Iran is expanding dryland farming as a lingering drought is forcing the country to use its resources more prudently and cast off deep-seated wasteful ways.  Expansion of dryland farming might also help persuade legions of farmers, who rely on dwindling aquifers, not to abandon their vocations. Many of them have moved...

Mariam Mayet is the director of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). In a recent report, ACB turns their attention towards genetic modification of non-commercial ‘orphan crops’ and the way this technology is replacing farmer managed food systems. In this interview Mariam explains what is wrong with genetic modification of...

FAO welcomed an agreement by Indonesia and the European Union (EU) to issue the world's first Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) timber license as a major achievement in the fight against illegal logging. As of 15 November, the FLEGT license can accompany shipments of timber exported from Indonesia to...

This practice describes how moringa plant can be propagated by air layering to promote vegetative propagation of trees and produce seedlings. Farmers nowadays might prefer propagation of moringa through air-layered cuttings rather than through seed propagation because through vegetative propagation the air layered seedlings represent the characteristics of selected mother...

La siguiente tecnología contiene características de limpiadores de malas hierbas y pulverizadores de mochila. Justifica cuándo su utilización puede ser conveniente en términos de sus ventajas y desventajas. Las ventajas incluyen ahorro de mano de obra, fortalecimiento de la resiliencia de los medios de vida, equipos, habilidades y costos. Las...

The increased consumption of dairy products in Asia and the Pacific is playing a vital role in improving child nutrition and boosting the livelihoods of small farmers across the region, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced. The announcement was made during the opening session of the...

ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) have adopted a common regional position on agriculture sector issues and will be promoting it at the forthcoming 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that begins this week in Morocco. The ASEAN Common Position on Issues...

Malawi is a small landlocked country in southern Africa, bordered by Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. The majority of Malawians are smallholder farmers, who grow crops for both food and income. More than half of the Malawian population lives in poverty, and the rate of food insecurity is very high. Typical...

China is a large country with diverse agro-ecosystems and numerous different agricultural production systems. These agricultural systems are managed by more than 200 million households who provide agricultural products to meet the needs of almost a fifth of mankind. Agriculture plays numerous key functions, including not only the provision of...

This document discusses the process of structural change in the agricultural sectors of the western Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU). Conventional agro-political discourse and scientific theory (especially agricultural economics) generally understands structural change as being a uni-directional process that involves the gradual disappearance of small farms and...

Mediterranean grasslands (including rangelands, pastures, meadows, fodder crops) are important resources covering up to 48% of the whole region. Although these ecosystems are a key element in the production of high quality animal products and in the livelihoods of producers, they provide a range of ecosystem services besides forage production,...

Les changements climatiques se manifestant le plus à travers le cycle de l’eau, ces initiatives considèrent que l’eau constitue un connecteur : • l’eau connecte entre les politiques, les secteurs économiques, les sociétés, et devient aussi un outil de coopération et de construction de la confiance. Pour relever les défis...

Adoption of new cattle management practices by Indonesian smallholders occurs less as a ‘technology transfer’ in the classical sense but rather as a series of conscious decisions by farming households weighing risks and resources as well as matching innovations to livelihood strategies. This paper uncovers the context of decisions and...

EVENT TO BE HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE CZECH MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE MARIAN JURECKA 11 − 12 November 2016, Krtiny, Czech Republic The conference is prepared for farmers, LAG representatives, rural NGOs and members of municipalities. The topic is business start-up aid for young farmers and good practise examples. The conference...

he workshop 'Operational Groups: first experiences' took place in Legnaro, Italy, on 20-21 April 2016. Some Operational Group participants took the time to talk to us and tell us about their experiences.

L’agroécologie est avant tout une discipline scientifique au carrefour de l’agronomie et de l’écologie. C’est aussi la somme des pratiques qui en découlent. Elle permet non seulement de transformer l’agriculture mais aussi de repenser l’ensemble des systèmes alimentaires afin de les rendre plus durables. Elle vise à conjuguer production agricole...

The CIHEAM WATCH LETTER n°38 to be published in October 2016 on "Rural innovations and digital revolution in agriculture " wishes to provide a regional Mediterranean overview in terms of innovation in rural areas and the role of ICT in agriculture. This issue will be resolutely prospective and rich in...

Given limited funds for research and widespread degradation of ecosystems, environmental scientists should geographically target their studies where they will be most effective. However, in academic areas such as conservation and natural resource management there is often a mismatch between the geographic foci of research effort/funding and research needs. The...

The critical role of smallholder farmers in ensuring global food security has been widely acknowledged. Smallholders produce up to 80% of food supply in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and not only are they supporting their families, but also rural communities and ultimately all of us. In Asia, we have 74% of...

New agreement aims to ensure capacity development, farmers’ access to productive resources, knowledge exchange. India's Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and FAO are strengthening their collaboration to boost rural development and reduce poverty in Asia and Africa via local initiatives focused on empowering rural women and youth.