United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2018 provides a wide range of statistics and indicators relevant to the analysis of international trade, investment, maritime transport and development. Reliable statistical information is indispensable for formulating sound policies and recommendations that may commit countries for many years as they strive to integrate into the world economy and improve the living standards of their citizens.

The guide is aimed at Investment Promotion Agencies intended to provide practical advice in attracting foreign direct investment in the tourism sector. It follows a step-by-step approach, supported by best practice case studies, for the development and implementation of an investment promotion strategy, the identification of opportunity areas and approaching potential foreign investors.

The aim of the present report is to examine the changing context within which the reptile skin trade has existed (“where we came from”), the extent of the current industry and its regulatory strengths and weaknesses (“where we are now”), and what the future can or should bring (“where we go from here”).

This paper illustrates the potential for developing sustainable environment management practices such as BioTrade in Latin America. These results are presented through case studies built on the experiences of BioTrade practitioners and programmes at the national, regional and international levels such as SMEs, multinational corporations (MNCs), financial entities and clusters.

Can agricultural water management (AWM) technologies provide innovative solutions that can help to meet this challenge of feeding a growing, mostly disadvantaged, population by producing more food but with fewer resources? This paper reviews the water-food-poverty nexus and examines the role that AWM technologies may play in achieving world food and water security.

For a large number of developing countries, agriculture remains the single most important sector. Climate change has the potential to damage irreversibly the natural resource base on which agriculture depends, with grave consequences for food security.

The key message of this publication is that the occurrence of the global economic and financial crisis and the interrelated climate, food, and water crises offers a window of opportunity to embark on a path of more resilient and sustainable economic growth. The key challenge is to avoid responding to the crises with measures that perpetuate economically, socially and environmentally unsustainable production and consumption patterns.