Centre for International Environment and Development Studies

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Countries with Noragric activities

Perspectives from the Board ...3

Message from the outgoing Director ...4

Message from the new Director ...5

Noragric’s professional challenge ...5

Programmes, Projects and Assignments... 7

Masters’ Theses ...15

Institutional Cooperation ...17

Education ...19

Information Dissemination ...22

Financial Overview ...23

Publications ...24

Who’s Who at Noragric ...29

Acronyms ...31

Photo credits: T.A. Benjaminsen (pp. 1, 7, 12, 16), I. Bryceson (p. 1), I. Jørgensen (p. 16), S. Movik (p. 24), NLH (pp. 22, 32). G. Oba (p. 11), G. Synnevåg (p. 18), J. Teurlings (pp. 1, 21), M. Vegara (p. 29).

Editor: Joanna Boddens-Hosang Layout: Spekter Reklamebyrå as, Ås Printer: Østfold Trykkeri as

Established in 1986, Noragric is the Agricultural University of Norway’s (NLH) Centre for International Environment and Development Studies. It brings together research, education and assignments with a focus on developing countries and countries with economies in transition (mainly Eastern European countries). In addition to having its own academic profile, Noragric acts on behalf of NLH and the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine (NVH) and encourages cooperation with associated institutions.

Noragric’s objective is to:

Promote equitable development and community empowerment in low-income countries and countries with an economy in transition, through generating and disseminating knowledge in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food security, natural resources manage- ment and environmental policy.

Noragric is central in realising the NLH/NVH strategic objectives of international cooperation. This includes making NLH and NVH competence available for Norwegian development cooperation and for international institutions. Based on over 30 years of collaboration between NLH and academic and professional institutions in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, Noragric has established a broad network of worldwide contacts.

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The year 2001 marked a few changes: a change of director after six years, some internal organisational changes especially in relation to the University, and the closing of the Board at the end of the year.

Throughout 2001 there were quite some outputs within all fields of activities - education, research and assignments. The MNRSA programme linkages with Nepal and Uganda were strengthened as contracts were signed with Tribhuvan Univer- sity and Makerere University respectively as part of the region- alisation process. These contracts emphasise the possibilities for capacity building and further collaboration with both Nor- agric and with NLH. The aim is to enhance the flexibility of education by adapting the MNRSA programme to local and regional needs and by involving these institutions in the programme. Students will be able to do an extended part of their studies regionally. In addition, NLH approved a new MSc programme in Development Studies that is set to start in the autumn of 2002.

For Noragric’s researchers 2001 has been a busy year. A record number of publications was produced; the average number of titles per scientific staff member was the highest of all NLH departments when calculating the ratio staff/

publications. The progress in the field of research can perhaps also be explained by the increase of research grants through NFR, and all the efforts taken to enhance the internal capacity of PhD related education. At the end of the year the PhD programme included 12 students, half of which came from partner universities in the South.

The portfolio of assignments was extensive. Noragric has a long and continuous record of institution building projects which are often based on long-term contracts with institutions of higher education. But there is also collaboration with other kinds of institutions, including planning and development agencies. Internationalisation through different kinds of collaborating activities is highly prioritised by NLH following a white paper of the Parliament indicating the need for internationalis-

ing Norwegian higher education. In this regard Noragric plays a key role for NLH and NVH when it comes to international activities. This has also led to the efforts initiated in the second half of the year to strengthen collaboration with the so-called NARI institutes in Ås.

Noragric and the Board bade farewell to the director of six years, Thor Larsen, who stepped down on August 1^st. Thor has been a brilliant ambassador not only for Noragric but for the whole of NLH. He has played a significant role in bringing Noragric to what it is today: a renowned academic and highly professional centre of international standing. The Board has appreciated collaborating with Thor and sincerely thank him for his full dedication and commitment he has given to Norag- ric over the years. We wish him all the best in the future.

Looking back over the past three years as Chairman of the Board, a lot of progress has been made in many areas.

Three years ago, Noragric raised some NOK 36 million per year through external contracts. By 2001, that amount had increased to NOK 45 million of which some NOK 11 million went to NLH/NVH departments and external institutes. And academically, Noragric’s research and education programmes have made tremendous progress. The PhD programme today is a solid programme that has seen an increase in funding and in women PhD-holders over the years. Also, mostly due to the managerial insight of the outgoing director, Noragric went through an organisational modernisation process establishing middle leaders with clear roles and responsibilities.

And finally I must thank my fellow Board members for their input and support during their appointed terms. Now that the Board’s mandate is over, we can look back at a productive three years in which we have contributed to Noragric’s overall improved situation. I wish you, and the Noragric staff, well.

August E. Røsnes Chairman

Countries with Noragric activities

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Another good and fruitful year is behind us and we at Nor- agric have every reason to be satisfied with our achievements. We are firmly established as a multi-disciplinary centre at the Agricultural University, and we are widely recognized in Norway and abroad, largely due to our professional staff that has much experience in science, education and development.

To highlight a few events from the first half of the year, in March, NORAD invited Noragric/NLH to host a conference on the importance of agriculture, food security and management of natural resources in development cooperation. The conference was well attended by people from the University and other institutions at Ås, from NORAD and the Ministry of For- eign Affairs (MFA), and many others. We truly appreciated this opportunity to address and focus upon this important topic.

Prior to the conference, Noragric published the booklet Suc- cesses in Rural Development, edited by Ruth Haug and Josie Teurlings, containing examples from many countries that had proved to be successful over time and have provided important ”lessons learned”. I also want to mention another book published by Noragric’s Tor Arve Benjaminsen, together with Christian Lund, titled Politics, property and production: Under- standing natural resources management in the West African Sahel. I am convinced that these two books, plus very many other publications by Noragric’s staff, contribute to a better understanding of the socio-economic and ecological importance of these issues, and ultimately leads to more support to agricultural and development projects.

In late March, I represented Noragric at a conference in South Africa, hosted by the Norwegian Embassy and South Africa’s Department of Education, in cooperation with Nor- way’s Research Council and its sister-organisation in South Africa, the National Research Foundation (NRF). The outcome of this conference, which was attended by Norwegian universities and research institutions and by several South African universities and Government agencies, provides new funding and challenging research opportunities for Noragric and NLH’s departments. I also visited the University of Fort Hare, which has been an NLH partner for a very long time, and discussed new opportunities such as joint research, teach- ing and student supervision. Fort Hare’s Vice Chancellor and senior staff paid a return visit to Norway in August, which

allowed for detailed discussions with departments and institutes and for field visits.

