The status and characteristics of the 302 smallholder irrigation schemes found in South Africa are discussed and knowledge on South African smallholder irrigation schemes generated by the Water Research Commission (WRC) over a period of nearly 20 years is reviewed. Themes covered include planning, design and technology; plot-holders and their...

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) is a major staple food in Burundi; thus increasing its production and marketing has the potential for raising incomes of the farming households. In the country, bean outputs have been declining for decades, yet demand for the crop in East Africa has surged considerably. This...

Despite heavy investment made by various organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, to promote conservation farming, the adoption of this technology remained low. Therefore, this study was carried out to estimate the factors determining the adoption of conservation farming by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by theory of adoption....

S’appuyant sur l’expérience des producteurs en agroécologie et sur la capacité de mobilisation collective d’une organisation paysanne, le projet, implanté à Bamako et à Sanankoroba, vise à offrir une formation de qualité aux acteurs, de partenariats locaux et solidaires adaptés au contexte malien : les kiosques alimentaires locaux.

The year 2011 has been proclaimed the International Year of Forests (in brief “Forests 2011”) and it is being celebrated under the theme “Forests for People”. This is truly a remarkable theme. One cannot come close to covering all of it in a single edition of Nature & Faune as...

What is the future for Sub-Saharan African farms? What role can they play in the development of the subcontinent? These are crucial issues which require answers. The issue of feeding the planet has once again become crucial. The first challenge for these farms is consequently to produce more and better...

The sugar industry is the backbone of Swaziland's economy, with annual revenue exceeding E1440 million (US$ 160 million). As part of the agricultural as well as the manufacturing sector, industry, it a accounts for 18% of the country’s GDP. Therefore, the economy of Swaziland is to a great extent based...

This technology describes step by step how to install a top bar hive. It provides an overview of the advantages and use of different baits. Furthermore, it gives clear instructions on how to hang hives in trees and to install them on stands and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of...

The objective of this study was to estimate the cost of maize production in rural Zambia as well as to identify the factors causing these estimates to vary across households. This will inform current policy discussions and potentially identify unused policy levers that could increase Zambian smallholder farmer’s competitiveness in...

This edition of Nature & Faune magazine explores climate change implications for agricultural development and natural resources conservation in Africa. It provides a rich menu spanning many dimensions of climate change as it relates to the African rural farmer, fisher-folk and herdsman who are on the frontline of managing and...

Identifying an adequate site for an apiary is the first step to successful installation and colonization of a bee hive. This brief entry gives valuable advice on what to take into consideration when choosing a site for a bee hive.This technology is part of a series on hive management derived...

FAO has been working closely with NGOs and small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe to introduce conservation farming techniques and improve food production. The video provides a short overview of what this actually means for Zimbabwe's communal farmers, recounting some of their stories and including the perspectives of FAO staff, NGO staff...

This volume, Climate Change and Food Systems Resilience in Sub‑Saharan Africa, demonstrates the possibility of harmonizing agricultural production with the wellbeing of the biosphere – and that this can be achieved in Africa, our biosphere’s least developed continent, and the continent which is likely to suffer most from climate change....

Access to agriculture finance is a hot topic in Uganda, especially for small scale farmers. There is a lot of talk in the sector about working together to remove barriers for small holder farmers to access value chain financing. Most recently the 2011 Zipping Finance and Farming Event in Kampala...

This report provides an overview of the findings from a Farmer Innovation Study conducted by Find Your Feet in 2011. The study was conducted in the district of Rumphi, in northern Malawi.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) is a major staple food in Burundi; thus increasing its production and marketing has the potential for raising incomes of the farming households. In the country, bean outputs have been declining for decades, yet demand for the crop in East Africa has surged considerably. This...

This paper is a condensed presentation of findings in the project “Land and Legal Plurality in Angola” as a part of the research collaboration programme between CEIC, Universidade Catholica de Angola and CMI, Norway. Fieldwork was done in August and September 2009 and 2010 in the municipalities of Kachiungu and...

Depuis 1990, avec l’appui de TERRE VERTE, l’AZN expérimente au sein de sa Ferme Pilote de Guié (FPG) un système d’aménagement des terroirs basé sur la réalisation de périmètres bocagers. A l’instar des périmètres maraîchers protégeant une zone pour y cultiver des légumes, l’AZN a développé la technique des périmètres...

On television screens and newspaper front pages around the world, the stories out of Africa are often filled with doom and gloom. And while the reality of life for many Africans is often difficult, there are success stories to share and inspire others. This 13-part television series, produced in cooperation...

This report argues that smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia can improve agricultural productivity, food security and livelihoods by adopting sustainable approaches that utilize resource-conserving technologies and that draw upon their own knowledge. Many thousands of communities in countries such as India, Cambodia, the Philippines, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and Kenya...