define or give a long answer about the the agriculture of asia?

Answer 1

Promoting Sustainable Rural Development through Agriculture

The challenges facing world agriculture - including water shortages, soil erosion, the impact of global climate change, and the shrinking area of arable land - are enormous. But facing these challenges is the key to achieving and maintaining global food security, which will require stable supplies of nutritious food to be made available in order for people to have a healthy lifestyle. It will also require producing enough food to meet the needs of the growing world population and ensuring equitable distribution of that food so it is accessible to all. New production technologies will have to be developed and disseminated, appropriate polices adopted, public and private sector institutions strengthened, and fair access given to national and international markets. All of this must be done in a way that will allow agriculture to flourish without degrading the natural resource base - the natural capital upon which all economies are based.

But the role of agriculture extends beyond food security; it is also pivotal in the eradication of poverty in developing countries. Reducing poverty is not just about people having adequate amounts of food to eat and enough wealth for the consumption of essential goods. It is about achieving a sustainable livelihood: a way of life that meets present and future needs and that is resilient to fluctuations in the environmental and socioeconomic conditions.

In March 2003, the CIDA published a policy paper on the role of agriculture in advancing sustainable rural development as part of Canada's development assistance program. The document is the product of considerable consultation with CIDA's Canadian and international partners. It articulates agriculture's potential contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and provides an assessment of CIDA's options for supporting enhanced food production. Program priorities will focus on:

* strengthening national capacities,
* creating and using traditional and new knowledge for development,
* enhancing food security, agricultural productivity, and income,
* promoting agricultural sustainability and natural resource management, and
* developing well-functioning markets.

The forest sector is well positioned to contribute to achieving the goals and priorities for agriculture development and sustainable livelihoods through CIDA's cooperation programs in Asia.

Forests in Asia, as elsewhere, are important for their economic, environmental, and social values and they support the complex ecosystems on which sustainable agriculture is based. Forests cover over 800 million hectares or nearly 30% of Asia's land area and play a major role in sustaining life in the region. They provide a variety of products, many vital services, and form part of the cultural and spiritual heritage of many of the world's peoples.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that within the region there are 450 million people who depend on forests to sustain their livelihoods Most of these people live in rural areas and they are some of the least privileged members of society. For example, the ADB estimates that 40 percent of the income of rural households in Laos comes from the collection of forest-derived food, firewood, and other non-wood forest products. These sources provide an important income supplement to rice production for the family budget.

This paper outlines the important contributions that can be made by investments in the forest sector to achieve sustainable rural development, including its support to sustainable agriculture.

Answer 2

I'm sorry, how many hours do you have? Do you have any idea how many countries there are in Asia? If you maybe gave me a country or region, I might be able to assist you; I'm a research librarian. I will not do your homework for you. I will happily be your guide though.

First of all, what country or region. Secondly, are you talking sustainable agriculture? Natural conditions (like rain) that effect agriculture? How much of the gross national product of each nation is from agriculture? What about livestock? Or are you just talking about cash crops from each country?

Asking for a "long answer about the agriculture of Asia" is so general I could write you a 150 page thesis and you would have barely scratched the surface. Tell me specifically what your teacher asked for and I can help you find really great source material that will impress the heck out of him or her.