SciDev.Net

Small farmers could beat increasing prices in food and fertiliser by producing more of their own crops at lower cost, argues William Dar.

Developing-world scientists should make every effort to pursue careers at home – and their governments should help them, says Mohamed Hassan.

African malaria research networks have helped scientists combat the disease, but they need more stable support and longer-term funding, says Thomas Egwang.

Renewed political commitment means China and India could set the pace for bilateral South–South collaboration, say Purnima Rupal and Dinesh Abrol.

Hypertensive disease kills large numbers in developing countries, but efforts to tackle it are lacking, say Stephen MacMahon and colleagues.

Volunteer citizen scientists are an important resource — particularly for developing countries, argue Nigel Winser and Raghu Saxena.

Thousands of traditional crop species could help break dependence on a few global food crops, and offer valuable environmental services, says Monty Jones.

Better education, effective communication and dissemination of information could quell dangerous pseudoscience, argues George Claassen.

The UN has underestimated the technological challenges of stemming carbon emissions, say Roger Pielke Jr, Tom Wigley and Christopher Green.

Amy C. Morrison and colleagues outline key preventative measures for controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads disease.

Sustainable governance in the Gulf of Mexico calls for joint action by Cuba, Mexico and the United States, argues Jorge Brenner.

Peter J. Hotez argues that the Guantanamo camp should be converted into a research institute for Latin America's neglected diseases.

Let's encourage the mood of political cooperation on the big issues during the International Year of Planet Earth, says Nasser Ennih.

The UN is inhibiting innovation through over-regulation of new biotechnologies, argues Henry I. Miller.

More research is needed to see whether the success of the WHO's tuberculosis programme is at risk, say G. E. Davies and S. B. Squire.

Brazil should use its resources to form a public–private partnership to tackle its neglected disease burden, says Peter J. Hotez.

Revised HIV/AIDS figures are a sign of better data, not that the epidemic is slowing. There is still much to be done, says Kevin De Cock.

Colombia should think big when designing scientific policies, instead of being concerned with saving money, says Eduardo Behrentz.

Lack of drugs is a factor in the likely failure to meet MDG targets to lower maternal mortality, write Nicholas M. Fisk and Rifat Atun.

As breast cancer cases rise in the developing world, low-income countries must detect the disease in its early stages, writes Peggy Porter.