The next Brussels Development Briefing will be held on the 14 September 2011 and will be organised in partnership with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency. We will discuss the main challenges involved in rural transformation processes by sharing different perspectives on rural transformation processes across continents.

Rajul Pandya-Lorch is head of IFPRI's 2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment Initiative, a global initiative that seeks to identify solutions for meeting world food needs while reducing poverty and protecting the environment.

While no government has yet declared that the Doha Round is dead, it is clearly on life support. It is therefore important to consider the options facing the WTO before the next Ministerial Conference in Geneva on December 15-17.

The first estimate for euro area (EA17) trade with the rest of the world in June 2011 gave a 0.9 bn euro surplus, compared with +0.7 bn euro in June 2010. The May 2011 balance was +0.2 bn, compared with -4.9 bn in May 2010. In June 2011 compared with May 2011, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 4.7% and imports by 4.1%.

The problems arising from increasing urbanisation are at the heart of this year’s world water week taking placei n Stockholm from 21 to 27 August. Many presentations and discussions therefore focus on urban water management. Around 2,500 experts are expected to attend the conference.