1. IFPRI Materials
   Food Subsidies in Developing Countries: Costs, Benefits, and Policy Options
   The book Food Subsidies in Developing Countries: Costs, Benefits, and Policy Options, edited by Per Pinstrup-Andersen and published in 1988 by Johns Hopkins University Press for IFPRI, is now available for download in PDF format. To download, visit http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/ppa88.htm.

2. IFPRI Dataset
   Malawi: Complementary Panel Survey (2000-2002)
   The Complementary Panel Survey is a continuation of the work undertaken by the Malawi Poverty Monitoring System (PMS) since 1997 in collaboration with the Malawi National Statistical Office, the National Economic Council, and the Center for Social Research of the University of Malawi, along with the technical assistance of IFPRI. The program encompasses the implementation of a regular detailed Integrated Household Survey. The PMS was conceived as part of the Government of Malawi's Poverty Alleviation Programme, launched in 1994. The dataset includes information on education, morbidity, food security and coping strategies, labor and employment, income, expenditures, and transfers. For ordering information, visit http://www.ifpri.org/data/malawi03.htm.

3. PovcalNet: An Interactive Computational Tool for Poverty Data
   PovcalNet, developed by the World Bank's Research Group, is a web-based interactive computational tool that can be used to estimate the extent of absolute poverty in the world, replicating calculations made by the World Bank. The tool enables users to calculate poverty measures under assumptions such as different poverty lines or Purchasing Power Parity values and to assemble the estimates using various country groupings. PovcalNet does real-time calculations from an annually updated database. For more information, visit http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/jsp/index.jsp.

4. Involving the Community: A Guide to Participatory Development Communication
   This book by Guy Bessette, published by Southbound in association with Canada's International Development Research Center, is intended for people working in research and development. It introduces participatory development communication concepts, discusses effective two-way communication approaches, and presents a methodology to plan, develop, and evaluate communication strategies. The book seeks to address the following questions: How can researchers and practitioners improve communication with local communities and other stakeholders? How can two-way communication enhance community participation in research and development initiatives and improve the capacity of communities to participate in the management of their natural resources? How can researchers, community members, and development practitioners improve their ability to effectively reach policymakers and promote change? For more information, visit http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-52225-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html.

5. Eldis Re-Launches Food Security Resource Guide
   This newly updated online Food Security Resource Guide gives in-depth coverage on a broad range of food security issues, with new sections including food aid, nutrition, coping strategies, urban food security, social protection and regional and country-specific food security profiles. For more information, visit http://www.eldis.org/food.

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• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
  ACIAR is a statutory authority that operates as part of the Australian Government's development cooperation programs. The Centre encourages Australia's agricultural scientists to use their skills for the benefit of developing countries and Australia. Its mandate directs activities to developing countries in five regions, namely Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, North Asia, South Asia, and Southern Africa. Research is also allocated across regions through funding to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers. ACIAR’s functions are to commission research into improving sustainable agricultural production in developing countries, fund project-related training, communicate the results of funded research, and conduct and fund development activities related to research programs. For more information, visit http://www.aciar.gov.au/.

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• Food Agriculture, and Natural Resource Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
  FANRPAN is a forum that brings together key stakeholders to facilitate and promote the analysis, implementation, and evaluation of effective policies in the food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors. It aims to provide a forum for discussion of problems and potential solutions; facilitate provision of high-quality, policy-relevant information to policymakers and decisionmakers; and support dialogue forum processes with solid analytical research and analysis, capacity building, information exchange, and sharing of best practices. The main policy areas for FANRPAN intervention are trade, land policy reform, and natural resource management. FANRPAN activities are currently in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. For more information, visit http://www.fanrpan.org.

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Asia

• Organization: International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), Philippines
  Title: International Course on Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation
  Location: Cavite, Philippines
  Date: February 28-March 18, 2005
  Fees: US $2,500
  Contact:
  Monette Pacia/ PME Course Coordinator
  Regional Center for Asia
  Education and Training Program
  International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
  Y.C. James Yen Center
  Km 39 Aguinaldo Highway
  Silang
  Cavite 4118
  Philippines
  Phone: 63-46-414-2417; Fax: 63-46-414-2420
  Email: Monette.Pacia@iirr.org / Education&Training@iirr.org

• The IMA International Ltd, United Kingdom, is offering the following courses:
  Contact:
  Donna Kelly
  Course Administrator
  IMA International Ltd
  Randolphs Farm
  Brighton Road
  Hurstpierpoint
  West Sussex
  BN6 9EL
  United Kingdom
  Phone: 44-0-1273-833-030; Fax: 44-0-1273-833-230
  Email: post@imainternational.com / Faye@imainternational.com
  • Title: Managing Development Projects, Programmes, and Organizations
    Location: Bangkok, Thailand
    Date: November 29-December 10, 2004
    Fees: £ 2,600
    Web: http://www.imainternational.com/mdppot2004.php
    

  • Title: Research Promotion for Development
    Location: Bangkok, Thailand
    Date: February 7-11, 200
    Fees: £ 1,500
    Web: http://www.imainternational.com/rpdtfeb2005.php
    
