Este documento elaborado en el marco del Proyecto “Caracterización de gestiones económicas de sistemas de producción agropecuarios de pequeña y mediana escala” (vigente desde enero del 2020) presenta estimaciones sobre comportamientos de resultados económicos de modelos productivos y tiene como propósito aportar información que favorezca la inclusión de productores, mejore...

Many people in low-income countries rely on informal food systems for food and livelihoods. But informality puts food systems outside — or partly outside — the governance of states and value chains. This working paper explores the challenges involved in reversing decades of underinvestment, and why focusing too closely on...

Organic farming aims to close nutrient cycles, maintain soil fertility, and robust and healthy plants and animals with resilient performance. Moreover, in organic farming, a lot of effective substances are banned, or their use is restricted, and treatments are only acceptable if their active substances are included in the positive...

Las chicharritas (también conocidas como “leaf-hoppers”) son insectos que pertenecen a la familia Cicadellidae, que comprende a nivel mundial unas 42000 especies (Paradell y Cavichioli, 2020). Son pequeños (2,5 a 3,5 mm) y fitófagos, lo que significa que se alimentan exclusivamente de plantas. Utilizan sus partes bucales para succionar los...

Legume-supported cropping systems affect environmental, production, and economic impacts. In Europe, legume production is still marginal with grain legumes covering less than 3% of arable land. A transition towards legume-supported systems could contribute to a higher level of protein self-sufficiency and lower environmental impacts of agriculture. Suitable approaches for designing...

Grafting of tomatoes has the potential to increase tomato seed production under organic conditions. Grafting means to combine the positive characteristics of a rootstock (e.g., increased vigour, resistances to soil-borne diseases) with the positive characteristics (e.g., fruit quality, taste) of the upper part of the plant (scion). We compared the...

Morning breaks in the village Durmon, a quiet hamlet in the Bukhara region of southern Uzbekistan. There is no bustle of a big city. The only sounds are of chirping of birds and the humming of peaceful nature. This is the setting for an ordinary day in the life of Gulhayo...

Redesigning agrosystems to include more ecological regulations can help feed a growing human population, preserve soils for future productivity, limit dependency on synthetic fertilizers, and reduce agriculture contribution to global changes such as eutrophication and warming. However, guidelines for redesigning cropping systems from natural systems to make them more sustainable...

Malawi, a small country in Southeast Africa, is gaining recognition as an emerging player in the global coffee industry. Blessed with fertile soil, favorable climatic conditions and a rich agricultural heritage, Malawi has steadily established itself as a producer of high-quality coffee beans. Today the coffee industry plays a crucial...

A major obstacle in the development of organic and low-input farming in the UK is the problem of trade-offs in yield versus quality, particularly in cereals. For example, there is a substantial gap between the supply of home-grown organic milling wheat and demand, partially due to variability and shortfalls in...

The IFOAM Organics Europe team is closely monitoring the many legislative initiatives being launched as part of the Farm to Fork strategy. We are committed to providing political and technical input on behalf of the organic sector and movement. The feedback, the experience and knowledge of our members are key...

Several pathogens are associated with sooty mold, which varies from season to season. Dark spots appear on the surface as a result of the damage. During storage the spots can increase in size. In this video, we show you the control strategies that are used in organic apple cultivation against...

Crop diversification (CD) encompasses practices such as extending crop rotation, cover cropping and intercropping practices, and growing minor crops. It has attracted increasing interest because it can produce both private benefits for farmers, including improved crop and soil health, and reduced inputs, and public goods for society, including greater biodiversity,...

Suboptimal diets are a significant preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often consume insufficient levels of fruits and vegetables (F&V), falling below recommended dietary intakes. To address this issue, detailed individual-level dietary data are needed to determine the extent and underlying factors contributing to...

FAO defines biosecurity as a strategic and integrated approach to analyzing and managing risks to human, animal and plant life and health, and associated environmental risks to the environment. Strengthening biosecurity is one of the key thematic components of the One Health priority programme area, which seeks to prevent and...

Listen to Dr. Colin Tosh explain about the the importance of hedgerows and the study to prove that connecting patches of woodlands together by hedgerows has a beneficial effect on the woodland ecology by providing a migratory bridge for species from one area to another.

In addition to the guidelines, there are links to videos from Danish organic orchards. Rules and regulations regarding fertilizer and plant protection are subject to change, and recommendations in the guidelines should be ascertained within the rules before applying. The guidelines are targeted at organic orchard owners, but private gardeners...

The impacts of chemical pesticides on the environment, including biodiversity, water, air and soil, and on human health, have become a major concern for civil society and consumers. They are also a major issue for the sustainability of agricultural systems. Recently, the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity European strategies set...

Fruit grower Clemens Köster and consultant Bastian Benduhn (Öko-Obstbau Norddeutschland) present measures to increase biodiversity in organic orchards. 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Flowering strips 01:38 Hedges 02:27 Anchor plants

Maize (Zea mays) stover produced in the drier lowland areas on the volcanic foot slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro serves as an important additional fodder for smallholder zero-grazed dairy cattle farming in the humid highland areas of the region. The obtained cattle manure is used to replenish nutrients and manage soil...