There is barrier among farmers in developing countries to convert to organic farming. This study examines factors affecting the decision of Thai vegetable farmers to convert and suggests possible measures to improve conversion

The increased demand for high quality products in export markets, coupled with Pacific Island Countries (PICs) national desire to protect the environment, biodiversity and family farming structures, lead to assume that organic agriculture could offer good prospects for PICs development. Besides market opportunities, organic agriculture could increase PICs food self-reliance...

This paper presents the general trends of demand and supply of organic products in Asia and the Pacific. This regional market is put in perspective within the global organic agrifood market and the current economic conditions that may have a great impact on the development of organic agriculture in Asia...

During two decades of monopoly cocoa marketing by the Vanuatu Commodity Marketing Board (VCMB) farmers were not able to take advantage of significant price premiums available for organic and single origin cocoa. It is only now that these markets have become a realistic prospect. The VOCGA case study looks at...

We are Gunis (traditional healers) and medicinal plants conservation farmers from the Mewar Region of Rajasthan in India. The Gunis among us take our name from guna, which is a Sanskrit word that has three meanings: knowledge, healing and virtue. Anyone can have knowledge, but Gunis are those of us...

This publication is a report of a Workshop that brought together people from a wide range of institutions - farmers, researchers, ecologists extensionists, policy makers, donors – from 40 countries who share a common concern about the non-sustainability of ways in which farm land is now being used and who...

In developing the Scientific Conceptual Framework for the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, FAO seeks to accomplish the challenging task of integrating perspectives from those sciences that are most directly concerned with conservation and development: ecology, agronomy and forestry, economics, and anthropology. The goal is to scientifically conceptualise...

Problem statement: The most pressing problem for Bangladesh agriculture is the current state of gradual decreasing of soil fertility, stagnating crop yields and declining productivity in a range of food crops. According to crop production scientists, Integrated Soil Fertility (ISF) and Nutrient Management (NM) is an advanced approach that can...

The researchers and studies conducted under the LSFM project were intended to contribute to the process of effectively linking small farmers to market and maximize their benefits from the value chain. In addition, the studies also aimed to help decision-making of the project's in-country anchors and in formulating strategic directions,...

This publication contains the initial outputs of the research component of AsiaDHRRA's Regional Project on Linking Small Farmers to Markets (LSFM) as implemented by Dina Besa (InDHRRA) in Indonesia. This report is part of the outputs of the participatory market researchers and studies on specific commodities chosen in each pilot...

The private sector can help smallholders to participate in modern supply chains. This type of collaboration will be critical to agricultural development.

This report is part of the outputs of the participatory market researchers and studies on specific commodities chosen in each pilot in four countries: tea in Vietnam, fresh calamansi fruit in the Philippines, free-range native chicken in Cambodia and organic rice in Indonesia.

The development of subsistence agriculture is a key strategy for supporting the growing population of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. However, this approach is likely to be affected by climate change. Other factors, such as urbanization and a shift away from traditional food to imported items, are also having...

The Ifugao Rice Terraces (IRT) of the Central Cordillera Region, Northern Philippines is one of the pilot system of the FAO’s global project Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS1/). Its objective is to promote the dynamic conservation and adaptive management of globally significant agricultural biodiversity harbored in Globally Important Agricultural...

This study on marine protected areas (MPAs) in India analyzes the legal and institutional framework for their establishment, and uses two case studies–the Gulf of Mannar National Park and Biosphere Reserve, and the Malvan (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary–to document and understand the experiences and views of local communities, particularly fishing communities,...

For small island countries like the Cook Islands, no issue merits more attention and action today than climate change! Climate change is the defining human development issue of this generation as it threatens to erode human rights and freedoms to make choices and lead lives the way people and countries...

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 paper aims to review the role of farm households and the agro-food sector in the economy of rural areas in Korea. It discusses definition of rural area, share of agricultural and agro-food sectors in Korean economy, the income situation of farm households and non-farming activities, and multiplier effects of...

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...

In the Maldives, forests and trees are used by the islanders primarily as a source of timber but also for medicinal and culinary purposes amongst many others. For their effective conservation and sustainable management it is essential that relevant information on the identity, ecology and use of each species be...