Wednesday, July 23, 2008
This Week's Posts
- EMPLOYMENT: Post-Doc on Spatial modeling of human-environment interactions
- EMPLOYMENT: Director, Diversification and Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems (ICARDA)
- EMPLOYMENT: Executive Secretary (GWP)
- FELLOWSHIP: Sustainable Development Governance Programme
- CALL FOR PRE-PROPOSALS: Africa Small Grants Program
- EVENT: ClimAdapt - innovative responses in sustainable agriculture
- PUBLICATION: Facilitating pro-poor market chain innovation
- PUBLICATIONS: Forest tenure and the role of rights recognition
- PUBLICATION: Giving Priority to the Commons: the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
- PUBLICATION: From poverty to Power
- ONLINE RESOURCE: Farmers' Rights
- ONLINE RESOURCE: Culturallandscapes.ca
EMPLOYMENT: Post-Doc on Spatial modeling of human-environment interactions
http://www.iamo.de/iamo/institut/stellenangebote/?L=#c1315
PostDoc at Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO), Halle, Germany, for a period of up to three years to work on coupled human-environment systems in rural China in the framework of an international research group at IAMO.
The post is associated with the IAMO International Research Group "Economic dynamics and social equilibrium in rural China", which aims at a comprehensive and coordinated analysis of the dynamics of agricultural development, and socio-economic and ecological processes in China’s rural areas to overcome main development deficits.
Deadline: until filled, [more]
EMPLOYMENT: Director, Diversification and Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems (ICARDA)
http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/Jobs/2008/08-07-09_08-08-09_DirectorDSIPSP_Re-Ad.htm
The Director leads the ICARDA program which focuses on enhancing income generating options for the rural poor from crops and livestock, especially small ruminants, by improving and diversifying current agricultural production systems, sustaining the resource production base (e.g. conservation agriculture), increasing and diversifying outputs, improving the safety, quality and marketability of produce, and adding value through agri-processing of primary products. It aims to contribute to the development in rural areas of productive and sustainable systems that enhance nutrition and livelihoods, generate opportunities for rural agri-business development and increased employment, and conserve the resource base.
Application Deadline 9 August 2008. [more]
EMPLOYMENT: Executive Secretary (GWP)
http://www.gwpforum.org/servlet/PSP?iNodeID=205&itemId=379
Global Water Partnership (GWP) is seeking an Executive Secretary. Based in Stockholm, the Executive Secretary will be a charismatic and strategic leader who can take the organization forward into its next strategy period with a focus on the contribution of water to social and economic development and with attention to climate change adaptation in our changing world. The Executive Secretary should have at least 10 years of experience in management at senior level including working experience with major aid agencies/organizations and/or other international organizations.
The closing date for applications is 10 August 2008. [more]
FELLOWSHIP: Sustainable Development Governance Programme
http://www.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/Programme%20Associate_SDG.pdf
The UNU-IAS, one of the premier research and training centres of the United Nations University located in Yokohama, Japan, was officially inaugurated in April 1996. The Institute is recruiting a Junior Professional Fellow for the Sustainable Development Governance programme with superior academic achievement, excellent analytical, research, organisational and writing skills.
Junior Professional Fellowships of one year with the possibility of extension of one further year are offered to young scholars, recent graduates and budding professionals who are motivated by a desire to contribute to, or gain experience in a UN organisation or international academic institution.
Deadline is 1 August 2008. [more]
CALL FOR PRE-PROPOSALS: Africa Small Grants Program
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/272001
The global change organisation SysTem for Analysis, Research, and Training (START) is calling for pre-proposals for grants in support of one year of research related to global environmental change in Africa. START seeks pre-proposals from African scientists for one-year projects.
The pre-proposal must provide specific information on how the proposed research will contribute to:
- Improving knowledge of the Earth’s changing climate and environment, including its natural variability, and/or how the research will improve understanding of the causes of observed variability and change.
- Improving quantification of the driving forces of changes in the Earth’s climate and systems.
- Reducing uncertainty in projections of how the Earth’s climate and related systems may change in the future.
- Understanding the sensitivity and adaptability of different natural and managed ecosystems and human systems to climate and related global changes.
- Assessing impacts, adaptation, and risk management strategies related to climate variability and change.
