Cattle farmers in Arusha, Manyara and Morogoro regions are the latest beneficiary of the collaboration between the Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in collaboration with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB). They have been working together to improve pastoral production through innovative value chain approaches in breeding, feeding and health care. The project comes under the programme for Enhancing Pro-poor Innovations in Natural Resources and Agricultural Value –chains (Epinav) which started in 2011 and is expected to end next year.The principal objective of the Epinav programme is to address up-scaling of proven technologies and promote adoption of agriculture and natural resources to the effects of Climate Change.

Two thirds of our planet is covered by oceans and seas. If we manage them in a responsible manner, they can provide sources of food, medicine and energy while protecting ecosystems for generations to come. However, in order to make this possible, we need to know more about our seas and oceans. The Commission has therefore today presented an Action Plan for Innovation in the 'Blue Economy' to help use ocean resources sustainably and drive growth and jobs in Europe.

EUCARINET will produce a publication by the Mid June 2014 that is asks researchers who wish to be present in a final publication to include their Research profile in EUCARINET DATABASE, by Mid May 2014. The EUCARINET Project's  main objective is to promote and support a long lasting sustainable multi-stakeholder, bi-regional policy dialogue on S&T between EU Member States (MS), Associated States (AS) and the Caribbean Region including the Caribbean ACP countries, overseas departments and collectivities, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) at the level of policy, programme and research institutions.

The European Union (EU) has called for an increase in investment for research and technology in order to address the challenges of food insecurity. According to the EU’s ambassador to Kenya, Lodewijk Briet, it is part of a wider development strategy to develop agriculture and increase food production. The ambassador said research is crucial in fighting poverty and improving the livelihoods of many households in Africa.

EUCARINET is looking for researchers interested in enlarging their S&T contacts with European researchers and Caribbean Ones. They would like to invite them to be present in a final publication that EUCARINET will produce by the Mid June 2014. For participating, the researchers are asked to include their Research profile in EUCARINET database, by Mid May 2014.

The European Union is mobilizing resources to assist those affected by the recent floods and earthquakes in the Solomon Islands. The European Commission is giving €240 000 in humanitarian aid to help the most vulnerable people. Environmental expertise will be deployed to the islands through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism as part of a joint EU/UN mission to help assess the risks triggered by the heavy rains.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed the results of their joint work to develop targets and indicators for a new global development paradigm for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition. This is a critical contribution to the ongoing intergovernmental discussions on the post-2015 development agenda which will follow the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

April 2014 is set to be an important month for global health and the fight against poverty-related and neglected diseases, writes Vicky Ford. At the European parliament's plenary session this week, she hopes to see the endorsement of the agreement on the second phase of the European and developing countries clinical trials partnership programme (EDCTP2), an important pillar in the EU's contribution to these challenges.

An extra €150 million for urgent humanitarian aid and food assistance and €37 million for the Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights for this year was approved by Parliament’s Budgets Committee on Thursday. This will enable the European Commission to pay the most urgent bills, but payment problems in the external action field will surely recur in the course of this year, MEPs said.

Overseas development aid (ODA) jumped 6.1% last year to reach a record $134.8 (€97.8) billion, according to new figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), marking a “rebound” after two years of falling donations. Some 17 of the OECD’s 28 member countries increased their ODA spending in 2013, bringing the group’s average aid spending to 0.3% of Gross National Income, although this is still less than half the 0.7% figure that developed countries have pledged to meet by 2015.