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The document argues that the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical link between ecosystem health and human health, urging a recovery strategy that prioritizes the protection and restoration of nature to mitigate the risk of future zoonotic diseases.

The document argues that the CAP's governance structure is too weak to guarantee the achievement of the European Green Deal (EGD) targets. It highlights that the European Commission lacks the legal power to reject national Strategic Plans (SPs) based on non-binding EGD strategies, cannot force modifications to plans even when they conflict with EU environmental legislation, and possesses monitoring tools—such as interim evaluations—that lack binding legal consequences for Member States.

The document argues that the current CAP reform proposal is misaligned with the European Green Deal, lacking quantified targets and sufficient safeguards to prevent the funding of environmentally harmful farming practices.

The report argues that current WTO rules on agricultural internal support are outdated and inequitable, failing to constrain the high subsidies of wealthy nations or accommodate the growing needs of emerging economies. By examining a diverse sample of countries, the authors demonstrate that a small number of members—China, India, the US, and the EU—concentrate the vast majority of trade-distorting support. The document proposes simplifying these rules by basing support limits on a percentage of the value of agricultural production (VDP) rather than fixed monetary amounts, while advocating for stricter transparency and special treatment for developing nations to align trade rules with Sustainable Development Goals.

The document examines the use of gypsum, an industrial by-product from phosphorus fertilizer extraction, to mitigate nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea. Pilot projects in Finland, including Project SAVE and research in the River Vantaanjoki basin, indicate that gypsum improves soil structure and reduces phosphorus losses to waterways by approximately 50%. While the practice is recommended for coastal drainage areas, researchers caution against its use in lake drainage basins or groundwater recharge areas due to the risk of sulfate loading and subsequent eutrophication. Large-scale application across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland could potentially achieve 10% of the phosphorus reductions targeted by the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

The report investigates the feasibility of shifting specialty crop production from California to the mid-Mississippi Delta region due to climate-driven uncertainties in California. While the Delta offers fertile soil, abundant water, and economic development opportunities, it faces hurdles including high humidity, pest pressure, a lack of specialty crop infrastructure, and labor shortages. The document outlines a plan for Phase II, focusing on seed varietal testing, innovative financing, and the design of a pilot program to diversify the region's commodity-heavy agricultural base.

The executive summary highlights that current WTO disciplines fail to significantly limit the agricultural subsidies of major providers like the US and EU, nor do they adequately address the growing support from emerging economies like China and India. It suggests that reforming these rules is essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and ensuring global food system stability, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors propose simplifying rules by introducing a minimum level of trade-distorting support based on a percentage of production value, implementing stricter transparency requirements, and establishing new, gradually decreasing global limits on internal support to correct international inequalities.

The report details a workshop on global economic governance and its impact on income inequality. It examines four key areas: market access, where duty-free, quota-free (DFQF) access for least developed countries (LDCs) is often undermined by domestic subsidies in rich nations; e-commerce, where data localization and source code bans are debated to protect policy space; industrial policy, which faces a trend of shrinking policy space due to WTO and regional trade agreement restrictions; and competition policy, which struggles with the market power of tech giants and a lack of international coordination. The workshop concludes that these areas are deeply interlinked and require a systemic approach to governance to support sustainable development and reduce inequality.

The document defines agricultural transformation as the process of an agri-food system moving from being "subsistence-oriented and farm-centred" to one that is "more commercialized, productive and off-farm-centred." It outlines a comprehensive taxonomy of terms across several categories, including agricultural credit, knowledge systems, markets, and subsidies. It also defines broader macroeconomic and governance terms such as monetary policy, inflation, exchange rates, and human capital, as well as specific rural infrastructure needs like irrigation and electrification. The glossary emphasizes that inclusive transformation is characterized by "poverty reduction, increased food security, and improvements in gender equality and women’s empowerment."

The report examines the drivers and impacts of off-grid solar pump deployment in India, highlighting how low recurring costs can lead to groundwater over-extraction. It maps policies across the water-energy-food nexus, finding that while solar support is strong, groundwater management is relatively under-resourced and often lacks formal integration with energy and food policies.

