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This 2005 IISD report examines food security as a fundamental human right, moving beyond simple supply metrics to include distribution and individual access. It evaluates four strategies for achieving food security: food self-sufficiency, trade liberalization, food sovereignty, and multi-functional agriculture. The report argues that while trade can stabilize supply, it can also undermine local production and increase vulnerability. It concludes that a pragmatic approach combining flexible trade rules with national policy space and sustainable agricultural practices is necessary to ensure long-term food security.

This IISD Knowledge Communications Practice Note outlines eight success factors for strengthening knowledge management (KM) practices within organizations, drawing on examples from development agencies and research institutes. It emphasizes that KM is most effective when tied to operational needs, implemented at the level of project impact, and supported by a combination of internal and external communication strategies rather than a single overarching corporate strategy.

This 2005 practice note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive glossary and framework for the terminology used in knowledge management for sustainable development. It distinguishes between data, information, and knowledge, categorizes types of knowledge (explicit, tacit, and implicit), and defines various collaborative relationship models and communication tools used to mobilize knowledge for policy and practice.

This 2005 report assesses the sustainability of tourism in St. Lucia, finding that while the sector is a critical economic driver (38% of GDP), it suffers from high leakage due to foreign ownership (55-60% of hotel rooms) and a reliance on package tours. The analysis highlights a vulnerability to external shocks, such as the post-9/11 downturn, and notes a conflict between GATS trade obligations and the government's ability to regulate for environmental and social sustainability. While solid waste management has improved, energy consumption has risen, and the report recommends integrated national planning and voluntary sustainability certifications to optimize local benefits.

This executive summary details a project conducted between October 2002 and December 2004 by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Climate Change and Development Consultants (CC&D), and the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP). The project explored the use of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to promote sustainable development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Chile's transportation sector, specifically focusing on three case studies in Santiago: bicycle infrastructure, bus technology, and location efficiency.

This briefing reports on a November 2004 workshop organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) during the 3rd World Conservation Congress in Bangkok. The session focused on the challenges facing conservation efforts in Nepal due to the ongoing conflict between the government and Maoist rebels, drawing on global strategies to sustain environmental protection during armed conflict.

This research paper, authored by Rachel Goldwyn and Jason Switzer, critiques existing impact assessment tools used by the extractive industry—specifically Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Social Impact Assessments (SIA), and political risk analysis—from a conflict-sensitive perspective. It argues that while these tools are standard, they often fail to identify or mitigate the drivers of violent conflict. The authors propose the development of a Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice (CSBP) toolbox to integrate conflict analysis into the project lifecycle, helping companies minimize their contribution to violence and contribute to peacebuilding.

This background paper, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for a 2004 MISTRA workshop in Malmö, Sweden, proposes a research agenda for Nordic countries on the intersection of trade and environment. Based on a survey of 315 publications from 2002 to 2003, the document identifies significant research gaps, particularly regarding the Doha Development Agenda and southern perspectives, and suggests priority areas for future academic and policy research to support sustainable development.

This research paper, written for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, examines the conceptual and methodological frameworks for full cost accounting (FCA) in agriculture. It defines FCA as the process of valuing environmental and social costs and benefits external to the market, aiming to provide policy makers and farmers with better information for decision-making. The document details various valuation methods—including market-based, circumstantial, and survey-based approaches—and discusses ecosystem frameworks like those from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It applies these theories to case studies in the UK, Japan, and other regions to illustrate how agricultural externalities, such as water pollution and biodiversity loss, can be quantified.

This joint post-hearing submission by several amici curiae (including the International Institute for Sustainable Development) addresses the legal status of environmental measures under the police powers exclusion from expropriation in the NAFTA Chapter 11 arbitration between Methanex Corporation and the United States.

This 2004 research paper analyzes the sustainability crisis in the global coffee sector, highlighting how declining prices, market volatility, and an inequitable distribution of value harm small-scale producers. It argues that while conventional contracts ignore sustainability, a new framework of 'sustainable coffee contracts'—incorporating long-term agreements, price differentials based on sustainability points, and third-party certification—could mitigate these risks and incentivize sustainable production.

This research paper analyzes the tension between multi-stakeholder collaborations aimed at creating sustainability standards for the coffee sector and the constraints of U.S. anti-trust law. It examines how efforts to address market failures—particularly regarding pricing and producer welfare—can be interpreted as illegal restraints of trade under the Sherman Act, and proposes procedural safeguards and intergovernmental involvement to mitigate these legal risks.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines the challenges and recommendations regarding the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) efforts to develop social responsibility (SR) standards. IISD argues that ISO must move beyond its 'business as usual' approach to ensure meaningful participation from developing countries and the broader sustainable development community, while clearly defining the objective of any proposed SR standard.

This report analyzes the intersection of international trade, sustainable development, and agriculture in Central America. It examines the impact of WTO agreements, regional trade negotiations (such as ALCA and CAFTA), and the environmental footprints of key agricultural sectors, proposing a 'Green General System of Preferences' to incentivize sustainable production.

This report reviews Phase One (December 2001 – December 2003) of a project by IUCN, IISD, SEI-B, and Intercooperation aimed at reducing the vulnerability of poor communities to climate change. The project advocates for an integrated approach to adaptation that combines disaster risk reduction, environmental management, and poverty reduction, specifically emphasizing sustainable livelihoods (SL) and ecosystem management and restoration (EM&R). Phase One focused on establishing a theoretical basis, collecting evidence through case studies and desk-based assessments, and communicating this approach to policy audiences to prepare for the operationalization of adaptation in Phase Two.

The 'Standards for Sustainable Trade' project, implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the European Commission, investigated how regional cooperation can reduce technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for developing countries. The report concludes that while regional centers of excellence can offset national capacity gaps, the WTO's TBT Agreement is often unrealistic for developing nations, which act as 'standards takers' rather than 'makers' due to a lack of institutional and scientific resources.

This report, produced by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative (a partnership between UNDP, UNEP, and OSCE), assesses the linkages between environmental stress and human security in the Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). It identifies how environmental degradation, natural hazards, and Soviet-era industrial legacies can exacerbate social tensions and conflict, while proposing that technical environmental cooperation can serve as a tool for peace-building and regional stability.

This report, produced by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative—a partnership between UNDP, UNEP, and OSCE—analyzes the intersection of environmental degradation and human security in the South Caucasus. It identifies priority risk areas in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, focusing on how resource scarcity, industrial legacy, and urban growth can exacerbate social tensions or, conversely, serve as catalysts for regional cooperation.

This guide, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in 2004, provides a framework for monitoring, assessing, and evaluating formal knowledge networks, specifically those focused on environment and international development. It argues that networks should be measured against external benchmarks and strategic plans rather than solely against the internal expectations of their members.

This 2004 practice note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the convergence of knowledge management, information and communications technologies (ICTs), and community engagement. It maps how trends from the private sector, social sciences, and international development are merging to create new forms of governance and knowledge mobilization aimed at sustainable development.