In this issue of CGIAR News, we are adding to its contents a new feature, consisting of reviews of books that are highly pertinent to our work and should be brought to the attention of our stakeholders. The first contributor is Richard Thomas, who is a Research Program Director at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). We encourage readers to take advantage of this new option for sharing views and fostering the dissemination of valuable information.

Havnevik K, Negash T, Beyene A (eds). 2006. Of global concern: Rural livelihood dynamics and natural resource governance. Sida studies no. 16, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency: Stockholm.

Countering much conventional practice in rural development, this book challenges researchers to make greater efforts to understand the complexities faced by local institutions as they help the rural poor cope with economic and environmental constraints. By paying closer attention to differing perceptions of poverty and risk, as well as to customs and social pressures, researchers can gain greater insight, the authors suggest, into local circumstances and generate more relevant technological, institutional and policy options.

Examples of such in-depth analysis are provided in the book's ten case studies, of which eight are from developing countries and, interestingly, two are from Europe. Chapter 1, reporting on a study carried out in Tanzania, suggests that researchers need to exercise caution against selectively using statistics on national productivity, and it calls for more careful use of baseline studies in, for example, World Bank assessments. A case from Ethiopia, presented in Chapter 2, highlights the importance of understanding different perceptions and classifications of poverty and risk, as well as the intergenerational factors driving land use and distribution - aspects that are often overlooked in projects on natural resource management. Chapter 3 similarly stresses the importance of cultural norms, reciprocity and social pressures underlying land use in Burkino Faso. These factors may not be taken into account by short-term projects that employ rapid rural appraisals and cursory interviews or that focus narrowly on market pathways. Yet they are features of the social networks that are important for achieving sustainable development in the long term.

Chapter 4 argues, though not convincingly, that common property may be a valid alternative to private ownership for solving environmental problems. This case is based on examples from Chile, Mexico and South Africa. Chapter 5, dealing with the Ethiopian highlands, focuses on the problem of the equitable distribution of land over time and on problems associated with diminishing plot size under individual ownership. It also addresses the problem of excessive interference by the state, which may inhibit progress toward improved land productivity.

The regrettable demise of highly productive agriculture in Zimbabwe and the collapse of rational land use under a corrupt political regime are detailed in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 offers, in contrast, a heartening example of how local communities in Tanzania can work with the central government, despite differences in their objectives, to achieve successful community-based forest management. Chapter 8 describes a losing struggle in Colombia to increase popular participation in rural development against a background of violence associated with political divisions and narcotics trafficking. Chapter 9 contrasts the organization of women's groups for community forest management in Sweden and India, highlighting the importance of inter-dependencies between women and men.

The book concludes with a thought-provoking discussion on the role of community groups in "local governance arrangements" and their possible role as a base for political action that complements multi-party politics in developed countries. Interestingly, this case study concludes that institutional power over natural resources is being devolved much more quickly in developing than in industrialized countries, implying that the North has much to learn from the South about this important process.

Through the case studies, this book makes a strong case that international research organizations such as the Centers supported by the CGIAR must delve more deeply into rural livelihood dynamics and natural resource governance at the local level. Only by doing so can they develop reliable typologies of diverse situations and extract from them generic principles on which to base interventions across many sites. The information needed for this purpose can be obtained only by building mutual trust and understanding with local populations. Learning to build and manage such partnerships is essential for interdisciplinary research teams. Equally clear is the need for these teams to provide local organizations with practical and effective tools and methods for achieving the sustainable management of natural resources.