Because Noragric is a catalyst for international cooperation at NLH, we appreciated that the University’s Managing Director Einar Eriksen was able to find time to travel with me to Vietnam and Lao PDR in June, when we explored interests for cooperation on a possible GEF-funded project on agro-biodiversity in the region. Our small delegation was very well received by our many partners in the two countries, including UNDP and the World Bank.

The Norwegian Peace Corps (Fredskorpset) was reorgan- ised in 2000 and is now established as an independent institution with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

They now focus in particular on South-South-North cooperation and target young dedicated people who ”learn by doing”

by participating in an exchange programme whereby they work under different political and administrative regimes, in the field and at institutions. Noragric has entered into a partnership with the ”Fredskorps” together with the Development Fund and the Norwegian small farmers association, as well as 6 partners in Namibia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and Honduras.

Two years ago, Noragric was invited to join in a triangular cooperation together with EARTH University in Costa Rica and the Salzburg Seminar in Austria. The joint project, which is called ”Sustainability, Education and the Management of Change in the Tropics”, targets agricultural institutions of higher learning in Central and Latin America, in Africa and in Asia (see: www.changetropics.org). Noragric hosted the midterm planning meeting in Norway in June 2001. Regional con- ferences will be held in Africa and in Asia in 2002, and we will then host the final seminar in Norway in September 2003. This will be a challenge indeed!

When I took over as Noragric’s Director in 1995, I made it clear that I would not serve in that position longer than five to six years. During 2001, NLH’s administration and the Univer- sity’s Board agreed to this, and I was allowed to step down in August. I am very happy that Dr. Ruth Haug takes over as Noragric’s Director, and I am convinced that she, with her wide professional background and long international experience, will maintain and improve our centre’s roles and status.

Thor S. Larsen

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With much anticipation, I took over as Noragric’s new director on November 1^st, 2001. During the last decade, Noragric has evolved into a highly recognised and successful academic competence centre in the field of international environment and development studies. And there are new challenges ahead.

With the World Summit on Sustainable Development coming up in Johannesburg in September 2002 (”Rio + 10”), international environment and development studies will be in focus for the year to come. One central concern in recent environment and development discourse has been the nature of the relationship between poverty and the environment. The ortho- dox view has been that poor people degrade their environment to survive. However, several studies have showed that the rich, and processes linked to modernisation, are just as frequent contributors to environmental degradation. Poverty and the environment are closely linked albeit in different ways than what was conceived in Rio ten years ago. The relationship between poverty and the environment can be illus- trated in terms of three vitally important dimensions of poverty and well-being: livelihoods, health, and vulnerability. First, the poor are strongly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods as well as the quality of the natural resource base.

Second, the contribution of environmental health risk to the total burden of diseases is 10 times larger in poor countries than in rich countries; environmental health risks include lack of safe water, inadequate sanitation and vector-borne diseases such as malaria. Third, the poor are also particularly vulnerable to environmental stress and natural disasters such as degradation, droughts and floods.

Although we have increased our understanding of the com- plexity in the link between poverty and the environment, the challenge ahead is still how to achieve sustainable development. Poverty issues, agricultural development, natural resource management, sustainable livelihoods, rights and conflicts are academic fields that Noragric, in collaboration with partners worldwide, will address through research, education, institutional collaboration and assignments in the years to come. Building on past successes and looking ahead at new challenges, we have a large task in front of us. To guide us on our path, we will be working on a new strategic plan for the period 2002-2007 early in the year. We hope in particular that collaboration with the NLH and NVH departments, as well as the other specialized institutes in Ås, will improve and be mutually satisfactory.

Ruth Haug

The often-contested relationship between poverty and environmental degradation plays a central role in environment and development studies. To study this relationship, one needs to analyse the physical changes in the resource base over time as well as the local management of the resources. However, local management is also part of the national and international political economy. National legislation and policies, international commodity prices and terms of trade, the framing of global environmental prob- lems and related policies all represent structural frame- works and constraints within which local managers operate.

Hence, the international and national level should also be taken into account when studying agricultural development and community based natural resource management.

Focusing on rural development, improved natural resource management and strategies to make agriculture more productive are critically important if poverty is to be reduced.

The overall rationale for Noragric’s activities in research, education and assignments is to contribute towards equitable development and community empowerment in accord- ance with its objective.

RESEARCH

As an academic institution, research is an important ele- ment in all Noragric’s activities, which include the education programmes and the assignments undertaken by staff.

The Director of Research and the Research Committee (RC) are responsible for research at Noragric, initiating and co-ordinating research activities and integrating research with education, institutional collaboration and assignments.

The Research Committee is also responsible for the PhD programme in Development Studies. Most research activities at Noragric are made possible through institutional collaboration with partner institutions in southern and eastern countries (see Institutional Collaboration section).

Noragric research programmes and projects focus on the following themes:

• Agricultural development and natural resources

• Biodiversity and genetic resources

• Rural poverty and rights to resources

• Conflicts, change and natural resources

These four themes apply to different ecosystems (drylands/

rangelands, mountains/highlands, coastal/aquatic zones, and forests) and use interdisciplinary and problem oriented

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approaches. The outcome of research in these zones contributes to rural development, which is defined as ”processes of change in rural areas contributing to an expansion of people’s capabilities and improvements in well-being, equity and sustainability”. In commissioned studies and assignments that Noragric takes on, the majority also falls within this professional range.

ASSIGNMENTS

Noragric is an active partner for the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Ministry of For- eign Affairs (MFA), as well as a number of other national and international institutions in implementing, evaluating, planning, reviewing and assessing development programmes, projects, technical reports and project documents. Noragric also takes part in various international processes, meetings, workshops, expert boards and panels as part of our professional work for various clients. Our role as one of the seven environmental assistance centres to NORAD and MFA has been utilised actively during 2001.

The most important fundament for Noragric’s success in remaining attractive for assisting NORAD and other institutions through various assignments is the experience and expertise developed through the research and education programmes.

Noragric makes use of the expertise of not only its own staff, but also of the staff of the NLH departments, independent research institutions located on the campus in Ås, the Norwe- gian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo, and other associated institutions in Norway. When composing teams of experts for a specific project, we also involve regional or domestic experts whenever possible, frequently from our partner universities and partner institutions in the South.

The broad involvement of Noragric and other University staff in assignments is an important part of the Noragric philoso- phy of striking a balance between research and academic approaches on the one hand and real-life problem solving on the other. This way, our contribution to ongoing development projects and processes help to shorten the loop between knowledge and action.

