and Human Security: Lessons from Bangladesh, Ghana and Senegal

This report presents a gendered analysis of how climate change impacts on human security. It also assesses whether adequate scope exists for women to participate in improved human security in a scenario of changing climate. Based on this analysis, recommendations are given for enhancing the integration of a gender perspective in climate change and human...

Published in 2008, by WEDO

Getting fossil fuels off the plate

This publication is an excerpted chapter from The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises that features essays by some of the world’s most provocative thinkers on the key issues shaping our new century, from renewable energy and urban agriculture to social justice and community resilience.

Published in 2010, by Michael Bomford

Golden Rice's Lack of lustre

Addressing vitamin A deficiency without genetic engineering.

Published in 2010, by Greenpeace

Home Gardens in Nepal

This book on Nepalese home gardens brings together new research finding and perspectives to show us how home gardens contribute to the development, nutrition and well being of rural household. The extensive literature on home gardens has addressed the various aspects of food security, nutrition, income, gender, biodiversity and ecosystem services that simply...

Published in 2006, by Bioversity International

Human Health and Well-Being in an Era of Energy Scarcity and Climate Change

This publication is an excerpted chapter from The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises that features essays by some of the world’s most provocative thinkers on the key issues shaping our new century, from renewable energy and urban agriculture to social justice and community resilience.

Published in 2010, by Cindy Parker, Brian Schwartz

Hunger and poverty: the role of biodiversity

Report of an International Consultation on the Role of Biodiversity in Achieving the UN Millennium Development Goal of Freedom from Hunger and Poverty Chennai, India, April 18-19, 2005

Published in 2006, by MSSRF, IPGRI, GFU

L’alimentation et l’environnement - Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2

Tunza est le magazine du PNUE pour les jeunes, et ce Tunza Vol 6 n ° 2 est un numéro spécial consacré à des questions alimentaires et l'environnement. SOMMAIRE Éditorial La crise de l’alimentation Les héros oubliés TUNZA répond à tes questions Déchets utiles La cuisine bas carbone Nourrir le monde Je retourne vers mon avenir Un...

Published in 2008, by PNUE - UNEP

Los Alimentos y el Medio Ambiente - Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2

Tunza es la revista del PNUMA para los jóvenes, y este Tunza Vol. 6 No. 2 es un número especial centrado en temas de alimentos y el medio ambiente. INDICE Editorial Alimento en crisis Héroes olvidados TUNZA contesta tus preguntas Basura útil Cortando carbono Alimentando el mundo Vuelvo al pasado para mi futuro Un dilema orgánico ...

Published in 2008, by PNUMA - UNEP

Meeting the Millennium Development Goals with Agricultural Biodiversity

This booklet covers some of the specific cases in which rural people have made use of agricultural biodiversity in various ways to improve their livelihoods. It is our hope that, by showing what some have achieved, all will be encouraged to deploy agricultural biodiversity more effectively. Farmers planning their next season, policymakers drawing up Poverty...

Published in 2005, by IPGRI

Micro-level Practices to Adapt to Climate Change for African Small-scale Farmers

This paper discusses micro-level practices for adapting to climate change that are available to small-scale farmers in Africa. The analysis is based on a review of 17 studies about practices that boost small-scale farmers’ resilience or reduce their vulnerability to observed or expected changes in climate; it includes data from more than 16 countries in...

Published in 2010, by Till Below, Astrid Artner, Rosemarie Siebert, Stefan Sieber

Neglected and Underutilized Plant Species - Strategic Action Plan of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

Global food security and economic growth now depend on a declining number of plant species. This has placed the future supply of food and rural incomes at risk. To fulfil its global mandate to conserve and use the world's plant genetic resources for the development and welfare of present and future generations IPGRI is committed to promoting greater...

Published in 2002, by IPGRI

Nutrition and environment

A stand alone brief on nutrition and environment designed to facilitate dialogue between nutrition and other development professionals.

Published in 2002, by Timothy Johns, Pablo B. Eyzaguirre

Protecting Health from Climate Change: Connecting Science Policy and People

A new report from WHO presents an overview of the science of the links between climate change and human health. It provides an update of the evidence on health risks caused by climate change, describes which populations are most vulnerable, and outlines the actions that will be necessary to protect health from climate change.

Published in 2009, by WHO

SCN News No 21 - Nutrition and the Environment

This issue of SCN News deals with nutrition and the environment. With two major global conferences held in the past two months on environmental concerns, as well as increased media attention to climate change and global warming, environmental pollution and safety of the food supply, we felt it appropriate to set out a series of articles on the linkages with nutrition.

Published in 2000, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 33 - Diet-related Chronic Diseases and the Double Burden of Malnutrition in West Africa

This issue of the SCN News features the papers presented at the Nutrition Forum meeting in Cape Verde. This is the results of a new collaborative arrangement between the SCN and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) of the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS). The Nutrition Forum of ECOWAS brings together the nutrition focal points of...

Published in 2006, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 34 - Working Together to End Child Hunger and Undernutrition

This SCN News features papers based on presentations made at the Symposium at the 34th SCN Session at FAO, Rome 26 February 2007. The Symposium focused on what we know in theory and what are best practices for creating increased system cohesiveness at all levels in order to accelerate progress towards ending child hunger and undernutrition.

Published in 2007, by UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

SCN News No 38: Climate Change: food and nutrition security implications

This edition of the SCN News is rightfully dedicated to climate change and its implications on food and nutrition. It is hoped to be thought provoking, showing you how climate change impacts on nutrition. The topic has been approached from very different angles: impacts on food security (in general, in the Asia-Pacific region and sub-Saharan Africa),...

Published in 2010, by SCN

Stories from the Pacific: the gendered dimensions of disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change

This publication synthesises the issues and outcomes from the Forum on the Gendered Dimensions of Disaster Risk management and Adaptation to Climate Change, held at the forum’s interactive group discussions. It provides a starting point for further discussion and exchange on these important issues.

Published in 2009, by UNDP, AusAid

The environmental food crisis – The environment’s role in averting future food crises

A new rapid response assessment report released by UNEP warns that up to 25% of the world's food production may become lost due to environmental breakdown by 2050 unless action is taken. The report provides the first summary by the UN of how climate change, water stress, invasive pests and land degradation may impact world food security, food prices and life...

Published in 2009, by Christian Nellemann, Monika MacDevette, Ton Manders, Bas Eickhout, Birger Svihus, Anne Gerdien Prins, Bjørn P. Kaltenborn

The Food & Farming Transition: Toward a Post Carbon Food System

How can we continue feeding humanity in a future of declining resources and environmental crisis? This report explores the growing vulnerabilities of the current food system, and the steps needed to transition to a post-carbon food system.

Published in 2009, by Richard Heinberg, Michael Bomford

The state of the world population 2009

How do population dynamics affect greenhouse gases and climate change? Will urbanization and an ageing population help or hinder efforts to adapt to a warming world? And could better reproductive health care and improved relations between women and men make a difference in the fight against climate change? Find the answers in the State of World Population 2009.

Published in 2009, by UNFPA

Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels

This report was produced by the Working Group on biofuels of the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Managemet. It provides an overview of the key problems and perspectives toward sustainable production and use of biofuels. It is based on an extensive literature study, taking into account recent major reviews. The focus is on so-called first...

Published in 2009, by UNEP