Developed as an integral part of the Canadian government, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada "provides information, research and technology, and policies and programs to achieve security of the food system, health of the environment and innovation for growth." On this site, visitors can learn about these various agricultural initiatives, read statements from the Minister of Agriculture and...

To borrow shamelessly from Benjamin Franklin, guacamole is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. The Agricultural and Natural Resources people at the University of California-Riverside would seem to agree. In this Web site devoted solely to the lovely avocado, readers can learn all about the history and horticulture of this subtropical fruit (that's right -- fruit). Features include...

In keeping with the tradition of "The Wisconsin Idea," the Babcock Institute for International Dairy Research and Development Web site features material that will be of great interest to the general public, researchers, and those directly involved in the dairy industry. Pertinent sections on the site include areas devoted to recent publications dealing with topical dairy research, the Institute's...

In the midst of a precipitous decline in family farms and an industrious increase in large-scale agriculture, a back-to-basics farming movement is growing like a well-tended garden. Whether you are a supporter of local farmers at a farmers market, a member of a CSA farm, or you are simply worried about pesticides, going organic or going local has found many fans. And, while markedly more expensive...

This new briefing service from eldis (Electronic Development and Environment Information System) (originally reviewed in the October 9, 1997 Scout Report for Business & Economics) offers access to a large amount of informative material on individual countries. The heart of this material will be multiple documents providing sectoral profiles of Agriculture, Environment, Economics, Gender, Politics,...

Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts – to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO's three main goals are: the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition; the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all; and, the sustainable management and utilization of...

As a special function and agency of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2003, "was created to mobilize resources on concessional terms for programmes that alleviate rural poverty and improve nutrition...to combat hunger and rural poverty in developing countries." To that end, the fund seeks to assist "the poorest...

This Web site contains a June 2003 report from the Economic Research Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report offers a detailed analysis of livestock and poultry manure management for water quality in the U.S. The studies included in the report occur on multiple scales: 1) a farm-level analysis of "on-farm technical choice and producer costs" across the U.S., 2) a regional analysis of...

There are regular online agricultural libraries, and then there is the National Agricultural Library (NAL), with more working papers, fact sheets, and farm updates than ears of corn in a corncrib. This digital library, produced by the United States Department of Agriculture will be quite a boon to agriculture scholars, extension agents, and farmers alike. Designed to assist those who are unable to...

Reflecting Canada's strong agricultural industry, this website from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food contains a wealth of information on many different crops. Crop information sections include Agroforestry, Berries, Hemp, Organic Crops, Corn, and many more. Separate crop pages hold numerous links to fact and information sheets, updates, and related resources. In addition to the crop...