This brief provides a rigorous and standardized approach for value chain analysis and design (VCA/D).1 It assumes that a specific value chain (VC) has already been selected and describes how to complete the first two steps for its sustainable evelopment, namely analysing the VC and designing an upgrading strategy and development plan for it.2 The next step, beyond this brief, is the implementat…
Commercial quality standards for agricultural produce are developed and approved by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe through its Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards. These international standards facilitate trade, encourage high-quality production, improve profitability and protect consumer interests. They are used by governments, producers, traders, importers and e…
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings. They define relationships between individuals and power structures, especially the State. Human rights delimit State power and, at the same time, require States to take positive measures ensuring an environment that enables all people to enjoy their human rights. History in the past 250 years has been shaped by the struggle to create such an…
There are many factors to be considered in selecting a crop for production. A farmer’s previous experience producing a crop, or the availability of a contract for the purchase of a crop are certainly factors in the decision. However, there are two factors which always must be considered. However, from a practical standpoint the number of years and crops to include in a crop rotation will dep…
Few building materials possess the environmental benefits of wood. It is not only our most widely used building material but also one with characteristics that make it suitable for a wide range of applications. As described in the many chapters of this handbook, efficient, durable, and useful wood products produced from trees can range from a minimally processed log at a log-home building site …
Although the pandemic has had an impact on nearly everyone’s life, there have been particular concerns about the mental and physical health of the millions of young Europeans whose formative years have been marked by disruptions in their education and social activities. In several European countries such as Belgium, Estonia, France, Sweden and Norway, the share of young people reporting sympt…
Universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030 (SDG 7.1) is a prerequisite and catalyst for improving the living and working conditions of all the world's people. The lack of access to modern energy is a barrier to achieving several other SDGs, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Receiving access to modern energy helps people lift themselves…
Stimulated by the urgency of the Second World War, nuclear science progressed rapidly from the discovery of the neutron by Sir James Chadwick in 1932. Out of this basic knowledge came the discovery in 1939 that when atoms fission (i.e. are split), energy is released. This led in turn to the first controlled chain reaction (1943), the first atomic weapon (1945), and the first production of elect…
Time is running out to meet the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Despite efforts by some regions to decarbonise, transport emissions will not fall fast enough, as transport demand will grow in the years to come. By 2050, passenger demand will increase by 79% under the Current Ambition scenario and freight demand will…
It is one of the most important demographic megatrends with implications for all aspects of our societies. Ageing is already having a far-reaching impact on living arrangements and the way that societies and economies work. The process of change towards more aged societies is inevitable. Ageing is happening in different regions and in countries at various levels of development. It is proceeding…