Rural 21 (Englische Ausgabe)

Focus 1/2015: Hopes pinned on SDGs
When the international community of states adopts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in New York in September 2015, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will once and for all be a thing of the past. Although it cannot be denied that the MDGs have been successful – absolute poverty has been halved since 1990, and 90 per cent of children in developing countries are today completing primary education – the positive results should not distract attention away from the weaknesses. The MDGs have neglected one important factor in poverty reduction, that of empowering people, as they have the specific conditions in conflict-affected countries and the aspect of environmental sustainability. In addition, they have continued the traditional paternalist aid relations between the Global North and the Global South instead of abandoning them. Therefore – and also because power relations in the world have shifted immensely since the MDGs were adopted – countries agreed to replace the MDGs by a new set of goals. In this edition, our authors explain the essence of these Sustainable Development Goals, what is expected of them and, above all, what is needed for their ambitious agenda to be implemented. After all, the latest proposal has 17 goals and 169 targets … Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 4/2014: Livestock
The livestock sector creates livelihoods for an estimated one billion people world-wide. Not only is the consumption of milk, meat and eggs an important source of protein and micronutrients and hence a crucial pillar of food security for the rural poor in particular. For many people, the sale of animal products is the most important, if not the only, source of income. In addition, the animals are a significant multifunctional asset. They provide dung, raising soil fertility, they are simultaneously beasts of burden and tractors, and they represent “hoofed insurance”, not to mention the social prestige that they endow their owners with in several societies. In spite of its important role, animal production has been an unfavourable topic in the development debate – mainly because of its environmental impact. After all, animals account for two thirds of all climate gas emissions from agriculture; water pollution and loss of biodiversity are attributed to animal husbandry as are the transmission of animal-borne diseases to humans and unhealthy food, not to mention competition with other areas of food production. With this edition of Rural 21, we want to take a look at the current state of debate. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 3/2014: Bioeconomy
Bicycle frames made of bamboo, kerosene made from algae, trainer soles out of rice husks – there seem to be an infinite number of ideas when it comes to replacing fossil, finite raw materials with renewable, seemingly infinite resources. The proponents of the economic approach summarised as the bioeconomy are not only focusing on using renewable raw materials. Rather, they regard their concept of “biologising the economy” as an opportunity to redesign the global system of production and consumption in a manner guaranteeing a secure sustainable base in every respect. This would be a gain for all – human beings and the environment, business and consumers, North and South. It indeed seems an ambitious project. This edition takes a look at whether the promises made in the context of the bioeconomy really can be kept and, above all, what conditions then have to be fulfilled. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 1/2014: Spreading know-how
Over the last few decades, the range of agricultural extension and advisory services as well as the notions of which tools and methods are most suitable have seen fundamental changes. The concept of rural advising has long shifted from a linear transfer of technology to a pluralistic system of networks and innovations that brings the various stakeholders together and creates scope for mutual learning and exchange. More and more often, attempts are being made to move from the usual top-down transfer towards a demand-driven approach that actively involves farmers in the whole process – from prioritising and generating extension content to monitoring and evaluating the services. Regardless of the method or tool applied, it is ultimately always up to the farmers to make what they think is the right decision – and to hold responsibility for this decision. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 4/2013: Agricultural policies – finding the right approach
The development of rural areas calls for a holistic policy approach. Social and environmental policy, economic and trade policy and food and agricultural policy need to be cleverly combined in order to boost the rural economy without overexploiting natural resources, and if this is to succeed in the long term, to combat hunger and poverty. In this edition, with a view to agriculture as a driving force of rural development, we have chosen to focus on a sub-aspect of this policy mix: agricultural policy. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 3/2013: Soil – a resource under threa
Over the last few years, the increased rush on farmland has demonstrated just how precious and scarce soil is. However, seldom are public awareness and the need for action so far apart as is the case with “soil”. The authors of this edition of Rural 21 first of all demonstrate the wide range of ecosystem services that the essential and finite resource of soil performs and show the dramatic effects that poor governance of transformation of soils has – in all areas of human life. The second part then takes up sustainable land management practice. Finally in the third part we look at the political level. There con tinues to be a lack of an international and legally binding policy framework for the regulation of soil protection. Why are the inter- national community as well as individual countries so reluctant to reach such an agreement, as called for at the Rio+20 Conference last year? Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 1/2013: Food losses
Roughly one third of the food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted – 1.3 billion tons per year. Even if these estimates are subject to numerous uncertainties, one thing is beyond doubt: every kilogramme of food that is produced but not consumed is one too many. For it embodies valuable, wasted resources such as land, water, agricultural inputs and energy, unnecessary CO2 emissions have been released into the atmosphere, farmers have lost not only income but also a valuable part of their nutrition, and consumers pay the increased prices that result. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 4/2012: Responsible investments in the food chain
Since the 2007/2008 world food price crisis at the latest, the international community has tirelessly reiterated the key role played by the agricultural sector and rural areas in efforts to combat hunger and poverty. The many years of neglect of the sector in international cooperation – and in many of the policies adopted by the affected countries themselves – is now to be remedied as quickly as possible. Large sums have been pledged and, in the best case, have been deployed. But will those for whom they are intended, namely the smallholders and rural poor, profit from all this investment? What shape must investments take in order that they really reach the target group? And which – desired and undesired – side effects are to be expected? Our authors have explored all these questions and more. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 3/2012: Organic farming
Is organic agriculture, which does not seek output maximisation, able to feed a growing world population, or will it always remain a fine but small niche? Can smallholders in the South achieve stable incomes by converting to organic production? Or is it possibly even grossly negligent to entice them to join the markets – doubtlessly expanding – for organic food as they may never actually be able to enter them due to the high quality standards and entry costs? While our authors do not have simple answers to these questions, they are very instructive. Erfahren Sie mehr

Focus 2/2012: Cooperatives
The cooperative model has been sidelined for many years now in development cooperation – for various reasons: On the one hand, cooperatives have been completely overestimated as an instrument and were expected to solve a whole bunch of problems at one stroke. On the other hand, they were long misused for state purposes and therefore regarded with mistrust. The fact that the United Nations has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives is a good opportunity to take a closer look at this special form of enterprise. In this issue of Rural 21, we wish to give you an idea of the range of manifestations that the cooperative model has taken worldwide and of the role cooperatives can play in overcoming rural poverty. Erfahren Sie mehr