2020 Focus No. 13Policymaking initiatives in agriculture and public health are often pursued in a parallel and unconnected fashion. Yet coherent, joint action in agriculture and health could have large potential benefits and substantially reduce risks for the poor. Among development professionals there is growing recognition that agriculture influences health, and health influences agriculture, and that both in turn have profound implications for poverty reduction. This recognition suggests that opportunities exist for agriculture to contribute to better health, and for health to contribute to agricultural productivity. To take advantage of these opportunities, however, it is crucial to understand the precise linkages between the two sectors. How do the linkages work? Where do opportunities for joint action lie, and what are the impediments? How can the agricultural and health sectors work together more closely and thereby contribute to addressing poverty?
To help increase the synergies, IFPRI and its sister centers in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have begun an initiative on agriculture and health. Part of this initiative is promoting better coordination of health-related research among CGIAR centers and various partners in the health sector. The linkages between agriculture and health are dynamic and complex, and working across sectors presents significant institutional challenges.
The policy briefs presented here draw on a wide body of research conducted within and outside the CGIAR. They provide a historical context to the links between agriculture and health, deal with specific health conditions and agricultural systems, and examine the challenges to linking agriculture and health in policy. We are grateful to editors Corinna Hawkes and Marie Ruel, as well as to the contributors, for their valuable insights on the multiple, bidirectional linkages between agriculture and health.
Joachim von Braun, Director General
Rajul Pandya-Lorch, Head, 2020 Vision Initiative
Full Text of all Briefs
Individual Briefs in Focus 13:
- OverviewCorinna Hawkes and Marie T. RuelDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH1
- Agriculture, Food, and Health: Perspectives on a Long RelationshipTim LangDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH2
- Agricultural Technology and HealthMichael Lipton, Saurabh Sinha, and Rachel BlackmanDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH3
- Agriculture and Nutrition Linkages: Old Lessons and New ParadigmsCorinna Hawkes and Marie T. RuelDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH4
- Agriculture, Food Safety, and Foodborne DiseasesEwen C. D. Todd and Clare NarrodDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH5
- Agriculture, Malaria, and Water-Associated DiseasesClifford M. Mutero, Matthew McCartney, and Eline BoeleeDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH6
- Agriculture and HIV/AIDSStuart GillespieDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH7
- Occupational Health Hazards of AgricultureDonald ColeDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH8
- Livestock and HealthMaria Angeles O. CateloDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH9
- Fish and HealthNanna Roos, Md. Abdul Wahab, Chhoun Chamnan, and Shakuntala Haraksingh ThilstedDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH10
- Agroforesty, Nutrition, and HealthBrent Swallow and Sophie OcholaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH11
- Agrobiodiversity, Nutrition, and HealthTimothy Johns, Ifeyironwa Francisca Smith, and Pablo B. EyzaguirreDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH12
- Urban Agriculture and HealthDiana Lee-Smith and Gordon PrainDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH13
- Agriculture, Environment, and Health: Toward Sustainable SolutionsRachel Nugent and Axel DrescherDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH14
- Agriculture and Health in the Policymaking ProcessTodd BensonDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH15
- Opportunities for Improving the Synergies between Agriculture and HealthRobert BosDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/Focus13CH16
- Healthy Agriculture for Healthy People, IFPRI Forum, March 2006.
- Understanding the Links between Agriculture and Health
2020 Panel Discussion, 15 May 2006
Streaming video: 100kbps | 56kbps
We will post selected comments on this website. Please see our feedback guidelines for more information. Your e-mail address is required, but on request will not be posted.
Please use this form only for comments on this publication. To order a copy of the publication, please fill out the order form. For general comments on the website, use our website feedback form.