With the purpose of bringing new ideas to bear on the subject of institutional support to forest policy implementation, a Consultation sponsored by FAO and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 2 to 11 February 1983. Twenty-nine participants attended In their individual capacities, drawn from 24 countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America and from a very wide spectrum of disciplines. This issue of Unasylva presents a selection of the papers discussed at the Consultation.

Documento de trabajo sobre la tenencia de la tierra 15. Esta publicación presenta los vínculos que existen entre la tenencia de la tierra y la realización del derecho a la alimentación. Plantea que una gobernanza responsable de la tierra requiere un enfoque basado en los derechos humanos con el fin de implementar soluciones globales que resulten coherentes y efectivas a largo plazo.

The report deals with land tenure issues in Lebanon and analyzes major problems facing sustainable agriculture in view of natural setting, prevailing practices and existing legislation. Lebanon consists mainly of rugged mountainous regions with slopping and steep lands. The population of Lebanon in 2007 was 4 million with 407,362 residing in Beirut, the administrative capital of Lebanon. One of the main problems in land tenure and land management issues is the cadastre where a significant part of Lebanon is still outside the cadastre (North Bekaa, East Mountains).

Aujourd'hui, prs de 30 ans aprs la publication de The tragedy, of the commons, l'exprience ngative de l'expropriation des ressources communautaires qu'ont faite les gouvernements a entran un rexamen du potentiel de la gestion collective; et la base de donnes sur les tentatives pratiques de rtablir ou de renforcer les systmes de gestion des ressources communautaires ne cesse d'augmenter. Le prsent numro d'Unasyva est ax sur ces deux aspects relatifs aux ressources forestires.

Shifting cultivation, under its diverse forms of slash and burn system, is a traditional method of cultivating tropical upland soils, mostly for subsistence purposes. This traditional system of cultivation is in ecological balance with the environment and does not irreversibly degrade the soil resource, provided a sufficient length of fallow is allowed for soil restoration. However, increasing population pressures necessitate more intensive use of land. The consequence is extended cropping periods and shortened fallows.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and other development partners are working together with countries to prepare Voluntary Guidelines that will provide practical guidance to states, civil society, the private sector, donors and development specialists on the responsible governance of tenure. By setting out principles and internationally accepted standards for responsible practices, the Voluntary Guidelines will provide a framework and point of reference that stakeholders can use when developing their own policies and actions.

Document de travail sur les régimes fonciers 18. Présente les principaux thèmes qui caractérisent la gouvernance des régimes fonciers et analyse les questions liées à l’évolution des problématiques de politique agricole dans les différents pays d’Amérique Centrale. Il propose également quelques exemples ainsi que des leçons apprises des nouveaux modèles de gestion des terres et des mécanismes d’accès à la terre que les gouvernements d’Amérique Centrale et la Coopération Internationale ont appuyé au cours des quinze dernières années dans la Région. Disponible en espagnol

Aumentar el acceso de las mujeres a la tierra es crucial para combatir el hambre y la pobreza. Sin embargo, las disparidades de género en el acceso a la tierra siguen siendo notables en muchos países, con independencia de su nivel de desarrollo. La nueva base de datos de la FAO ayudará a comprender los factores que impiden que las mujeres tengan acceso a la tierra, con lo que permitirá asimismo diseñar políticas mejores para afrontar esta situación de manera eficaz.

The FAO Statistical Yearbook 2012: Africa Food and Agriculture, disseminates statistical information that will help all stakeholders to access, easily and quickly, a set of statistics on food and agriculture related to the current themes and domains of interest in the region. The document provides users in Africa and abroad with statistics and reliable indicators on food and agriculture that can be used for policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation.