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WYG and Natural Resources Institute (NRI) are pleased to launch the call for concept notes for the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Research and Learning Programme in sub-Saharan Africa (SAIRLA) research opportunity. SAIRLA is a five-year programme, from 2015 to 2020, which will commission research and facilitate learning to understand different ways of achieving Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) and their developmental implications. Its key focus is on assessing how SAI can be promoted in ways that enable women and poorer smallholders in Africa to participate in and benefit from agricultural development through SAI approaches. SAIRLA's research projects will generate new evidence and decision-making support tools to help decision makers create an enabling environment for poorer smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, to engage in Sustainable Agricultural Intensification.

"[LONDON] Smallholder farmers in Africa must participate in research to ensure higher crop yields and to fend off hunger as the continent's population grows, according to a report published today (18 April). A combination of traditional knowledge and modern science will be key to achieving higher productivity at lower ecological cost - known as 'sustainable intensification' - the report says. 'Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture' was written by the Montpellier Panel, a group of international experts from the fields of agriculture, sustainable development, trade, policy and global development. "

"(20/05/2014) This year's European Maritime Day Conference held over the 19 & 20 May in Bremen, saw industry experts and policy makers from across Europe come together to discuss how innovation and research in the maritime economy can drive a European growth and jobs recovery whilst securing a sustainable future for Europe's seas. The main conclusions drawn by participants included: There is a vast potential for jobs and sustainable growth in the maritime economy. To exploit it we need to invest more in knowledge and innovation and focus on placing sustainability at the heart of Blue Growth. The issues related to seas and oceans can only be addressed at international level - more global governance is of paramount importance. The EU's Maritime Spatial Planning and Maritime Security Strategy are good examples of what can be achieved. Next year's European Maritime Day will be held by Piraeus, Greece, in May 2015."

Livelihoods Venture, an investment fund financing innovative social projects, is looking for a passionate and motivated project manager in charge of rural development around the world. Livelihoods is convinced of the necessity to invent a new model that would allow companies to have a hands-on approach to sustainability. One of its main objectives is to set-up and strengthen sustainable supply and value chains. The funds are used to promote projects maximizing both the social and environmental impacts on local communities.

"The 1st Regional Conference 'Sustainable Fisheries in the South-Western Indian Ocean: the importance of the Education, Management and Governance' took place in Mahajanga (Madascar) on the 10th and 11th of September and it helped to be a meeting point for academics, researchers, managers and civil society in general. During two days the discussions were focused on the importance of the fisheries resources as a source of food and wealth for the region; the different problems that challenges its sustainability like overfishing, destructive fishing practices and habitat destruction; and the need for a good management system that ensures sustainability."

The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute, is excited to announce an interdisciplinary executive-level training course on sustainable investments in agriculture, designed primarily for public sector officials and civil society representatives from developing countries, wh

Food systems are often focused on maximizing profits rather than generating income on a sustainable basis for smallholder farmers. But in the context of rapid urbanization throughout the developing world, ensuring sustainable rural transformation and building vibrant rural communities is essential to global food security. Transformation of rural areas and sustainable smallholder agriculture involves creating viable market linkages between small farmers and consumers. This third session of AgTalks brings together experts to address various approaches to building these linkages and helping small farmers succeed. Speakers: Gabriela Soto Muñoz, Maximo Torero, Beatrice Makwenda and Kari Huhtala Date: 1 April 2015 Time: 2:30-5 p.m.

"02 February 2016, Johannesburg - Agro-industry development plays a pivotal role in improving people's lives and can be a major contributor towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG2 (ending hunger and achieve food security), and SDG 8 (promoting economic sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth and employment). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) recently organized a training workshop on Developing and Implementing Agro-Industrial Strategies targeting SADC countries (2- 4 February 2016)."

"The 5th AESOP Conference on Sustainable Food Planning will be held in Montpellier, France, on October 28-29, 2013. This conference will focus on Innovations in urban food systems, with specific sessions on flows, land and governance. Building upon the first four Conferences of the AESOP thematic group Sustainable Food Planning in Almere (2009), Brighton (2010), Cardiff (2011) and Berlin (2012), this conference will promote discussions between researchers and practitioners from across disciplines, approaches, and national provenances in the global North and the global South"

ESKO FLAG covers the coastal region of the Gulf of Finland. This is an area with a long tradition of professional small-scale coastal fishing, though the number of registered full-time fishermen has been steadily declining over the past 25 years and it is increasingly difficult to get new and younger people to continue this traditional activity. In recent years, questions have been raised about the sustainability of fishing activities in this area. Notably, WWF Finland publishes a yearly consumer guide, which classifies the main types of fish caught in this area, especially salmon and whitefish, as endangered, threatened or protected species, and recommends consumers not to buy them. To compound the problem, there are also some conflicts between fishing professionals, recreational fishing and fishing tourism concerning the exploitation of fish stocks in the area.