    

• Organization: Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada
  Title: Certificate in Asset-Based Approaches to Community Development
  Location: Antigonish, Nova Scotia
  Date: May 2-20, 2005
  Fees: $ 3,000 (Canadian dollars)
  Deadline: March 14, 2005 (application)
  Contact:
  The Admissions Officer
  Coady International Institute
  St. Francis Xavier University
  P.O. Box 5000
  Antigonish
  Nova Scotia
  Canada B2G 2W5
  Phone: 902-867-3953; Fax: 902-867-3907
  Email: coadyreg@stfx.ca
  Web: http://www.stfx.ca/institutes/coady/programs_educational_certificate_Participatory.html
  

• The EcoMod Network, United States, is offering the following Winter School 2005 courses:
  Contact:
  Theresa Leary
  EcoMod Network
  33 Tara Circle
  Florence
  Massachusetts 01062
  United States
  Phone: 1-413-586-3203
  Fax: 1-413-517-0900
  Email: theresa.leary@ecomod.net
  • Title: Practical General Equilibrium Modeling with GAMS
    Location: Washington D.C., United States
    Date: January 10-15, 2005
    Fees: US $2,760
    Web: http://www.ecomod.net/courses/cge_introduction/introd_course.htm
    

  • Title: Advanced Techniques in General Equilibrium Modeling with GAMS
    Location: Washington D.C., United States
    Date: January 10-15, 2005
    Fees: US $2,760
    Web: http://www.ecomod.net/courses/cge_advanced/advanced_cge.htm
    

  • Title: Trade Policy Modeling with GAMS
    Location: Washington D.C., United States
    Date: January 10-15, 2005
    Fees: US $2,760
    Web: http://www.ecomod.net/courses/cge_trade/trade_cge.htm
    

• Organizations: Center for Global Trade Analysis at Purdue University, United States and University of Crete, Greece
  Title: 13th Annual Short Course in Global Trade Analysis
  Location: Crete, Greece
  Date: June 18-24, 2005
  Contact:
  Judy Conner
  Global Trade Analysis Project
  Purdue University
  United States
  Phone: 1-765-494-4267; Fax: 1-765-496-1224
  Email: connerjr@purdue.edu; Web: http://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/events/Short_Courses/upcoming.asp
  

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Asia

• Organization: International Society for Horticultural Science, Australia
  Title: Improving the Performance of Supply Chains in the Transitional Economies
  Location: Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  Date: July 19-23, 2005
  Fees: AUD 875 (ISHS members) and AUD 965 (non ISHS members) before April 30, 2005 and AUD 975 (ISHS members) and AUD 1,065 (non ISHS members) after April 30, 2005
  For more information, visit http://muresk.curtin.edu.au/conference/ishscm/ or email Peter J. Batt at p.batt@curtin.edu.au.

• Organizations: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), United Kingdom; Latin American Center for Rural Development (RIMISP), Chile; and Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), The Netherlands
  Title: International Seminar on Regoverning Markets
  Location: De Burcht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  Date: November 18, 2004
  For more information, visit http://www.kit.nl/frameset.asp?/about_kit/html/kit_agenda.asp&frnr=1&ActiviteitID=1867.

• Organizations: Institute of Market Analysis and Agricultural Trade Policy (FAL), Germany and Center for Global Trade Analysis at the Purdue University, United States
  Title: 8th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis
  Location: Radisson SAS Senator Hotel, Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Germany
  Date: June 9-11, 2005
  For more information, visit http://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/events/Conferences/2005/default.asp.

• Organization: National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, United States
  Title: Agricultural Biotechnology: Beyond Food and Energy to Health and the Environment
  Location: Nashville, Tennessee
  Date: June 27-29, 2005
  For more information, visit http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2004/news04.sep.html#sep0407.

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• Organization: Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network, Canada
  Title: Grants for Developing Country Researchers Studying Poverty Issues
  Eligibility: Targets researchers residing in developing countries
  Deadline: November 30, 2004
  Contact:
  John Cockburn/ Sonia Moreau
  Co-director/ Administrative secretary
  Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network
  CIRPÉE
  Department of Economics at Laval University
  Quebec City
  Quebec G1K 7P4
  Canada
  Phone: 1-418-656-2131 ext 2697; Fax: 1-418-656-7798
  Email: jcoc@ecn.ulaval.ca / sonia.moreau@ecn.ulaval.ca
  

• Organization: Rothamsted International, United Kingdom
  Title: Rothamsted International African Fellows Programme
  Eligibility: African citizen or researchers whose scientific work is based in Africa and directed to problems of relevance to Africa; the optimum age range is 27-45 years; women are encouraged.
  Contact:
  Judy Mann
  Rothamsted International
  Harpenden
  Hertfordshire
  AL5 2JQ
  United Kingdom
  Phone: 44-1582-763133 ext. 2475; Fax: 44-1582-467490
  Email: judy.mann@bbsrc.ac.uk
  Web: http://www.rothamsted-international.org/47034%20African%20Fellows%20Leafle.pdf