This book is a product of the Xichong Organic Innovation Committee, a group composed of 9 organic innovation experts from all over Asia. It provides a valuable framework for organic farming stakeholders in Asia and around the world by sharing a selection of best organic practices and innovative cases in production,...

Future global biodiversity goals must recognise the vital contributions made by women and girls, particularly from indigenous and local communities. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is perhaps the most relevant and ethical convention for the conservation, the sustainable use, and the fair and equitable distribution of benefits of marine and...

At an FAO webinar, seed experts discussed the impacts of COVID-19 on seed systems – the primary basis for human sustenance – and potential action to mitigate these. The recording of the virtual event is available online. Food production depends on the availability, accessibility, and quality of seeds. Although the COVID-19 crisis’...

The development and modification of tillage implement designs and practices suitable for donkeys and cattle of limited draught capability was undertaken. This was accomplished through the compilation of a detailed database of animal-drawn tillage implements, an evaluation of potentially low draught implements on station and on farm, and the development...

Bamboo, a natural resource used in Latin America since pre-Colombian times, has an unlimited number of applications in the daily life of tens of millions of people. However, bamboo tends to get degraded over time by microorganisms, bacteria, insects, fungus and other factors that limit its life time. Therefore, bamboo...

Many studies have provided global and regional overviews of the state of social protection policies and their importance to poverty reduction, food security and nutrition. However, little is known about how such policies are designed and implemented in rural areas, or how they complement and link to agricultural support programmes,...

As more people spiral into hunger and poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Netherlands has stepped up its funding to the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to help avert a rural food crisis. Their €6 million contribution to IFAD’s Rural Poor Stimulus Facility will help small-scale farmers continue to grow...

Demand for fish is on the rise worldwide—fish consumption has spiked 122 percent in the last three decades, according to the United Nations. At least 3 billion people rely on seafood as a primary source of protein, according to the World Wildlife Fund. And the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that...

We cannot talk about food sovereignty without mentioning the role of mass markets on which the majority of people depend on their income and food. These markets have demonstrated their relevance during the COVID-19 era by strengthening rural-urban linkages. Mass markets have been the main avenue through which rural people...

El presente manual busca dar a conocer la pastura Agrosavia Sabanera como una alternativa forrajera de alto rendimiento y buena calidad nutricional que puede ser usada en sistemas de pastoreo rotacional, con presencia de árboles, arbustos, leguminosas nativas y arvenses; esto contribuye al desarrollo sostenible y competitivo de los sistemas...

Participatory research methodology development in parallel with technology development that responded to the needs of the farming community was done in Embu, a semi-arid area of Kenya. The work involved problem diagnosis, research design, trial implementation and evaluation, as well as demonstration and dissemination of options and recommendations for producing...

In order to tackle the mounting environmental, social and economic challenges that humanity faces due to the impacts of climate change and other crises, agroecological and other sustainable good practices are needed to be put forward - and upscaled. To achieve this, empowering agriculture-focused organisation in the form of collective...

The background for conducting country studies on the challenges, needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in seven countries has been a wish to further strengthen the Regional Initiative and develop the initiative towards a stronger programmatic approach at both the regional and country levels. To provide support to...

Fishing communities in Mexico grapple with the challenge of maintaining sustainable practices during the pandemic. COVID-19’s impacts have exacerbated challenges in the three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. As social and economic issues have been prioritized worldwide through the emphasis on the access to health, food production, basic services...

This Newsletter provides highlights about 2019 accomplishments of  Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions

This report sets out how the BOND project’s activities in Portugal and Spain helped participants to develop new solutions to challenges and effective collective action in Family Farming in these regions. The role of Family Farming is recognised as a determining factor to ensure people’s food security and sovereignty, and...

This policy brief focuses on the topic of global emergence of infectious diseases and its links with consumption of wild meat, ecosystem disruption, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. Emerging infectious diseases are a significant and growing threat to global health, economies and security. There is evidence that landscape changes and...

The Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT’s offices in Cali, Colombia and Hanoi, Vietnam carried out projects that aimed at implementing a systems approach to address food systems challenges. While the initiatives took place in two entirely different regions of the world - with their unique socio-economic profiles, cultural backgrounds and...

Management strategies for new or lightly exploited fisheries allow for an improved enhancement of food security or long-term employment security, or export income in developing countries. These management practices are detailed through the methodologies used. Acknowledgement comments and the fact that the technology is an output from the Renewable Natural...

Bamboo wood is relatively soft, not particularly dense, and is ideal for the production of toothpicks. INBAR’s priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo. The following technology describes how to establish a toothpick manufacturing unit.