The deadline for application is August 15 2008. [more]
EVENT: ClimAdapt - innovative responses in sustainable agriculture
ClimAdapt: innovative responses in sustainable agriculture - an Open-Space event for stakeholders in rural development will be held from 5-7 November 2008 in Bonn, Germany
ClimAdapt will provide space to explore your questions, ideas and potential solutions regarding adaptation in an environment is changing faster than ever before. The exchange will spawn new ideas, encourage entry into new territory and trigger positive action – both individually and in joint initiatives of participants.
For further information and registration, see http://www.agrecol.de/climadapt or contact climadapt@agrecol.de.
PUBLICATION: Facilitating pro-poor market chain innovation
CIP and PapaAndina just published a Working Paper entitled Facilitating pro-poor market chain innovation: An assessment of the participatory market chain approach in Uganda by Douglas Horton
You can download a copy here.
PUBLICATIONS: Forest tenure and the role of rights recognition
The Rights and Resources Initiative launched two publications looking at rights and forest resources.
- From Exclusion to Ownership? Challenges and Opportunities in Advancing Forest Tenure Reform
- Seeing People Through the Trees
The launch of these publications also got some press coverage here, here, and here.
PUBLICATION: Giving Priority to the Commons: the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Bioversity's Michael Halewood published a chapter earlier this year entitled Giving Priority to the Commons: the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
The chapter is included in The Future Control of Food: a guide to international negotiations and rules on intellectual property, biodiversity and food security. Eds. Tansey, G. and Rajotte, T. Earthscan, IDRC and QIAP. 2008. The full text of the book is available online at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-118094-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html.
PUBLICATION: From poverty to Power
Oxfam published a book entitled From Poverty to Power. In recent memory, a combination of pressure from below and enlightened leadership from above has produced some remarkable exercises in redistribution. This book explores these and other efforts to grapple with inequality and poverty in three key areas: politics, markets, and vulnerability. In each case it finds that development, and in particular efforts to tackle inequality, is best achieved through a combination of active citizens and effective states.
ONLINE RESOURCE: Farmers' Rights
The website http://www.farmersrights.org/ is about Farmers' Rights (FR) as they are addressed in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Farmers' Rights are basically about enabling farmers to continue their work as stewards and innovators of agricultural biodiversity, and about recognizing and rewarding them for their contribution to the global pool of genetic resources.
It contains information about the state of FR, a legislation database, best practices and other resources.
ONLINE RESOURCE: Culturallandscapes.ca
Culturallandscapes.ca is a website dedicated to understanding the relationship between culture and nature through the use of new digital media. The website was initiated in 2008 by the Cultural Landscape Laboratory at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba.
To find out how to become part of this initiative go to http://www.culturallandscapes.ca/.
Monday, July 21, 2008
CAPRi Working Papers on Poverty Reduction II
Here is the second batch of papers from the collaborative project on Collective Action and Property Rights for Poverty Reduction.
CAPRi Working Paper 86
Enabling Equitable Collective Action and Policy Change for Poverty Reduction and Improved Natural Resource Management in the Eastern African Highlands African Highlands Initiative by Laura German, Waga Mazengia, Wilberforce Tirwomwe, Shenkut Ayele, Joseph Tanui, Simon Nyangas, Leulseged Begashaw, Hailemichael Taye, Zenebe Admassu, Mesfin Tsegaye, Francis Alinyo, Ashenafi Mekonnen, Kassahun Aberra, Awadh Chemangeni, William Cheptegei, Tessema Tolera, Zewdie Jotte and Kiflu Bedane, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 87
The transformation of the Afar commons in Ethiopia: State coercion, diversification and property rights change among pastoralists by Bekele Hundie, and Martina Padmanabhan, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 88
Unmaking the commons: Collective action, property rights and resource appropriation among (agro-) pastoralists in eastern Ethiopia by Fekadu Beyene, and Benedikt Korf, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 89
Escaping poverty traps? Collective action and property rights in post-war rural Cambodia by Anne Weingart and Michael Kirk, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 90
Collective Action to Secure Property Rights for the Poor: A Case Study in Jambi Province, Indonesia by Heru Komarudin, Yuliana L. Siagian, and Carol J. Pierce Colfer, read the abstract
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
This Week's Posts
- EMPLOYMENT: Irrigation and Water Management Specialist (ICARDA)
