The productivity of livestock in Asia is found to be far below the global benchmark. The milk production per cattle in Bangladesh and Nepal, for instance, is only 305 kg and 459 kg per animal per year, respectively, compared to 7500 kg/animal/year in the USA and Europe (SAARC 2015). Improved...

Shanta Neupane had a vision. From Panauti Municipality, in central Nepal, she could see how hard women in the rural forest and farming communities around her worked in their family smallholdings, helping to feed their households. But although, like Shanta herself, they were members of community forest user groups, these same...

Last 28 & 29 April, 2021 , high-level policy experts gathered at the digital event “Scaling up Agroecology in the Himalayas Together” to discuss and inspire key decision-makers on policies supporting agroecology and organic agriculture in the region. The Himalayas event was organised by IFOAM – Organics International and the...

Strong water users' associations are instrumental in sustaining reforms and improvement in the country's water sector. To address the interrelated challenges of agriculture, water, food insecurity, and poverty in Tajikistan, the Public Employment for Sustainable Agriculture and Water Resources Management Project (PAMP II) was implemented from 2013 to 2020 with...

Last 28 & 29 April, 2021, high-level policy experts gathered at the digital event “Scaling up Agroecology in the Himalayas Together” to discuss and inspire key decision-makers on policies supporting agroecology and organic agriculture in the region. The Himalayas event was organised by IFOAM – Organics International and the World...

Besides the severe health crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic also caused the global economy to contract at a rate not seen since the Second World War and led to a severe increase of poor and food insecure people as well as a sharp projected decrease of production of agricultural goods in...

Strong water users' associations are instrumental in sustaining reforms and improvement in the country's water sector. To address the interrelated challenges of agriculture, water, food insecurity, and poverty in Tajikistan, the Public Employment for Sustainable Agriculture and Water Resources Management Project (PAMP II) was implemented from 2013 to 2020 with...

The Sinja Valley in northwest Nepal is a breathtaking place with a rich history. Plunging mountainsides and rocky caves hide ruins of grand palaces and temples: remains of the capital city of the influential Western Malla kingdom that ruled the area between the 12th and 14th century. Nowadays, however, that city...

Nekram Sharma, a farmer from Karsog valley of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, India revives along with its community an ancient indigenous farming technique. Nau-Anaj (‘nau’ means nine and ‘anaj’ is crop) is an intercropping or mixed farming method to grow nine foodgrains on the same piece of land. These crops are...

In 2019, the Agriculture for Nutrition Project (AFN) provided funding support to the Lao Farmer Network (LFN) to pilot the production and processing of soybean in two villages of Nonghet district, Xiengkhouang province, Laos. The small project, “Piloting soybean production and processing to improve nutrition in Nonghet district”, was implemented...

With its distinctive green colour and sharp, spicy flavour, wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) has been highly prized in Japan for centuries. There is evidence from written works that Buddhist monks ate “cold wasabi soup” from as early as the 12th century. By the 14th century, they began to eat sashimi topped with wasabi...

In her opening remarks, AFA Secretary General Esther Penunia highlighted the important role of farmer organizations and cooperatives in reducing food loss and waste as well as their initiatives including employing methods or techniques such as dehydration and drying techniques, etc. to prolong the shelf life or add value to...

As the eldest daughter of a farmer, Ti Chia Pan grew up helping her parents grow bananas and vegetables in the village of Nanphalong, Temu, at the border between Myanmar and India. Her experience in the field gave her first-hand insight into the plight of farmers. ‘Ever since I was young,...

In the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, India water scarcity and poor soil quality forced many farmers to walk away from agriculture. But a few years ago, the state of Andhra Pradesh launched an ambitious program called Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming (APCNF)  that is transforming the farming practices to stop the...

It is a well-known fact that the use of organic or biological inputs has assumed importance in the promotion of organic agriculture.  In conventional agriculture where the application of chemical inputs is widely known for its direct action to feed and protect the crop,on the contrary, in organic agriculture, inputs...

Field tested practices, methodologies and approaches to regenerating agriculture and associated ecosystems are featured in this compilation . Mostly experiences from across Asia are included , the compilation is based on publications generated through participatory writeshops, organised over thirty years featuring a wide range of stakeholders, disciplines and donors. Participatory...

Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors of Sri Lanka and is key to the livelihoodof its population. As agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change, a thorough understanding of its impact is critical for formulating informed and effective adaptation strategies. Climate change challenges...

Biogas production in small-scale plants is considered to be an appropriate technology for energy supply to rural households. It is being beneficial to the environment through replacement of traditionally used cooking fuels (fuelwood and liquified petroleum gas) and so possibly resulting in the reduction of global warming potential. The problem...

Women farmers in the hill State of Himachal Pradesh are gradually turning to non-chemical, low cost “natural farming”, which has not only provided them with a sustainable livelihood but also empowered them better. Launched in 2018, the State’s Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana is promoting the climate resilient Subhash Palekar Natural Farming...

A collective vision of scaling Natural Farming in India and beyond that emerged from the workshop organized by RySS and ATECF. The workshop was attended by leaders from multiple organizations keen to scale up Natural Farming in India and beyond. The process enabled a rich evocation of the imaginations and...