On 1st July 2009, 70 experts attended the 12th Brussels Development Briefing organised by the CTA and its partners on "The Role of Livestock for ACP countries: challenges and opportunities ahead”. This Briefing discussed key issues on livestock for ACP countries and reviewed the role of livestock for ACP economies and the drivers of change. For further information (including presentations and interviews): http://www.brusselsbriefings.net.

Governments are misusing EU rural development funds by channelling money to farm lobbies rather than using it for projects to improve biodiversity, argues a global alliance of national conservation NGOs in a new study. We have shown that there is a lot of abuse going on, and member states are clearly favouring certain farm lobbies rather than environmental benefits", aid Ariel Brunner, BirdLife International's senior EU agriculture policy officer, lamenting that national governments are failing to grasp the environmental opportunities provided by the EU's Rural Development Policy . A BirdLife study published on 7 May, reviews the potential effects on biodiversity of the EU's rural development programmes 2007-2013, and presents a range of best and worst-practice case studies.
Source: Euractiv

To mark World Health Day, European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou will visit several community health projects in Kenya on 6 and 7 April. These projects promote social and economic development through poverty alleviation and strengthening health and education. Improving health conditions and strengthening access to healthcare are important objectives for the European Union, both for its own citizens and within the EU's external cooperation. Commissioner Vassiliou taped a video message recalling the close links between health and productivity and the need to foster good health, especially in vulnerable groups, in particular in these times of economic crisis.
Source: European Commission

The next Brussels Development Briefing will be held on 25th February in Brussels (Centre Borschette) on 'Land access and rural development: New challenges, new opportunities' and will discuss the links between property rights, investment and the generation of economic opportunities in rural areas. It will look at the correlation between inequality in the distribution of land and economic growth. It will also discuss the new challenges of global commercial interest in land and natural resources and the issue of rich countries buying millions of hectares of agricultural land in ACP countries. To know more and register contact: boto@cta.int.