The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture is FAO's first flagship publication on the global status of land and water resources. It is an 'advocacy' report, to be published every three to five years, and targeted at senior level decision makers in agriculture as well as in other sectors. SOLAW is aimed at sensitizing its target audience on the status of land resources at global and regional levels and FAO's viewpoint on appropriate recommendations for policy formulation. SOLAW focuses on these key dimensions of analysis: (i) quantity, quality of land and water resources, (ii) the rate of use and sustainable management of these resources in the context of relevant socio-economic driving factors and concerns, including food security and poverty, and climate change. This is the first time that a global, baseline status report on land and water resources has been made. It is based on several global spatial databases (e.g. land suitability for agriculture, land use and management, land and water degradation and depletion) for which FAO is the world-recognized data source. Topical and emerging issues on land and water are dealt with in an integrated rather than sectoral manner. The implications of the status and trends are used to advocate remedial interventions which are tailored to major farming systems within different geographic regions.

Environment and Development in Africa is a two-part book that first attempts to weave together a set of forecasts as realistically as possible and in a certain sense constitutes the scheme of future trends in the environment and development in Africa. The second part investigates three kinds of "eventualities." Scenario 1 looks at dependent growth and environmental misuse. The second scenario is based on the hypothesis that Africa will have greater autonomy in growth or development. This situation will afford greater room for maneuver within which environmental considerations may find their place.

Abstract: Of the 94 developing nations, 24 are categorized as rapid-growth, where food production expanded faster than population. In a study of 16 rapid-growth countries, wide variation was evident in sources of growth, patterns of growth, patterns of agricultural and economic development, geography, demography, and income level. Population growth and income are significant in raising demand for a wide variety of staple foods, resulting in increased production and importation. Main crops varied by region: maize in South America, wheat in the Middle East, and rice in Asia. Production increase is based on area expansion and output per hectare, and reflects changing crop patterns as well as new technology in fertilization and irrigation. Approaches to increasing the world food supply must take into account physical and economic conditions and potential problems, such as soil management.

Four other themes will addressed: politics, economics, the environment and the history of land investments in sub-Saharan Africa.