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of the poor and vulnerable, e.g. a brief that looks criticallyat whether community-based climate adaptation projectsare prone to capture by elites and fail to benefit thepoor. 554 Tackling a specific manifestation of poverty, a briefon child poverty explains that, despite mounting evidenceof its multiple facets, efforts to track progress towards thereduction of child poverty lack reflection of itscomplexities. 555 With an estimated 569 million childrenbelow the age of 18 years in low- and middle-incomecountries living in extreme poverty, measurement andmonitoring efforts still fall short, resulting in policy effortsbeing misdirected or providing an inadequate response.Arguing that pastoralism is a livelihood form uniquelysuited to drylands, one brief argues that long-termmarginalization of pastoralists has resulted in lack of accessto productive assets and basic services, dependence on aid,food crises and conflict. 556 While insightful, the briefsreceived arguably do not capture the breadth of researchand thinking on poverty and development, possibly a resultof a paucity of responses from the relevant researchcommunities, primarily in the social sciences.7.3.2. Agriculture, hunger and food securityAgriculture and food systems face enormous challenges –feeding a world population of nine to ten billion, makingmore efficient use of water and fertilizers, and adapting toclimate change. These issues are addressed in a range ofbriefs. For instance, a brief on agricultural transformationpoints out the need to leverage agriculture to meet healthand nutrition goals, noting that more than 840 millionpeople remain chronically undernourished and two billionpeople face micronutrient deficiencies that inhibit mentaland physical development. 557 Another brief outlining theconditions for sustainable intensification of agriculturecalls, among other things, for large, sustained investmentsin agricultural research, which, it notes, has high rates ofreturn in both developed and developing countries. 558 Alsoagainst the backdrop of meeting increased food needs,another brief examines two alternate agriculturalparadigms: industrial agriculture dependent onagrochemicals, fuel-based mechanization and irrigation,and sustainable, low external input agriculture centred onpreservation of soil organic matter (SOM). 559 Likening theheavy and routine use of fertilizer to an addiction, the briefcontends that the continuous use of industrial practicesdestroys organic matter, with the effect of decreasingfertilizer efficiency, leading to the application of yet morefertilizer.1367.3.3. HealthIn relation to health, several science briefs address issuesrelating to the emergence of infectious diseases and therisks arising from antibiotic resistance. Both issues are fairly“settled” in the scientific community in that they haveserious implications for public health. For example,antibiotic resistant infections cause an estimated 700,000deaths annually. 560 And while the message from thescientific community is that the situation is set to worsen,the issue has not emerged fully on the policy agenda, withlargely piecemeal action at the national level. By contrast, apolicy concern that came strongly to the fore in the SDGs,around non-communicable diseases (NCDs), is not coveredin the science briefs.The recent Ebola pandemic has brought to the fore theneed for improved surveillance, international coordinationand response, as well as the consequences of poorlyresourcednational health systems. The linkage betweengender, health and energy access is reflected in briefsapproximately 300,000 deaths, 88 per cent of which arewomen, are attributed to burns resulting from traditionalcooking fires. 561 The briefs explore interlinkages betweenenergy and air pollution, but there was little coverage ofhealth and hazardous chemicals and water and soilpollution.7.3.4. EducationOn the issue of education, one brief highlighted the impactof early childhood development, a policy priority reflectedin SDG target 4.2. Thus a brief cites research findings thatnutrition and parenting stimulation interventions forinfants and toddlers resulted in impacts 20 years later, inthe form of higher IQ, reduced anxiety, depression andviolence, and 50 per cent higher earnings. 562Other messages from the briefs are the need to mobilizeinstitutions of learning more effectively as agents topromote trans-disciplinary research and build capacity onsustainable development. 5637.3.5. Gender equality and empowerment of womenIn relation to gender equality and empowerment ofwomen, the briefs touched on the dimension of naturalresource management, for instance highlighting theimperative of seeing the role of women in watermanagement beyond domestic uses and training andbuilding the capacity of women so that they can have moreactive leadership roles in water management systems. 564 Inthe area of energy, there is a similar need to increase the