- EMPLOYMENT: Global Land Tools Network
- EMPLOYMENT: Assistant Director General (ICARDA)
- EMPLOYMENT: Country Director for KickStart Mali
- CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Innovation Challenge Fund: Phase 2 Africa
- CALL FOR PAPERS: 2nd International Symposium on Food and Water Sustainability in Asia 2008
- EVENT: 2008 East and Southern Africa Katoomba Group Meeting
- IASC CONFERENCE: Creating a political voice for 'commons'
- PUBLICATION: New Agriculturist: IFPRI's call to shake-up research
- ONLINE RESOURCE: bEcon, Economics literature on genetically engineered crops
- WHAT OTHERS ARE BLOGGING: Energy and Food
EMPLOYMENT: Irrigation and Water Management Specialist (ICARDA)
http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/Jobs/2008/08-06-29_08-07-24_IrrigationWaterMngmntSpecialist.htm
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is seeking an Irrigation and Water Management Specialist to research and promote efficient, productive and sustainable use of scarce water resources in irrigated and rainfed agricultural production systems. He/she will work with a multidisciplinary research team at IWLMP and other research programs of ICARDA to develop strategies, methodologies and technologies that can be adapted and adopted by the farmers in the dry areas.
Deadline is 30 July 2008, [more]
EMPLOYMENT: Global Land Tools Network
The Global Land Tools Network is seeking candidates for the following positions.
Deadline for both is August 7, 2008, [more]
The technical expert for the land sector group will be required to support the land sector donor group of Kenya, as they work with the Government of Kenya in undertaking a wide range of activities such as the development of LIMs, pilot projects to improve the overall land system, as well as to address urban, peri-urban, rural and/or post conflict areas, contribute towards the development of land policy implementation approaches for the purpose of increasing security of tenure for the poor in Kenya, and contribute towards research, and the evaluation and documentation of large scale land tools to deliver on the land reform process in Kenya, among other duties.
The main objective of this consultancy is to develop a scoping paper on the relationship between land management approaches and the environment. The intention is to provide a broad overview on the linkages between land and environment moving from a scientific framework to a country level implementation framework and what this means in terms of urban and rural. The intention is to produce a global overview on the key environmental issues relating to land use, land management and land administration. Issues on climate change should also be included in the overview but should not dominate the entire report.
EMPLOYMENT: Assistant Director General (ICARDA)
http://www.icarda.cgiar.org/Jobs.htm
The Assistant Director General for International Cooperation and Communication (ADG-ICC) reports directly to the Director General and is responsible for strategic resource mobilization, external relations with the Center’s partners and donors, and oversight of the Center’s outreach program. He/she will also provide leadership and direction to the Center’s regional coordinators and country managers, the Resource Mobilization and Project Development Unit, the Communications and Public Awareness Unit and the Capacity Development Unit.
Deadline is 10 August 2008, [more]
EMPLOYMENT: Country Director for KickStart Mali
http://www.kickstart.org/involved/MaliCD2008.pdf
The Country Director for KickStart Mali will be responsible for managing, expanding and reporting on KickStart’s operations in Mali and Burkina Faso, and to support fundraising and donor reporting requirements as necessary. Burkina Faso is currently an extension of the Mali program. The Country Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer based in KickStart’s Africa Office in Nairobi( Kenya) All activities support the primary Kickstart mission of getting people out of poverty in Mali & Burkina Faso, by promoting the sales and usage of KickStart’s award winning MoneyMaker branded irrigation pumps.
Closing Date is 30 August 2008, [more]
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Innovation Challenge Fund: Phase 2 Africa
http://www.researchintouse.com/
The purpose of the African Innovation Challenge Fund (African ICF) is to provide financial support to teams so they can take promising research, funded by DFID, to the next stage of use. The selected initiatives will contribute to RIU’s purpose by delivering significant use of RNRRS and other natural resources research outputs for the benefit (direct or indirect) of poor men and women in different contexts.
Closing date for submission of Concept Notes is Monday, 1 September, 2008, 12 noon (GMT+1), [more]
CALL FOR PAPERS: 2nd International Symposium on Food and Water Sustainability in Asia 2008
http://www.prime-intl.co.jp/FW2008/
The purpose of this symposium is to develop an academic network in Asia to examine food and water sustainability and to link such a network with Japanese research groups. The symposium will be held in Macau, China from 6 to 8 October 2008.