EDUCATION

Noragric, as part of the Agricultural University of Norway, has emphasized the importance of higher education and has developed its experience particularly in tertiary international education programmes from the onset. The overall objective of Noragric’s education programme is to develop and implement the training of students to contribute to increased awareness and competence in the fields of sustainable agriculture and food security, natural resource management and community development.

The Director of Education heads the Education Committee (EC) and is responsible for the MSc programmes. The study options include the MSc programmes in: Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture - MNRSA, and Development Studies, and web-based distance learning courses. Education at Noragric is developed to be relevant in addressing global development goals such as poverty eradication and natural resource management. Worldwide, there is a shift in trends away from disciplinary agricultural education to interdisciplinary education in rural development, livelihood security and poverty eradication including decentralisation, new partnerships, new approaches to community development, participation and empowerment.

External Evaluation of the

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

During 2001, Noragric’s Senior Advisor Leif E. Christoffersen was Team Leader for the Second Overall Performance Study of the GEF, which was commissioned by the GEF Council, representing its 130 member countries, and by the Monitor- ing and Evaluation Team in the GEF Secretariat. Key issues for the evaluation included an assessment of impact and results of completed GEF projects; the effectiveness of linkages between international environmental conventions and the GEF; the degree to which GEF policies and programmes have influenced these results; and how GEF’s institutional arrangements and relationships have reflected on its overall performance. The team started its work in January 2001 and during the course of the year met with the various GEF enti- ties (GEF Secretariat, UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank), held international and regional meetings with other international agencies and with secretariats of the international environment conventions, with government officials, and with NGO representatives. It completed its country and project visits in June and presented its draft report to the GEF Council in December 2001 (the final report was completed in January 2002 and is available on the GEF website: www.gefweb.org).

The evaluation found very significant project achievements and praised the GEF’s links with the conventions. It was critical of poor country-level coordination and inadequate com- munication of key GEF operational programmes, principles and procedures. In particular the GEF Secretariat should provide better clarity and guidance on key issues relating to how to define global benefits, calculate incremental costs, and provide the associated sustainable development benefits at national and local levels.

Noragric contact: Leif Christoffersen

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Noragric’s areas of focus are brought together under two main headings: Sustainable Agriculture, Food & Livelihood Secu- rity and Natural Resource Management & Community Devel- opment. These form the basis for the research programmes, projects and assignments. These two main headings are sub- divided into the four themes mentioned earlier under Research (above). Below, each theme is listed with the issues addressed and projects and relevant assignments linked to the respec- tive theme.

1. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

» Issues addressed:

• How sustainable use of natural resources can be enhanced to contribute towards improvements in men and women’s livelihoods and well-being;

• How agricultural and rural non-farm growth (e.g. small enterprises) contributes to community development and poverty reduction;

• What role different policies and institutions play in the management of natural resources and community empowerment including the gender dimension;

• How agricultural production can be increased while at the same time improving the food security situation of the poor;

• How dryland farming challenges should be addressed in relation to rangeland management, animal rearing, crop production and water management;

• How good policies and practices of integrated coastal zone management can be enhanced;

• What kind of integrated plant nutrient management approaches are appropriate to enhance the livelihoods of poor men and women farmers;

• How to facilitate effective and environment friendly management of watersheds;

• The effects of land use change on carbon sequestration;

• The impact of global climate change on grazing land;

• How the traditional soapberry Endod can be used to control schistosomiasis (bilharzia).

Research projects

Sustainable schistomiasis control using Endod, Ethiopia Funded by: NFR

Period: 1996-2001

Noragric contact: Kjell Esser

Policy incentives for agricultural development Funded by: EU

Period: 1998-2001

Noragric contact: Jens B. Aune

Research in dryland areas: incl. Integrated Plant Nutrient Management (IPNM) in Mali

Funded by: NORAD Period: 1998-2001

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen Farming systems development in Ethiopia Funded by: NUFU

Period: 1988-2001

Noragric contact: Trygve Berg

Food security and household income for small-holder farmers in Tanzania (TARP)

Noragric contact: Fred H. Johnsen

Identifying success factors and limitations related to female entrepreneurship in Norway and Estonia

Funded by: NFR Period: 1997-2003

Noragric contact: Aud Marit Esbensen

Effects of land use change on carbon sequestration in the acid upland agro-ecosystem of the Philippines

Funded by State Education Loan Fund/ICRAF/Noragric Period: 1999-2003

Noragric contact: Shushan Ghirmi Woldu

Combating Nutrient Depletion in the Ethiopian Highlands Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ICRAF Noragric contact: Jens B. Aune

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Effects of integrated nutrient management on crop production and soil organic matter, Central Ethiopian highlands

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund/ICRAF Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Balesh Tulema Bune

High altitude integrated natural resource management programme, Pakistan (AKRSP)

Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg Selected Assignments

Support for organising rural producers in South East Africa, Report on Status and possibilities for Norwegian assistance Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: Ragnar Øygaard (NLH) Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Environmental position paper for Norway’s cooperation with India

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Paul Vedeld

Evaluation of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, Costa Rica)

Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: S. Jørgensen (Nordic Consulting Group, NCG) Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Evaluation of INTA (National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute)/Procatepa (Gender Programme) in Nicaragua

Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: T. Alberts (DEVPRO) Noragric contact: Alice Ennals

Review paper on Agricultural Work programme in Uganda, UGNIS, on improved seeds, fertilizers and credit schemes Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: Jens B. Aune Other staff: K. Solberg

Noragric contact: Jens B. Aune

Food and Environmental Indicators in Ethiopia (report) Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contacts: Jens B. Aune, I. Nyborg

Cooperation on Agricultural Research and Training in Southern Africa (SADC)

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric Contact: Frik Sundstøl Food security and household income for smallholder

farmers in Tanzania. Applied research with an emphasis on women

The majority of the Tanzanian population are smallholder farming families with low production based on manual labour. This programme develops new farm technologies aiming at improving the food security and household income among smallholder farmers. The programme is organised under the Tanzania Agricultural Research Project Phase II (TARP II) and is managed by Sokoine University of Agricul- ture (SUA). In addition to SUA, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) is a main partner, participating mainly through its research stations in the Eastern Zone and Southern Highlands Zone of Tanzania. NORAD funds the programme with a total of NOK 49 million over the period 2000-2004. About 20% of this funding is earmarked for participation by Norwegian researchers and research institutions. The Norwegian participation is regulated by a con- tract between SUA and NLH. Noragric’s role is partly as a co-ordinator of the Norwegian participation, partly as an active contributor to the research.

The Food security and household income programme has a total of 35 research projects. Norwegian researchers participate in 19 of these. Apart from Noragric, participating departments at NLH include the Department of Animal Sci- ence, Department of Food Science, Department of Eco- nomics and Social Sciences, Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Department of Agricultural Engineering, and the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology. In addition to the NLH departments, researchers from NVH and the Nor- wegian Crop Research Institute also participate.

All 35 projects have on-farm research among the farmers.

Every project has identified a number of contact farmers who will try out the technology that the research is focused on. When the programme closes in 2004, the objective is that these contact farmers will notice tangible results. In order to measure such results, impact studies have been defined as a separate component of the programme. The impact studies will first and foremost measure the impact of the projects on food security and household income, but unintended effects, whether positive or negative, will also be addressed. As a first step towards impact studies, a thorough baseline has been made. In addition to project specific data, the baseline contains information on the food security and household income situation of the contact farmers for all research projects.

Noragric contact: Fred Håkon Johnsen

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Cooperation with NOVA-BOVA Programme: Baltic Nordic Network on Agricultural Economics and Business (2001-2003) Funded by: Nordic Council of Ministers (Network Programme for Baltic Countries & North West Russia) and the Research Council of Norway

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Food Hygiene & Safety Education Network in the Baltic and Nordic Countries (2001-2003)

Funded by: Nordic Council of Ministers (Network Programme for Baltic Countries & North West Russia)

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot Irrigation Systems in Serbia

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Viraless Potato Planting materials in protected area:

Assistance to ’Institute Srbija’ -Potato Centre, Serbia Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Cooperation on Agricultural Research and Training in Southern Africa (SADC)

Since 1984, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has, through an institution called Southern Africa Centre for Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Train- ing (SACCAR), coordinated agricultural research and post- graduate training in the region. In addition, SACCAR organises regional training courses on agricultural research management for senior research managers and played a coordinating role with regard to the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC) located in Zambia.

On the training side, SACCAR has been coordinating a programme for strengthening faculties of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences with the objective to enable them to achieve quality and quantity of training and exchange of students and to produce trained manpower for agricultural research, training, extension and policy analysis. SACCAR has taken an initiative to develop new relevant activities on post-graduate training in agriculture for Southern Africa.

NORAD has supported this regional cooperation on agricultural research and training for a number of years. Frik Sundstøl from Noragric has served as a Technical Advisor to SADC/SACCAR from February 1999.

Noragric contact: Frik Sundstøl

Rehabilitation of Agriculture & Agricultural Education in Kosovo (2001-2003)

Updating Academic Education and Research in South Eastern Europe: Pilot project (2001-2002)

Funded by: Research Council of Norway and the Centre for International University Cooperation

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Reorientation and Development of Academic Curricula in Agriculture, Bosnia Herzegovina (1999-2002)

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Education & Research Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Food Production, Agriculture and Society Programme, Latvia (1999-2003)

This programme consists of the following projects:

1. Norwegian-Latvian Rural Development Studies and Research Centre, Latvia (1999-2003)

a) Masters Programme in ’’ Economics and Agribusiness’’

Project Leaders: O. Gjølberg (IØS); A. Kozlinnki (Latvia) b) Education in Food Hygiene (Safety)

Project Leaders: M. Yndestad (NVH); A. Berzins (Latvia) 2. Development of Farmer Organizations and Dairy

Production, Latvia (1999-2003)

Project Leaders: R. Bruflot (TINE); J. Zalitis (Latvia) 3. Food Safety and Quality Control Systems at national,

district and local level, Latvia (1999-2003) Project Leaders: A. Lund (NVH); D. Vetra (Latvia) Management of salt-affected soils in the NCEW ’Shemshewa’

Irrigation Scheme in the Upper Gash Valley, Eritrea Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: M. Tesfai

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen

Workshop on Water Harvesting. The experiences in the drylands of Ethiopia: principles and practices

Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: M. Haile

2. BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC RESOURCES

» Issues in the field of agro-biodiversity focused on:

• How to improve on-farm conservation and use of local plant genetic resources to enhance food and livelihood security of poor farmers;

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• How to secure access to sufficient quantities of high quality seed of both local and improved material particularly in situations of conflict or natural disasters;

• Why and in what way local knowledge and gender are important factors in improving the maintenance and use of agro-biodiversity;

• How to ensure the legal framework as stated in the Conven- tion on Biological Diversity (CBD), Agenda 21, The Interna- tional Undertaking, and The Global Plan of Action works for local communities e.g. regarding access and benefit sharing;

• Why governments can’t make policy: The case of plant genetic resources in the international arena.

» Issues in the field of biodiversity and the management of natural resources focused on:

• The impacts of grazing on biodiversity of rangelands in Africa;

• The indigenous drought coping strategies of pastoralists in northern Kenya;

• Addressing the increased pressure on coastal resources;

• The role of traditional knowledge systems in management of coastal resources;

• The environmental and social impacts of shrimp-farming;

• Facilitating management systems conducive to sustainable use of wildlife resources by local communities;

• The kind of wildlife property regimes that exist and how they interface with society.

• The integration of biodiversity and environment aspects in development projects.

Gender, biodiversity and local knowledge systems (LiNKS) for food security in Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique).

Funded by: FAO

Period: 1996-2001 (phase I) Noragric contact: Gry Synnevåg

Policy research on genetic resources globally Funded by: IPGRI/CGIAR/Noragric

Period: ongoing

Noragric contact: Cary Fowler

Management of agricultural biodiversity - Third world farmers’

experience with change and their coping strategies Funded by: NFR

Period: 1999-2003

Noragric contact: Frøydis Kvaløy

Market and non-market incentives for in situ conservation of agro-biodiversity in a centre of biodiversity, Ethiopia

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund, Ethiopia (Biodiversity

Conservation and Development Institute) and Noragric Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Bayush Tsegaye

Comparative value of crop varieties adapted to varying ecosystems in Nepal

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund/IPGRI Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Deepak Kumar Riijal

Coastal aquaculture development

One of the ecological zones that Noragric focuses its research on is the coastal zone. Aquaculture is one of the most important activities carried out in coastal areas throughout many parts of the world, with especially long tra- ditions in Southeast Asia, but of increasing importance in Southern Asia and Eastern Africa. Some forms of coastal aquaculture are highly beneficial to the local and national economy, producing fish, molluscs, crustaceans or algae for consumption or the market with minimal negative consequences. But in other forms of coastal aquaculture, the ecological, social and economic benefits and costs are complex, and different interests sometimes come into conflict with each other. In particular, some forms of capital intensive, industrial aquaculture of carnivorous species of fish or crustaceans producing luxury food for export may be profitable for investors yet cause serious environmental impacts affecting other people’s access to common property resources (such as mangrove forests) or directly damage their livelihoods (e.g. salinisation of agricultural land).

Noragric has reviewed the Research Institute for Aquacul- ture in Hanoi, Viet Nam, some of whose activities are funded by NORAD, and also appraised new phases of this project during 2000-2002. Ian Bryceson presented a keynote paper on coastal aquaculture in Tanzania at an international sympo- sium held in Dar es Salaam in 2001, and he is cooperating with scientists at Stockholm University in reviewing coastal aquaculture developments in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Professor Abdul Wahab from Bangladesh Agricultural Uni- versity visited Noragric for one month in 2001 in order to cooperate with Ian Bryceson on coastal aquaculture issues.

MSc students from Vietnam, Bangladesh and Tanzania have recently carried out or are embarking upon research projects on coastal aquaculture with supervision from Noragric. We are currently developing collaboration with ICLARM (the World Fish Centre) for joint comparative research on coastal aquaculture in Malaysia, Tanzania and Norway.

Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

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Marine biodiversity (Jakarta mandate) cooperation with IUCN and East African coastal institutions

Funded by: NORAD and IUCN Period: 1999-2003

Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

Wild animals as property: yours, mine or ours?

Funded by: NLH Period: 1997-2002

Noragric contact: Cassandra Bergstrøm Selected Assignments

GRID-Arendal collaboration Funded by: UNEP

Noragric contact: Thor Larsen

FAO Midterm Evaluation of Cross Border Biodiversity Project, Kenya and Tanzania

Funded by: FAO Africa Office Noragric contact: Gufu Oba

Assessment of Environmental Needs and Priorities in East Timor

Funded by: UNDP/UNOPS

Project Leader: O. Sandlund (NINA) Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

Participation in Annual Meeting of International Forestry Advisory Group (IFAG), FAO

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Community Biodiversity Development and Conservation (CBDC)

Funded by: NORAD, SIDA (Sweden), IDRC (Canada), DGIS (Netherlands)

Report on the National Forest Programme in Tanzania (short assessment)

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Project Proposal Appraisal on Seed Security in Ethiopia Funded by: NORAD

Assistance to the International Plant Genetic Research Institute (IPGRI)

Funded by: IPGRI

Noragric contacts: Cary Fowler and Synne Movik

Rangeland and biodiversity research at Noragric During 2001, Noragric’s rangeland research programme focused on African drylands, particularly on: 1) understanding indigenous ecological knowledge of African pastoralists for assessing rangeland biodiversity (studies were con- ducted in Southern Ethiopia, Northern Kenya and Northern Tanzania); 2) processes of landscape change (NFR-funded;

the studies are in progress or completed in Northern Kenya, Northern Tanzania and Northern Namibia); 3) effects of grazing on rangeland biodiversity (Northern Kenya-completed); 4) the role of restoration of degraded High Mountain rangelands for biodiversity conservation (Northern Ethiopia- completed); 5) effects of artificial water-points on rangeland degradation (Northern Namibia-completed), and; (6) the role of large scale climate variability on productivity of African rangelands (completed).

The partners in rangeland research were individuals and institutions from the South (mainly in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tan- zania and Namibia), while in the North the main research collaborators were from the University of Oslo, Divisions of Zoology and Botany; the Animal Science Department (NLH);

the Institute of Development Studies (University of Bergen);

and the Climate Change Group (Pen State). In Africa, the collaborating institutions were the GEF-Cross-border biodiversity project in Arusha/Nairobi and the Desert Research Foundation in Namibia. During 2001, seven papers based on rangeland research work were published in refereed journals. During the same period Noragric coordinator Gufu Oba was also involved in the evaluation of the GEF Cross- border biodiversity programme in Turkana for FAO.

Noragric contact: Gufu Oba

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National Hydropower Plan Study, Vietnam Funded by: NORPLAN

Feasibility Study of Moamba Major Dam, Mozambique Funded by: Norconsult

Upper Watershed Management, Sri Lanka

Funded by: Asian Development Bank/ Ministry of Forestry and Environment (Sri Lanka)

Project Leader: S. Larsen (Statskog) Noragric Contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Indigenous coping strategies of pastoralist communities in the Drylands of Ethiopia

Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: F. Kebebew

3. RURAL POVERTY AND RIGHTS TO RESOURCES

» Issues in the field of rural poverty and rights to resources focused on:

• The relationship between poverty and environmental degradation;

• How to operationalise the concept of right-based development with focus on the right to food and to natural resources;

• The consequences of land reforms on local people (men and women);

• How men and women negotiate control and access to resources under changing contexts;

• How perceptions on property rights, institutions and policies impact forest management and cover;

• The effects of rural credit programmes.

Human rights and governance in South Africa’s land reform

Funded by: NORAD, through the Institute of Human Rights, University of Oslo

Period: 1999-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen/Sidsel Grimstad Triangular institutional co-operation between Ethiopia, India and Norway: Fostering South-South links in the management of natural resources in semi-arid areas (including CPR study)

Funding by: NORAD Period: 1997-ongoing

Noragric contact: Poul Wisborg

Economic analysis of reciprocity and agricultural markets in Africa

Noragric contact: Espen Sjaastad

Yours today, mine tomorrow? Women and men’s negotiations over resources in Baltistan

Funded by: NFR, Noragric and AKRSP Period: 1996-2001

Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg

Forest change: Property rights perceptions and policies in the Baltistan region, Pakistan

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund and AKRSP Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Jawad Ali

Farmers first: Participatory knowledge generation in Ecuador

Noragric contact: Elisabeth Molteberg

Human rights and land tenure reform in South Africa:

a case study of policy, discourse and stakeholders Funded by: NFR and NORAD

Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Poul Wisborg

The emergence of a land market in the Malian cotton zone

Funded by: Nordic Africa Institute Period: 2001

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen/Espen Sjaastad

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Selected assignments

FAO - Role of Forestry in Poverty Alleviation (Workshop) Funded by: FAO and Noragric

Noragric contacts: Ivar Jørgensen and Alice Ennals Participation in Final Steering Committee Meeting of Forest Trees and People’s Programme (and report on the Review of FTTP)

Funded by: MFA Project Leader: FAO

Noragric contact: Alice Ennals

Shimla Town and Country Planning, Himachal Pradesh (India) Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: August Røsnes (Institute for Land Use and Landscape Planning, ILP)

Stories about Timbuktu, Mali (Video documentary) Funded by: NORAD/NFR

Project Leader: Tor Arve Benjaminsen/C. Sørensen (UiO) Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

Report on the Right to Food Funded by: NORAD Project Leader: Ruth Haug

Noragric contacts: Ruth Haug and Estrellita Rauan Status and Impact of HIV/AIDS at Agricultural Universities and Colleges in Africa

Funded by: NORAD Project Leader: Alice Ennals

Noragric contacts: Alice Ennals and Estrellita Rauan Norwegian Participation in World Bank Review of TARP II (Agriculture and Research Programme) in Tanzania Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: World Bank Noragric contact: Alice Ennals

Midterm Review of the International NGO in Chennai, ICSF (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers), India Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

Evaluation of Blantyre City Fuel Wood Project, Malawi Funded by: NORAD

Technical Advisor to the CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noragric contact: Ruth Haug

Third Quinquennial Review of ICIMOD

Funded by: NORAD/ICIMOD Board of Directors Noragric Contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Workshop on credit and savings system; NGOs and National Legislation in Ethiopia

Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: W. Amha

Assessment of the participation of civil society in the implementation of UNCCD, Ethiopia and Mali Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: Anne Mossige

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen Report on the Right to Food

In its work on human rights issues, Norway is a strong sup- porter of the concept of the ”right to food”. The right to food is recognised in legally binding international instruments, including, most fully, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) and by the World Food Summit (also 1996). The challenge for national and international actors striving to reduce hunger and food insecurity, is how to operationalise the right to food at individual and household levels. Noragric has, in a NORAD-funded study, assessed how the right to food could be implemented in four African countries by using the Poverty Reduction Strat- egy Papers (PRSPs) as mechanisms for action. The sugges- tion is to establish a public investment programme under the PRSP framework. The Sosit (Social Sector Initiative Basic Data) model could be used for the agricultural sector to illus- trate how allocated resources lead to services, achievements and impact; and the indicators that should be used to monitor the different steps in the process. The right to food is about how to foster conditions to enable people to care for them- selves and their own food needs. In this way the right to food is perceived as a progressive tool for marginalized and food insecure groups to mobilise around. Hunger and food insecurity is a poverty problem. Obviously, legislation alone cannot solve the food insecurity problem although legislation may be one important tool in the struggle to eliminate poverty and food insecurity. The critical issue regarding food as a human right is enforcement, not the legislation by itself, or in other words the obligations that accompany this right.

Noragric contact: Ruth Haug

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4. CONFLICTS, CHANGE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

» Issues in the field of conflicts, change and natural resources focused on:

• What happens when men and women become internally displaced, forced migrants in their home country;

• How to address the forced migrants right to return as well as their right to stay;

• The ecological and social status of forced migrants along the coast of Mozambique;

• How people perceive a secure livelihood and how they conceptualise poverty, wealth, well-being and deprivation in conflict situations;

• The relationship between national conflicts and the local rural poverty level and how poverty issues in conflict situations should be addressed.

Forced migration of civil war victims in Africa and Asia:

Resource conflicts, dilemmas of return and long-term development

Noragric contact: Kjersti Larsen

Rural poverty in conflict situations in Sudan and Sri Lanka Funded by: NFR

Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam Perceptions of landscape change Funded by: NFR

Period: 2001-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen Selected assignments

UNDP Conflict Prevention Mission, Sri Lanka Funded by: UNDP

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

Perceptions of knowledge and coping strategies in nomadic communities-the case of the Hawawir in Northern Sudan Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: Kjersti Larsen

From Emergency Relief to Local Development and Civil Society Building: A review of Norwegian People’s Aid Intervention in South Sudan

Funded by: Drylands Coordination Group/NORAD Team Leader: N. Shanmugaratnam

Women Surviving Amidst Displacement and Deprivation

As a parallel study to ”Forced Migration and Changing Local Political Economies”, a study was done by N.

Shanmugaratnam and F. Zackariya that resulted in the booklet ”Stepping Out - Women Surviving Amidst Dis- placement And Deprivation”. The study traced some aspects of changing gender roles of displaced communities, specifically the situation for Muslim women from poorer families that had been living in camps (welfare centres) in Kalpitya, Sri Lanka, for nearly eight years.

The study documented that although displaced and proletarianised women have gained some freedom in the sense that they could not be socially excluded as in the past, and have also learnt to act collectively in the extra-household domain, their domestic work burden had increased. The sustainability of their ”sense of freedom” is an open question, given the fluid nature of their existence and circumstances.

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

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Contribution of agroforestry to

farmhousehold income and community forestry management.

Radha Karki Adhikary Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Socio-economic evaluation of the new extension programme in Amhara Region, North West Ethiopia: A case study in Mecha woreda.

Debbasu Meselu Amare Supervisor: Paul Vedeld

The socio-economic effects and environmental impacts of area enclosures in Hauzien Wereda, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Dereje Teklehaimanot Asefa Supervisors: Jens B. Aune and Gufu Oba

Household livelihood security with and without development project: Case study of Zula Plain and Shebah-Demas Plain in Eritrea.

Fikre Ukbaab Baraki Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Seeds, storms and strategies. A study on decision-making processes in seed sup- plies and seed distribution interventions in emergency situation - Case of Hondu- ras in the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch.

Sigrid de Barbentane Supervisor: Cary Fowler Constraints to crop production:

Perceptions of farmers and extension workers in Mbale district, Uganda.

Kakayi Mary Bikingi Supervisor: Kjell Esser

Socio-economic and nutritional aspects of poultry (broiler) rearing among the small-scale farmers in Monze, Zambia.

Oswin Chifungwe Chibinga Supervisor: Arve Lund

Leasehold forestry and livelihoods (Cases from the Mid-Hills of Nepal).

Sunil Prasad Dhoubhadel Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam

Cultivation of khat and its impacts in the farming system, household economy and food availability.

Taye Hailu Feyisa Supervisor: Jens B. Aune

Crafting institutions for water management and willingness to pay for water services in Northern Namibia.

Awet Kidane Gebrehiwot

Supervisor: Tor Arve Benjaminsen Local ecological knowledge about management of tree fodder resources in the western Mid-Hills of Nepal.

Shova Gurung

Supervisor: Kjersti Larsen

Landscapes and land reform - narratives by commercial farmers in Namibia.

Eirin Hongslo

Supervisor: Tor Arve Benjaminsen Non-formal environmental education: A strategy for promotion of agroforestry for improved household livelihood. A case of the Swedish (Vi) agroforestry project in Masaka District, Uganda.

Elijah Kajubi

Supervisor: Ruth Haug

Analysis of the present production and marketing systems of bananas in some selected areas of Mymensingh and Bogra Districts of Bangladesh.

