The Proceedings of the AFM (Association of Faculties of Agriculture in Africa) Sixth General Conference on Food Security and Agriculture Research in Africa are now available. Their printing was funded by CTA.

The Conference recognised the key role that departments of agricultural education and other agricultural institutions must play in ensuring food security in Africa. It recommended that a ´´Strategy to strengthen national agricultural research in Africa,, be set up, and concluded that at least 2% of agricultural Gross Domestic Product must be spent on research, for the lonq-term interests of a country. Other key recommendations centred on increasing the amount of training given to small farmers, and making sure that all training is designed to tackle the problems of a particular area. Extension programmes should include topics such as family planning alongside agriculture. To its own members, the A FAA emphasises the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to research and problem-solving.

The Conference was held at Lome in November 1987. The recommendations appear in Arabic, French and English, with individual papers published in the language of their authors (either French or English).

Copies of the Proceedings are available from AFM, c/o Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II B.P. 6284 Instituts, Rabat, Morocco.

CARIS CARIBBEAN

DIRECTORY

CARIS (The Current Agricultural Research Information System) has recently published a Directory of Current Agricultural Research Projects in the Caribbean. This directory is the first of its kind for the region, and was made possible through financial assistance from CTA.

CARIS is an international information system which records current agricultural research projects that are being carried out in, or relate to, developing countries. It aims to be a useful tool for research planning and management, providing data on agriculture and related science research. CARIS also acts as an international information exchange on agricultural activifies

The CARIS CARIBBEAN Directory lists research projects by country. There are also comprehensive crossreferencing indices. These list projects by subject, by institution, by research workers, by speciality of researchers, and by research workers at each national institution. A Subject Category Index brings together all related projects in the region and can help to identify areas of regional activity.

This directory was produced by the Main Library at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. The first edition does not include Jamaica, but a second edition planned for later this year, hopes to cover that island also.

Copies of the CARIS CARIBBEAN Directory are available from Shirley Evelyn, The Main Library, University of the West Indies, St Augustine. Trinidad, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO