Every single day, scientific evidence of climate change mounts all around the world and in Turkey. In the 20th century, the average temperature increased by 0.6°C all around the world and by 0.95°C in Europe. According to the latest developments, the consequences in the Mediterranean Basin would be more severe...

In this paper a simplified methodology for the estimation of drought impacts on crop yield in rainfed agriculture is proposed. The methodology is based on empirical models for the estimation of actual to potential evapotranspiration ratio (ET/PET). This ratio is related to the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI), an expression of...

Global food production has increased by 20% in the past decade – but food insecurity and poverty remain widespread , while the natural resource base continues to decline. International research centers, which have helped drive previous improvements, must continue to deliver new technologies to support sustainable growth in agriculture; and...

Originally perceived as an occasional natural hazard, drought is now a phenomena, for which one can be prepared, despite the difficulties in determining its beginning and end. It is therefore crucial to understand the individual and social behaviour, in order to adopt effective measures and policies to mitigate the negative...

Central Asia consists of five ‘transition’ economies (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and covers 399.4 million hectares (Mha), about two-thirds of which are drylands. Developing sustainable land management options in this region must take into account the biophysical constraints (low rainfall, extreme rainfall variability, and heat and cold stresses),...

The present FAO Crop and Grassland Service working paper is a joint report on the experiences of two FAO Technical Cooperation Projects in Uzbekistan: ►FAO/TCP/UZB/2903-3102/A Sustainable agriculture practices in the droughtaffected region of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, operating from February 2004 to September 2007. The project consisted of two phases: TCP/UZB/2903 (2004/2005) and...

Structural changes in agriculture have been going on in many countries all over the world during the last two decades. Developments were forced by radical reforms of countries concerned resulting in to establishing new farm structure. Large scale farm systems were broken up and tens of millions of small farms...

Depuis très longtemps, la Méditerranée, de la Syrie à l’Espagne, a su pourvoir aux besoins de ses populations. Toutefois des évolutions rapides au niveau démographique et des modes de vie, ainsi que le changement climatique, engendrent des situations de tensions dans la région sur les questions de l’eau et des...

Organic Monitor was commissioned by Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to assess the European and North American market for organic ingredients: organic cocoa, coffee and vanilla. The purpose of the study is to investigate the market potential for Pacific Island Country (PIC) growers. The focus is...

Prince Mahidol Award Conference on Mainstreaming Health into Public Policies Bangkok, Thailand, 28-30 January 2009 FAO/WHO Session on Agricultural Policies, Climate Change and the Impact on Human Wellbeing and Nutrition The Italian experience has shown that the introduction of organic food in schools meals generates a wide range of benefits for the...

SEEAG's Mission is to educate children about the farm sources of their food from  field-to-table while connecting them to the farmland in their own backyard.

Organic agriculture has managed to attract the attention of local governments and economic operators and also to find space in discussion platforms and official strategy papers (concluding statement of the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Agriculture, Venice 2003 and the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development, approved in 2005 as part of...

The history of Central Asia reveals a complex patchwork of tribes, ethnicities and nations bound together in a struggle to survive in some of the region’s most harsh and unforgiving lands. Only those who knew the secrets of living in harmony with their environment were able to survive and eventually...

This report intends to provide key elements for answering these questions. Before starting the analysis, it is necessary to introduce the factors that have fuelled the adoption of certification in the banana industry and the main categories of schemes used.

This issue of Caravan describes some of ICARDA's work on climate change. It contains overviews of the key issues, and articles describing research in specific areas: for example, how genetic resources – landrace varieties, wild relatives, indigenous livestock breeds – can be used to make small-scale agriculture better adapted to...

This report is produced as part of collaboration between the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) and WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme (WWFDCP). Both organisations recognise the importance of certain farming systems for nature conservation. Between 2006 and 2008 a project was executed aiming at finding out at a local...

In aggregate terms there is no lack of water in the Mediterranean Region. But geographical distribution of rainfall is very uneven and there is a marked shortage of water in the South and East. Using the Falkenmark water stress index (less than 1000 m³/inhabitant/year) as a benchmark, we find that...

Small-scale forestry – here meaning all activities related to forest ownership, management and enterprise – can contribute significantly to social and economic development when the circumstances are right. This issue of Unasylva examines the conditions and support that make it work. We don’t define “small” by numbers, but use the...

The necessity of improving knowledge in fisheries and especially small-scale coastal fisheries in order to analyze the conditions for their sustainable development is increasingly recognized. The three main requirements for the sustainable development of fisheries are the simultaneous present and future well-being of the bio-ecological system, the human system and...

ICARDA’s mission is to alleviate poverty by improving the livelihoods of farming communities. Often, the key is to add value to primary crop and livestock outputs. This issue of Caravan provides glimpses of the Center’s work to help farmers and pastoralists add value to their products, and thereby improve their...