Ziaul Karim

Supervisor: Gry Synnevåg

Farmers seed systems in maize (Zea Mays L.). Gendered aspects of local seed systems in Ruangwa and Nachingwea Districts, Southern Tanzania.

Gerald Singano Magili Supervisor: Gry Synnevåg

Indigenous knowledge of the Maasai pastoralists for biodiversity conservation in Mt. Komoloniki (Monduli) ecosytems, Northern Tanzania.

Arnold Lucas Mapinduzi Supervisor: Gufu Oba

Fund of community forest: Consent and satisfaction. A case study of Aakase and Kattikepakha CFUGs of

Ramechhap District, Nepal.

Yubaraj Maskey

Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Local communities participation in the management of coastal resources through integrated coastal resources management (’The Stakeholders Approach’): The case of Menai Bay conservation area, Zanzibar.

Josephine Theobald Meela Supervisor: Kjersti Larsen

The traditional ecological knowledge and biodiversity conservation of the Miombo woodlands by the Wanyamwezi in Tanzania.

Fadhili Hamza Mgumia Supervisor: Gufu Oba

Incentives for local participation in community based forest management:

A case of Duru Haytemba; Babati District, Tanzania.

Felister Michael Mombo Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen Integrated Pest Management as a strategy to manage development of insect resistance to pesticides in Cotton production in Zimbabwe. A case study for Gokwe District.

Clyton Moyo

Supervisor: Trond Hofsvang

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Displacement and resource conflicts:

A study of internally displaced people (IDPS)-host community relations and the role of NGO’s in Kabarole District, Western Uganda.

Harriet Barunga Mpindi

Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam Effects of artificial water points on the communal rangelands of the Uuvudhiya constituency, North-Central Namibia.

Selma Nangula Supervisor: Gufu Oba

Population structure, group dynamics, home ranges and habitat use of lions in northeast Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Gosiame Neo-Mahupeleng Supervisor: Per Wegge

Displacement, resettlement and livelihood restoration: The Hoa Bihn Dam, Vietnam - 20 years later.

Thi Le Hoa Nguyen Supervisor: Ragnar Øygard

Forced migration and resource conflicts:

A case of internally displaced people in Gulu District - Northern Uganda.

Susan Abalo Opok

Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam Economic valuation of natural forest as water retainer. Case study: Nature reserve Datanli-El Diablo Jinotega, Nicaragua.

Maria Victoria Picado Cajina Supervisor: Ståle Navrud

Impact of land use changes on watersheds in dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. Case study from Kurunegala District.

Wedage Ranjanee Samaranayake Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam Parrot trade in Nicaragua, from the forest to Managua. Assessment of the geographical origin, capture methods and financial benefits of the activity.

Edgard Herrera Scott Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen The impact of participatory forest management on peoples’ livelihoods in Kapiri-Mposhi District in Central Zambia.

Davy Siame

Supervisor: Ruth Haug

Land-use changes and pollution of the Nahhku Khola River in Nepal: An ecological and socio-economic study.

Mamta Kumari Singh Supervisor: Ian Bryceson

Factors influencing farmers’ participation in watershed management. Locality studies from Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Krishnapillai Sooriyakumar Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam Status and ecology of nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in Nepal with particular emphasis on Royal Bardia National Park, lowland Nepal.

Naresh Subedi Supervisor: Per Wegge

Characteristics, distribution and productive status of the local mango varieties in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Nguyen Huy Tai Supervisor: Trygve Berg

Impact assessment of micro-dams irrigation projects. A case study from Hintalo-Wajirat district of Tigray, Ethiopia.

Haftu Woldu Teshalle Supervisor: Kjell Esser

The role of new land policies in reforestation of the northern mountainous region of Vietnam.

Thi Thu Ha Tran

Supervisor: Ragnar Øygard

Non-indigenous perceptions of interac- tions with indigenous communities and their participation in natural management. A study from the Imataca Forest Reserve, Bolivar State, Venezuela.

Mariela Covault Tyrihjell Supervisor: Ian Bryceson

OTHER NLH STUDENTS Tribal Women and Micro-finance. A case-study of household adaptation and robustness of social institutions in the drought prone areas of Gujarat, India.

Solveig Kolberg and Maj Britt Bjelke Supervisor: Paul Vedeld

Whatever the will of the weather. A case of seeds systems in Honduras, and their importance for food security and agrobiodiversity in the aftermaths of Hurricane Mitch.

Jan Magnar Haugen Supervisor: Cary Fowler

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Cooperation with institutions in developing countries is an important part of Noragric’s efforts to support sustainable development in our partner countries. We have institutional agreements with around 20 partners in Africa, Asia, Latin Amer- ica and Eastern Europe. Most of these are universities, while others are NGO’s, research foundations and public institutions.

The level of activity varies over time, and also varies accord- ing to the success in obtaining funding for joint programmes.

The sources of funding are, amongst others, NORAD, the Research Council of Norway and multilateral institutions. The programmes of cooperation include joint research activities, support to education and training as well as support to institutional development. In several of the programmes, support to PhD education is included.

Some of the agreements were in a transitional phase in 2001.

The agreements in e.g. Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda were in a bridging period or in the early stages of a new phase. A more equal partnership is sought whenever contracts are renewed in order to move away from a typical client/service-provider relationship. Noragric believes that more equal scientific partnerships will be more sustainable and rewarding in the long run.

The total budget for institutional collaboration in 2001 was around NOK 10 million. Some of the active agreements in 2001 have been with:

• Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania.

Ongoing five-year programme, involving Noragric and some departments of NLH and NVH.

• Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Ongoing five-year cooperation phase; follows a close cooperation dating back to 1969.

• Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) in South Africa.

Joint project on land reform commenced in 2000.

• Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Northern Territory in Pakistan.

Implementation of joint research and development activities.

• Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi.

Institutional development programme. New phase initiated in 2001.

• Department of Wildlife, Botswana.

Ongoing joint research, education and institutional strengthening programme through the BONIC programme.

• EARTH University, Costa Rica.

Partnership with EARTH, Salzburg Seminar and Noragric in the Sustainability, Education and the Management of Change in the Tropics project.

• Triangular Institutional Cooperation between Ethiopia, India and Norway.

Management of forest commons; supporting South-South links in the management of natural resources in semi-arid areas.

• Asmara University, College of Agriculture and Aquatic Stud- ies (CAAS), Eritrea.

Eritrean MSc students studying at NLH.

• Mekelle University and Debub University (previously Awassa College of Agriculture), Ethiopia.

Students are pursuing their PhD degrees at various NLH departments; funding of infrastructure investments and research. 2001 was a bridging year with preparations for a possible new phase.

• The International Centre for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF), Ethiopia.

Joint project on Combating Nutrient Depletion.

• Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal.

Preparations for decentralisation of the MNRSA programme.

• Competence transfer and institutional contact and cooperation between faculties of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine in South Eastern Europe, (SEE), 2002-2004.

Balkan programme involving 14 partner institutions. Pilot project carried out in 2001.

• Rehabilitation of agriculture and academic agricultural education in Kosovo.

Bilateral project/institutional cooperation between NLH and the Faculty of Agriculture University of Prishtina, 2001-2004.

• Food production, agriculture and society (FPAS), 1999-2003.

Cooperation programme between NLH, Latvia University of Agriculture and some other Latvian institutions/organisations, consisting of 4 projects with a set of activities.

• Peace Corps collaboration.

Institutional cooperation with the Development Fund and the Small Farmers Association and 6 partner institutions in the South involving exchange of young professionals between Norway and partner countries.

• IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

Joint projects on biodiversity management in coastal zones, wetlands and mountain ecosystems in collaboration with NODE partners.

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Networking and alliances

During the year, Noragric has worked on the development of agreements with other research institutions in Ås. Some of these, like the NARI institutes, have ambitions for developing a stronger involvement in developing country programmes and have approached NLH in order to be included in the network and programmes operated by Noragric.

Noragric has also been active in the NODE partnership (Nor- wegian Consortium for Development and Environment) where Noragric has joined forces with the Chr. Michelsen Institute

(CMI, Bergen) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA, Trondheim). For further information, see:

http://www.node.org

Finally, Noragric has been actively involved in the Drylands Coordination Group (DCG) network through the secretariat for this Group that is located at Noragric. DCG is a network of six NGOs in Norway and their partners in the dryland belt of Africa. Noragric plays an active backstopping role for the DCG.

The DCG is strongly focused on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

NLH-NVH Alliance

NLH and the Norwegian Veterinary College (NVH) have entered into a new phase of strategic alliance in January this year. The strategic alliance is expected, among others, to promote the possibilities of increased international activities that will grant both partners the competence in meeting the increasingly growing demand for development oriented expertise and courses that are tailored to real needs. NLH and NVH have, through the previous alliance project, been engaged in development initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa where Noragric has played a key role in coordination and research. The current agreement builds upon the achieve- ment and success attained during the previous one and emphasises the importance of development activities and research of mutual interest to both partners. The alliance draws upon the combined resources of the two institutions and their expertise to play an active role in the development arena in general, and Norwegian development assistance in particular. The alliance is also expected to contribute to increasing professional understanding of development related issues and the challenges in generating practical knowledge in the battle against poverty.

DCG in 2001

In 2001, one of DCG’s main activities was to carry out an assessment of the participation of the civil society in the implementation of the UNCCD/NAPs in Ethiopia and Mali.

The findings from this assessment were later presented at workshops in both countries. The workshops were attended by a wide range of stakeholders including many NGOs and CBOs, as well as representatives from various governmental institutions, such as the National Governmental UNCCD Focal Points. The workshops clearly contributed to an enhanced awareness of different stakeholders’ responsibilities and possible contributions to the implementation of the UNCCD as well as to create better linkages between different civil society organisations and between these organisations and the national government. After the workshops, participants expressed an increased interest in collaboration and a greater understanding of the added value of such collaboration. For further information, see:

http://www.drylands-group.org Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen

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The PhD programme in Development Studies

Noragric offers a PhD programme in Development Studies with a focus on these main areas: sustainable agriculture, food & livelihood security, natural resource management and community development. The PhD programme follows the general criteria and requirements defined by the Agricultural

University of Norway (NLH), and is undertaken in collaboration with the University departments. Noragric runs a twelve credit course in Development Studies which is divided into four sec- tions: Development Theory; Science Approaches and Devel- opment Theory; Methodological Perspectives; and Bridge to Biology.

Overview of doctoral students related to Noragric in 2001, dissertation topics and funding sources.

Funding source Year

The Research Council of Norway 1997-2002 Noragric/ Ethiopia/ State Education 2000-2004 Loan Fund

ICRAF/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004

The Research Council of Norway 2000-2004 IPGRI/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004

NLH 1997-2002

The Research Council of Norway 1998-2003 The Research Council of Norway 1996-2001 AKRSP/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004 ICRAF/State Education Loan Fund 1999-2003 The Research Council of Norway/ 2000-2004 NORAD/PLAAS

Agderforskning 2001-2005

State Education Loan Fund / 2001-2005 TARP II

State Education Loan Fund 2001-2002 The Research Council of 2001-2005 Norway/NINA

The Research Council of Norway 1999-2002 The Research Council of Norway/FNI 1999-2002 Country Topic/Student

Ecuador Farmers first: Participatory knowledge generation in Ecuador/

Elisabeth Molteberg

Ethiopia Market and non-market incentives for in situ conservation of agro- biodiversity in a centre of biodiversity/Bayush Tsegaye

Ethiopia Effects of integrated nutrient management on crop production and soil organic matter in the Central Ethiopian Highlands/Balesh Tulema Bune

India Management of agricultural biodiversity - Third world farmers’ experience with change and their coping strategies/Frøydis Kvaløy Nepal Comparative value of crop varieties adapted to varying ecosystems/

Deepak Kumar Rijal

Norway/ Wild animals as property; yours, mine or ours?/Cassandra Berg- Global strøm

Norway/ Identifying success factors and limitations related to female Estonia entrepreneurship in Norway and Estonia/Aud Marit Esbensen Pakistan Yours today, mine tomorrow? Women and men’s negotiations over

resources in Baltistan/Ingrid Nyborg

Pakistan Forest change: Property rights perceptions and policies in the Baltistan region/Jawad Ali

Philippines Effects on land use change on carbon sequestration in the acid upland agroecosystem of the Philippines/Shushan Ghirmi Woldu South Africa Human rights and land tenure reform in South Africa: a case study of policy, discourse and stakeholders/Poul Wisborg

Tanzania Transgressing economic boundaries: Gender, commodification and social change in Zanzibar/Hege Wallevi

Tanzania Impact of Agricultural Research: a study of on-farm development effects of agricultural research in Eastern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania in the period 1980-1990/ Dismas Mwaseba India Gender, Land and Livelihoods: A study of the Indigenous Commu-

nities of Highland Kerala/Darley Jose

Mozambique Tourism and resource conflicts/Hanne Haaland

Burkina Faso Organising farmers in Burkina Faso: A study of the Naam movement/Øyvind Hansen

Philippines PhD assisting supervision in the field of biodiversity and genetic resources/Regine Andersen