Behind the current scramble for land in Africa is a global struggle for a commodity increasingly seen as more precious than gold or oil - water Food cannot be grown without water.  In Africa, one in three people suffer from water scarcity and climate change will make things worse. Building...

This manual on Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) is based primarily on the direct experience derived from several years of implementing PPB programmes in a number of countries and on a number of crops, and secondly, from a number of training courses (China, Ethiopia, Jordan, Australia, South Africa) and when necessary,...

In Zambia, more than 1 million rural households can benefit from Agriculture Water Management solutions. Food security, the ability to diversify their crops and increased income are among the potential benefits. For this to happen, support to smallholders should be part of an integrated approach in which all aspects of...

The Zimbabwean dairy subsector consists of a number of actors from input suppliers, milk producers, processors, transporters to service providers. The subsector was and remains dominated by production from the large-scale commercial farms and of late by imports. As a result of the land reform in 2000 and macroeconomic policies,...

Agricultural policies in Rwanda focus on agricultural intensification and increased market orientation of the smallholder farm sector. Cooperatives are seen as key vehicles in this but little is known about their effectiveness to achieve these goals. In this paper we analyze the impact of cooperative membership on agricultural performance for...

These guidelines are designed for all those involved in planning and implementing sheep breeding activities with resource-poor farmers in developing countries. This includes research centers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmers’ associations and livestock development projects, and government extension officials. The guidelines address the lack of generic direction on designing and implementing...

The study ascertained the availability and use of telecommunication/computer information and communication technologies among farmers in Orumba South L.G.A of Anambra State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to describe the demographic characteristics of the farmers in the study area, identify Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in telecommunication/computer available...

Le conseil à l’exploitation agricole familiale (CEF) est souvent considéré comme un successeur prometteur en Afrique de l’Ouest du Système formation et visites (SFV) qui a été depuis les années 1980 le principal système de vulgarisation. Cet article présente une analyse comparative des CEF et SFV en s’appuyant sur l’expérience...

Zimbabwe’s economy is starting to turn around after almost a decade of recession characterized by macroeconomic and political challenges. During this time, the near collapse of formal marketing channels, as well as shortages and high prices of key agricultural inputs (fertilizers, seeds, crops and chemicals), resulted in steep drops in...

This paper investigates the relationship between food security and commercialisation using data from a household survey in National Smallholder Farmer Association of Malawi (NASFAM) operated areas. NASFAM promotes commercialisation of agriculture by introducing the principle of farming as a business among its members who are largely smallholder subsistent farmers. The...

During the coming decades, global change will impact food and water security in significant but highly uncertain ways. There are strong indications that developing countries will bear the brunt of the consequences, particularly from climate change. In Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture—the mainstay of rural livelihoods—is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts...

Ce film court présente d'une façon didactique et concrète les contraintes et difficultés des exploitations agricoles familiales au Sénégal (accès à la terre, aux intrants, à l'eau et au crédit), en insistant sur les différents types d'exploitations et sur les revendications des organisations paysannes. Les cartes et données chiffrées permettent...

The present edition highlights the significance of the forestry sector to the overall economy and its importance overall in the region’s land use, demonstrating its potential to make a difference in improving (or worsening) an economy’s green credentials. It is an important message about forestry and greenness.

 En Afrique de l'Ouest des dispositifs de conseil à l'exploitation agricole familiale ont été développés pour mieux répondre aux nouvelles attentes des producteurs. L'objectif de l'article est de montrer que ces dispositifs pluri-institutionnels peuvent être appréhendés comme des systèmes complexes dont le fonctionnement est fortement contraint par le mode de...

The introduction of the Integrated Weed Management (IWM) in Zimbabwe’s small holder sector seemed to be the answer to the weed management problem in the sector. However up to the present moment the drudgery associated with weeding still dominate in the sector. Research in Zimbabwe has investigated various techniques varying...

The African Organic Agriculture Training Manual consists of several modules with materials for trainers and corresponding handouts for farmers. The materials are an intermediate step towards a comprehensive collection of training materials to promote organic and other sustainable farming practices in Africa. The aim is to continuously add new materials...

Sudan is among the global ‘hotspots’ for large-scale land acquisitions. Although most of this investment activity was thought to be focused in the Northern part of the country, recent research indicates that a surprising number of large-scale land acquisitions have also taken place in the South in recent years. Now...

Agriculture provides an indispensable part of the livelihoods of the poorest households in southern Africa. The sector is a primary source of income for the rural population and contributes to foreign exchange earnings for southern African economies. Over 70 percent of the arable land is under smallholder agriculture in Sub...

The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) surveys which have collected information on many dimensions of household well-being for over 36 countries since 1980 are one of the most important data sources for informing policy making on development. The LSMS surveys have been used to assess household welfare, to understand household...

This first video of a three-part series observes how FAO has used EU funding to provide 44,000 farmers with training, machinery and other inputs as part of an initiative to increase agricultural production and productivity in Sierra Leone, in partnership with the Government and other humanitarian organizations. 44,000 small holder...