CONTENTS: Introduction; Emphasizing agriculture in economic development -- is it a risky business? / John W.

"The civil war in Sierra Leone, caused by a mix of political, social, and economic factors, had a huge impact on the overall economy in general and on the performance of the agricultural sector in particular. The agricultural research system of Sierra Leone was severely affected by the civil war. Research infrastructure was destroyed, laboratories were damaged and abandoned, and well-trained researchers and scientists fled from the country.

The major objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the institutional environment of microfinance and access of rural women to microfinance. Focus group sessions were held with groups of rural women who are clients of formal and informal Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Esan Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The two formal institutions were the Ekpoma branch of Lift Above Poverty Organization Microfinance Bank and the Ujoelen Microfinance Bank. Fifteen case studies with fourteen women and one man were also examined.

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Commentary: Agriculture Can Give a Helping Hand to Cities; Roundtable Workshop Marks Beginning of Urban Food and Nutrition Study in Ghana; Research in North Africa and West Asia to Benefit Farmers on Fragile Lands; Ecoregional Mapping Helps Pinpoint Areas Prone to Malnutrition; Why Are Diets Changing in Asia?; New Booklet Spreads the 2020 Vision to Broader Audiences; Policies Aim to Avoid Conflict Over Dwindling Natural Resources; 2020 Vision Resources Catalog Now Available; Disease and Food Security: Two New Perspectives; Indicators of Performance Quality Applied to Indian Irrigation Syste

Agriculture is vital to livelihoods in West Africa. It is the main source of employment for the 290 million people who live in the region, employing 60 percent of the workforce, and accounts for 35 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP). This crucial economic activity is endangered by climate change. How to foster agricultural development and food security in West Africa despite the effects of climate change and other challenges is the subject of the study West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis.

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The need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has raised the profile of social sector investments in Africa and other developing countries. As a result, many African countries are pressured to emphasize short-term concerns related to the symptoms of poverty at the expense of the longer-term needs to raise productivity and incomes, and thereby tackle the real roots of poverty.

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