International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development Study

The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) is a landmark 3-year (2005–2007) study cosponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the UN Education and Science Organization, the UN Development Programme, the UN Environmental Organization, the Global Environmental Facility, and the World Bank that had “business as usual is not an option in agriculture” as a major conclusion. Made up of a global assessment and five subglobal regional assessments, the goal of the IAASTD was to assess agricultural knowledge, science, and technology (AKST) over the past 50 years and to formulate recommendations for the next 50 years in order to ask how AKST can [Page 844]be used to reduce hunger and poverty; improve rural livelihoods, nutrition, ...