cal knowledge need to be integrated. Traditional and local knowledge constitutes an extensive realm of accumulated practical knowledge and knowledge-generating capacity that is needed if sustainability and development goals are to be reached. The traditional knowledge, identities and practices of indigenous and local communities are recognized under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity as embodying ways of life relevant for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and by others as generated by the purposeful interaction of material and non-material worlds embedded in place-based cultures and identities. Local knowledge re­fers to capacities and activities that exist among rural people in all parts of the world.
     Traditional and local knowledge is dynamic; it may sometimes fail but also has had well-documented, exten­sive, positive impacts. Participatory collaboration in knowl­edge generation, technology development and innovation has been shown to add value to science-based technology development, for instance in Farmer-Researcher groups in the Andes, in Participatory Plant Breeding, the domestica­tion of wild and semiwild tree species and in soil and water management.
     Options for action with proven contribution to achiev­ing sustainability and development goals include collabora­tion in the conservation, development and use of local and traditional biological materials; incentives for and develop­ment of capacity among scientists and formal research or­ganizations to work with local and indigenous people and their organizations; a higher profile in scientific education for indigenous and local knowledge as well as for profes­sional and community-based archiving and assessment of such knowledge and practices. The role of modern ICT in achieving effective collaboration is critical to evolving cul­turally appropriate integration and merits larger investments and support. Effective collaboration and integration would be  supported by international intellectual property  and other regimes that allow more scope for dealing effectively with situations involving traditional knowledge,  genetic resources and community-based innovations. Examples of misappropriation of indigenous and local people's knowl­edge and community-based innovations indicate a need for sharing of information about existing national sui generis and regulatory frameworks.

Women in agriculture
Gender, that is socially constructed relations between men and women, is an organizing element of existing farming systems worldwide and a determining factor of ongoing ag­ricultural restructuring. Current trends in agricultural mar­ket liberalization and in the reorganization of farm work, as well as the rise of environmental and sustainability concerns are redefining the links between gender and development. The proportion of women in agricultural production and postharvest activities ranges from 20 to 70%; their involve-

ment is increasing in many developing countries, particularly with the development of export-oriented irrigated farming, which is associated with a growing demand for female labor, including migrant workers.
     Whereas these dynamics have in some ways brought benefits, in general, the largest proportion of rural women worldwide continues to face deteriorating health and work conditions, limited access to education and control over nat­ural resources, insecure employment and low income. This situation is due to a variety of factors, including the growing competition on agricultural markets which increases the de­mand for flexible and cheap labor, growing pressure on and conflicts over natural resources, the diminishing support by governments for small-scale farms and the reallocation of economic resources in favor of large agroenterprises. Other factors include increasing exposure to risks related to natu­ral disasters and environmental changes, worsening access to water, increasing occupational and health risks.
     Despite progress made in national and international policies since the first world conference on women in 1975, urgent action is still necessary to implement gender and social equity in AKST policies and practices if we are to better address gender issues as integral to development pro­cesses. Such action includes strengthening the capacity of public institutions and NGOs to improve the knowledge of women's changing forms of involvement in farm and other rural activities in AKST. It also requires giving pri­ority to women's access to education, information, science and technology, and extension services to enable improving women's access, ownership and control of economic and natural resources. To ensure such access, ownership and control legal measures, appropriate credit schemes, support for women's income generating activities and the reinforce­ment of women's organizations and networks are needed. This, in turn, depends on strengthening women's ability to benefit from market-based opportunities by institutions and policies giving explicit priority to women farmer groups in value chains.
     A number of other changes will strengthen women's contributions to agricultural production and sustainability. These include support for public services and investment in rural areas in order to improve women's living and work­ing conditions; giving priority to technological development policies targeting rural and farm women's needs and rec­ognizing their knowledge, skills and experience in the pro­duction of food and the conservation of biodiversity; and assessing the negative effects and risks of farming practices and technology, including pesticides on women's health, and taking measures to reduce use and exposure. Finally, if we are to better recognize women as integral to sustain­able development, it is critical to ensure gender balance in AKST decision-making at all levels and provide mechanisms to hold AKST organizations accountable for progress in the above areas.