The report argues that Zimbabwe's economic decline is rooted in the conflation of the state with the ZANU-PF party, leading to state capture, patronage, and corruption. It highlights how government profligacy, excessive borrowing through Treasury Bills, and a protectionist import substitution strategy have fueled inflation and foreign exchange shortages. Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa's 'open for business' rhetoric, the report finds that investment claims are often unsubstantiated and that the government continues to prioritize prestige projects and party loyalty over market-based principles. The author recommends a transition to a market-oriented, export-led economy with an independent central bank and secure property rights.

The report examines the environmental and health impacts of the global livestock sector, highlighting its role in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and antimicrobial resistance. It argues that current consumption trends are incompatible with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. The document analyzes the rise of plant-based and cultured meat alternatives as disruptive innovations and criticizes the lack of government policies to drive a transition, noting that existing subsidies often support intensive farming. It recommends shifting subsidies, implementing meat taxes, and updating dietary guidelines to promote sustainable, low-emission food systems.

The assessment finds that 'green' finance aligned with forest emission reduction is significantly outweighed by 'grey' finance that potentially drives deforestation. While some middle-income countries invest more domestically in REDD+ than they receive internationally, overall international public finance for forestry remains insufficient. Private sector investment in 'business as usual' farming and forestry is estimated at USD 168 billion annually, and while some financial institutions are adopting deforestation risk policies, transparency and mandatory enforcement remain low. The report suggests that blended finance and public sector tools are necessary to shift private capital toward sustainable land use.

The document reviews 87 cases of agricultural interventions, finding that nearly 70% had a positive impact on food security. It emphasizes that success depends more on local context and implementation—such as addressing wealth inequality and combining interventions—than on the specific type of investment. Key analyzed areas include input subsidies, value chain development, and extension services, with recommendations for using direct food security indicators and rigorous baseline assessments in future planning.

The document evaluates the progress of WTO commitments made at the 10th Ministerial Conference (MC10) in Nairobi, specifically regarding agriculture and least-developed countries (LDCs). It highlights significant implementation gaps, such as the lack of a permanent solution for public stockholding for food security and the slow pace of eliminating agricultural export subsidies. The paper notes a fundamental disagreement between developed and developing nations over whether to prioritize the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) or introduce new 21st-century trade issues. For South Africa, the authors recommend aligning with the Africa Group on regional integration and industrialization, supporting the G33 proposal on public stockholding, and backing the ACP proposal on fisheries subsidies to support its own ocean economy.

The author contends that European security requires a shift from simple integration to a multifaceted approach combining 'soft, hard, and smart power'. Key priorities include meeting the 2% GDP defense spending target through joint capabilities, securing external EU borders, supporting state-building in fragile neighboring countries, and investing in green technology and development in Sub-Saharan Africa to mitigate migration and instability caused by climate change.

The author contends that the 'feed the world' slogan used by industrial agriculture masks a system that exacerbates poverty and environmental degradation. The text argues that industrial farming fails the FAO's four criteria for food security—availability, accessibility, resilience, and quality—by promoting monocultures, seed concentration, and market speculation. It highlights how European agricultural subsidies and exports can destroy local rural economies in developing nations. As an alternative, the document promotes agroecology and peasant farming, which emphasize endogenous development, crop diversity, and ecological interaction to achieve genuine food sovereignty.

The study examines the impact of modern irrigation on farmer vulnerability in the Itoiz-Canal de Navarra region, identifying that small-scale diversified farmers are the most vulnerable to both climate and market stressors due to a lack of adaptive capacity, while intensive farmers are the least vulnerable.

The Union of Concerned Scientists calls for a coordinated federal food policy to replace a dysfunctional system that prioritizes commodity crop subsidies over public health and sustainable farming. The document advocates for shifting subsidies toward healthy foods, supporting mid-sized family farms, and adopting agroecological practices to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce healthcare costs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that US farm and food policies are uncoordinated and often work at cross-purposes, leading to economic stagnation in rural areas, environmental degradation, and high public health costs. The brief urges the Trump administration to realign these policies to ensure access to healthy, sustainably produced food while supporting the livelihoods of farmers and food system workers.