AIA FEATURED BOOKS
Edited by David J. Bennett and Richard C. Jennings
"An excellent source of non-partisan information for policy-making and public discourse on agricultural biotechnology in emerging economies."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
The Fastest Billion: The Story Behind Africa's Economic Revolution
By Charles Robertson
"The Fastest Billion is a realistic roadmap for Africa's coming prosperity. This is a mandatory handbook for policymakers, practitioners and students of contemporary global development."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Engineers for Africa: Identifying Engineering Capacity Needs in Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa-UK Engineering for Development Partnership
"This study goes a long way in reinforcing the priority that African policy-makers are starting to place on the role of engineering in development."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?
By Gordon Conway
"One Billion Hungry is an excellent source of evidence-based proposals on how to feed the world in a sustainable manner. It is an antidote for pessimism and will go a long way in inspiring the global community to act in time. The book is as inspirational as it is pragmatic."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Agricultural Development in China and Africa: A Comparative Analysis
By Li Xiaoyun, Qi Gubo, Tang Lixia, Zhao Lixia, Jin Leshan, Guo Zhanfeng, and Wu Jin
"This book is an inspirational source of lessons from China's agriculture for African policy makers. It provides a healthy balance between analytical rigour and policy relevance. It is an antidote for those skeptical about the relevance of China's economic history for contemporary Africa."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Biotechnology Innovation
Edited by David Castle
"This is an outstanding piece of scholarship. It will serve as a powerful stimulant for new research in the field and as a reliable guide for practitioners."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Delivering Development: Globalization's Shoreline and the Road to a Sustainable Future
By Edward R. Carr
"Delivering Development is a vivid confirmation that development is an expression of human capabilities. It offers excellent guidance on how to foster the autonomy of action. I recommend it for anyone interested in a more just world, not just development."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Run of the Red Queen: Government, Innovation, Globalization, and Economic Growth in China
By Dan Breznitz and Michael Murphree
"Run of the Red Queen is an excellent reminder to policy-makers that the pursuit of cutting-edge scientific research is not a pre-requisite for becoming an important player on the global economic scene. It demystifies the field of innovation and puts it within reason for most emerging countries."
— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves
By Matt Ridley
"This book is the ultimate cure for pessimism, unadulterated." — Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
By Jeremy Rifkin
"Jeremy Rifkin was always ahead of his time. The New Industrial Revolution confirms that the times have caught up with him. It is no longer possible to ignore his vision for the future of humankind." — Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Technology and Innovation Report 2011: Powering Development with Renewable Energy Technologies
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
"This well-written and accessible report should serve as a handbook for every policy maker interested in bequeathing a better world to next generations. It is an excellent primer for students of international environmental diplomacy." — Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Innovation And Technological Catch-Up: The Changing Geography of Wine Production
Edited by Elisa Giuliani, Andrea Morrison, & Roberta Rabellotti
"Most studies of technological catch-up focus on industrial competitiveness. This book demonstrates the significant role that agricultural innovation can play in technological dynamism. Even more importantly, it offers ample evidence of the knowledge-intensive character of natural resource industries. Its refreshing analysis provides excellent insights to emerging countries seeking to play a key role the global economy using natural resources as an entry point."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Can Economic Growth Be Sustained?
The Collected Papers of Vernon W. Ruttan and Yujiro Hayami
Edited by Keijiro Otsuka and C. Ford Runge
"This collection of essays is an excellent representation of the originality of thinking, depth of analysis and breadth of applicability of the intellectual legacy of Vernon W. Ruttan and Yujiro Hayami. It is powerful addition to the reading list of those interested in the role of innovation in long-term economic transformation."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
The Grandest Challenge: Taking Life-Saving Science from Lab to Village
By Abdallah Daar & Peter A Singer
"An engaging account...inspirational. The authors of this book are role models for how empathy and dedication to social justice can serve as powerful forces to solve our most difficult global challenges."— Calestous Juma, Harvard Kennedy School
Agro-Technology
A Philosophical Introduction
By R. Paul Thompson
This book looks at GMOs and includes an explanation of the scientific background, an analysis of ideological objections, a discussion of legal and ethical concerns, and a suggested alternative—organic agriculture.
Building National And Regional Innovation Systems:
Institutions for Economic Development
by Jorge Niosi
"...[T]his book provides an excellent discussion of the emerging perspective on development strategy."
— Richard R. Nelson, Columbia University and Columbia Earth Institute
Tomorrow's Table
Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food
by Pamela C. Ronald and
R. W. Adamchak
"...[T]he noteworthy aspect of the book is the way they then marry their separate fields to argue logically for the use of GM technologies to improve organic agriculture. Ronald and Adamchak's clear, rational approach is refreshing...." —Science Magazine
The New Harvest:
Agricultural Innovation in Africa
by Calestous Juma
"...a convincing analysis of the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sectors of Africa." — Elinor Ostrom, 2009 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
Read all of the chapters online>
Read a related Power & Policy blog post by Calestous Juma>
Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know
by Robert Paarlberg
The politics of food is changing fast. In rich countries, obesity is now a more serious problem than hunger. Consumers once satisfied with cheap and convenient food now want food that is also safe, nutritious, fresh, and grown by local farmers using fewer chemicals. Heavily subsidized and under-regulated commercial farmers are facing stronger push-back from environmentalists and consumer activists, and food companies are under the microscope. Meanwhile in developing countries, agricultural success in Asia
has spurred income growth and dietary enrichment, but agricultural failure in Africa has left one third of all citizens undernourished. The international markets that link these diverse regions together are subject to sudden disruption, as noted when an unexpected spike in international food prices in 2008 caused street riots in a dozen or more countries.
In an easy-to-navigate, question-and-answer format, Food Politics carefully examines and explains the most important issues on today's global food landscape, including the food crisis of 2008, famines, the politics of chronic hunger, the Malthusian race between food production and population growth, international food aid, controversies surrounding "green revolution" farming, the politics of obesity, farm subsidies and trade, agriculture and the environment, agribusiness, supermarkets, food safety, fast food, slow food, organic food, local food, and genetically engineered food.