Deadline for abstracts is 31 July 2008, [more]
EVENT: 2008 East and Southern Africa Katoomba Group Meeting
http://www.katoombagroup.org/event_details.php?id=18
The 2008 East and Southern Africa Katoomba Group Meeting will be held from September 16-17, 2008 in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
This meeting will offer an opportunity to explore pathways for expanding markets and payments for watershed services (PWS) as well as to start the process of developing REDD readiness strategies.
To register and for more information click here.
IASC CONFERENCE: Creating a political voice for 'commons'
Next week the 12th Biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons will be held at the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England.
One of the events that are part of the conference will be a policy forum on Advocacy for the Commons sponsored by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on Tuesday (15 July) afternoon, which CAPRi helped organize.
More information at http://iasc2008.glos.ac.uk/iasc08.html.
PUBLICATION: New Agriculturist: IFPRI's call to shake-up research
The new edition of the New Agriculturist contains an article about the International Food Policy Research Institute's April 2008 conference in Addis Ababa on promoting innovation in agriculture.
Read the full article here.
ONLINE RESOURCE: bEcon, Economics literature on genetically engineered crops
http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/becon/becon.asp
Our colleagues at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have recently compiled a web-base bibliography of peer-reviewed applied economics literature to assess the impact of genetically engineered (GE) crops in developing economies. All 190 articles currently in this database have been organized under four major themes that address the different areas of impact: advantages to farmers, consumer preferences and willingness to pay, size and distribution of benefits, and international benefits of trade.
The literature is searchable by author, year, and keywords. If permission has been granted by publishers, the references include abstracts or links to full text. Whenever available, permanent links to each article’s website is provided, as well as links to full text. As this literature is maintained on a regular basis and feed on outside contributions it will provide a valuable up-to-date tool for all researchers in the area, particularly for those in developing countries.
bEcon is updated every three months, and a CD-ROM is produced on an annual basis for those with limited or no internet access.
For more information on bEcon, click here.
WHAT OTHERS ARE BLOGGING: Energy and Food
Agriculture and energy in Africa
Having just returned from Senegal, I want to share my thoughts with you on an issue that became strikingly clear to me: the favorable perspectives shaping up for Africa’s agriculture and their complex implications for future energy choices. [...]
Read the full post at Ideas4Development.
Bad Juice: World Bank Blames Biofuels for High Food Prices
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the cornfield, it turns out biofuels are the overwhelming reason food prices around the world have shot up in recent years—not the minor factor in food prices that other recent analyses have found. [...]
Read the full post at the WSJ Environmental Capital blog.
Biofuel Crop Expansion Will Destroy Important Kenyan Coastal Wetland
A recently approved plan by the Kenyan government to expand sugarcane cultivation for biofuels in the Tana River Delta will devastate this important coastal wetland, according to The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The plan calls for more than 80 square miles of wetland to be destroyed and replaced with sugarcane plantations. [...]
Read the full post at Treehugger.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
CAPRi Working Papers on Poverty Reduction
We just published the first set of papers from our collaborative project on Collective Action and Property Rights for Poverty Reduction.
CAPRi Working Paper 81
Property Rights, Collective Action, and Poverty: The Role of Institutions for Poverty Reduction by Monica Di Gregorio, Konrad Hagedorn, Michael Kirk, Benedikt Korf, Nancy McCarthy, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, and Brent Swallow, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 82
Collective action and property rights for poverty reduction: A review of methods and approaches by Esther Mwangi and Helen Markelova, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 83
Collective Action and Vulnerability: Burial Societies in Rural Ethiopia by Stefan Dercon, John Hoddinott, Pramila Krishnan, and Tassew Woldehannnam, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 84
Shocks, Groups, and Networks in Bukidnon, Philippines by Agnes R. Quisumbing, Scott McNiven, and Marie Godquin, read the abstract
CAPRi Working Paper 85
Community Watershed Management in Semi-Arid India: The State of Collective Action and its Effects on Natural Resources and Rural Livelihoods by Bekele Shiferaw, Tewodros Kebede, and V. Ratna Reddy, read the abstract
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