"After Brussels 2008, Rome 2009, Gijon 2010, Gdansk 2011, and Gothenburg 2012, the 2013 European Maritime Day will be held in Malta. The European Maritime Day conference in Malta shall be held on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd of May 2013 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, the capital. The main theme of the European Maritime Day 2013 Conference will focus on coastal development and sustainable maritime tourism in the wider context of Blue Growth. It will be an occasion to reflect, at high level, on how to make Blue Growth happen through sustainable tourism, connectivity and coastal management. A special focus will be made on the Mediterranean Region."

"The successful implementation of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in Sub-Saharan Africa is linked to improvements in women's education, according to a study. SAPs are often touted as a solution to land degradation, low agricultural productivity and widespread poverty in the region."

Increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries and promoting youth employment and entrepreneurship are important recommendations of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play an important role. Young entrepreneurs using ICT innovations are particularly suited to contribute to increased agricultural productivity and sustainability given their inventiveness, energy and capacity to take risks.

"New York, 20 Dec 2013. SDSN brief cover The Solutions Network proposes goals, targets and indicators for sustainable agriculture and gives recommendations on indicator design for the SDGs."

With three-quarters of all stocks being overfished, there is a general consensus that there is a need to reform the European Union's (EU) fisheries policy. Over the past two years the European Commission (EC) has outlined far-reaching policy proposals which hope to achieve long-term sustainability of fishing stock within Europe. Part of the proposals include the introduction of the "European Maritime and Fisheries Fund" (EMFF). The policy, which complements the EC's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), seeks to introduce a new fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for the period 2014-2014 and aims to deliver growth, jobs and sustainable fisheries ring fencing €6.5 billion for the financial period.

L'International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), groupe d'experts internationaux soutenu par la Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso, créé en mai 2014 et présidé par Olivier De Schutter et Olivia Yambi, a rendu public en mai son premier rapport The new science of sustainable food systems - Overcoming barriers to food systems reform. Pour ces experts, faire évoluer les systèmes alimentaires vers davantage de durabilité nécessite de développer de nouveaux paradigmes scientifiques et de produire une image cohérente de ces systèmes et de leur économie politique.

"Youth in Rural Advisory Services are crucial to develop and sustain effective, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable RAS systems. But youth in RAS is a complex issue, with many challenges - and opportunities - faced on different levels by many actors. "

Sent: 2014-05-20 13:49 #1 Subject: Successful initiatives to curb youth unemployment in Africa From: UNESCO-UNEVOC [unevoc@unesco.org] Dear e-Forum members, We are happy to share with you four videos - published by the UNESCO Office in Dakar - that showcase successful initiatives of technical and vocational training projects that give youth a better chance to find decent work. The videos focus on innovative projects in Benin, Nigeria and Senegal, which have proven effective in providing youth with skills and competences in demand. The series of the videos present: The Songhai Centre in Benin is a sustainable micro-enterprise that trains young Africans. It is considered a best practice model for rural development, sustainable development, employment and training for young people, and the self-financing of business creation. http://youtu.be/Z4K68WYtqXg The recognition of skills acquired in informal training in Senegal is an initiative that cater for the numerous young people who are being trained in the informal sector, such as car mechanics, tailors etc. The aim of the initiative is to put in place structures that allow for this training to be recognized at the same level as formal training. http://youtu.be/6RBSh5HtJgk Auchi Polytechnic in Nigeria is an Institute that facilitates the integration into the formal sector of some 30,000 graduates every year. Some years ago, a CEDAP village, which is center for entrepreneurship development, was created within the Polytechnic. Students are equipped with necessary skills in areas such as fish farming, carpentry, making of soap, shoes and pottery. http://youtu.be/NkievLtALug Sectoral centres in Senegal: public and private partnership are the result of a public/private partnership, which has proven efficient to provide training based a competency-based approach.It's currently present in three different areas. http://youtu.be/Hm_sD_-2pZw Best regards, UNESCO-UNEVOC

Le présent document est une adaptation du manuel AISHE (Auditing Instrument for Sustainability in Higher Education, DHO 2001). Il comprend une description du concept AIFSHE et présente les 20 critères du processus d'évaluation de l'AIFSHE.

The Agropolis Foundation in France engages in research on food and crop systems in the world's North and South. The present call for proposals will fund training and higher education in the theme "agronomy for sustainable development." The lead proponent should be from a research unit belonging to the Foundation's scientific network (Labex Agro).