Agroecological conditions largely determine the production potential of an agrarian area and its ability to support a number of people. It seems to make sense, therefore, to base economic and policy research on ecoregional zones, rather than on geographical or political boundaries alone. This...

This discussion paper is the first in a series of papers prepared as part of IFPRI's 2020 Vision initiative, which seeks to develop an international consensus on how to meet future world food needs while reducing poverty and protecting the environment. It shows that poverty and environmental...