World Summit on Sustainable
Development
The World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD),
held in August 2002 in Johannesburg, South
Africa, was a follow up to the 1992 Summit
in Rio de Janeiro. WSSD brought together
world leaders from business, government,
education, and non-government organizations
to develop global policy, outcomes, and
actions that directly relate to the NIFA
mission.
USDA Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley was among
the official U.S. Government delegation and
was a highly visible participant. The United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
(UNCSD) has posted the WSSD Declaration
and Plan of Implementation.
NIFA is actively involved in implementing
several of the recommendations from the 2002
WSSD in the areas of partnerships, energy,
and agriculture.
NIFA shares in the funding of two of the
major WSSD Partnerships:
- My Community, Our Earth: Geographic Learning
for Sustainable Development (MyCOE)
- White Water to Blue Water (WW2BW)
NIFA research investments and education
in new bio-based fuels and products support
energy efficiency and the use of renewable
energy worldwide, as recommended by the WSSD
delegation.
The knowledge generated by the NIFA Sustainable
Agriculture Program contributes to improving
both subsistence farming on marginal lands
and productivity worldwide. The NIFA's Sustainable
Agriculture Program received a substantial
share of the total U.S. Government funding
for sustainable agriculture in 2003.
Finally, as recommended by the Summit ,
NIFA will continue to focus on the capacity
of our research, education, and extension
partners to integrate sustainable development
projects, programs, and courses in higher
education and county extension efforts.
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