The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected vulnerable households’ livelihoods in developing countries. Using high-frequency phone survey data from the World Bank, we assess rural Indian households’ vulnerability and poverty status during the pandemic. Results reveal that over three-fifths of Indian rural households are vulnerable to poverty in the...

UNCCD launched ‘Global Drought Snapshot’ report at COP28 in collaboration with International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) Recent drought-related data based on research in the past two years and compiled by the UN point to “an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale, where the massive impacts of human-induced droughts are only...

Türkiye is IFAD’s largest recipient of financial assistance in the Europe and Central Asia sub-region. IFAD investments contribute to reducing rural poverty in the upland areas of the country. Their strategy focuses on improving access to markets, strengthening climate resilience and consolidating agricultural value chains.

National gender and climate change focal points from Africa, working under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as representatives from research entities and civil society organizations met in Nairobi on April 16-18, 2024, to exchange best practices and strategies for integrating gender considerations into climate...

This paper reviews land governance in Colombia to examine how legal, institutional, and cultural frameworks influence women’s land rights. It reviews existing statutory regulations and institutional structures defining land rights in Colombia and their relevance for women. It will examine tenure interventions in Colombia and the existing gaps and constraints...

The interview with Cary Fowler, US Special Envoy for Food Security, underscores the urgency of shifting agricultural practices in Africa from monocultures to diverse, traditional crops to address food security and soil fertility challenges. Highlighting Africa's pressing need due to soil degradation and population growth, Fowler emphasizes the significance of...

This project introduced a range of renewable energy technologies to enhance the lives of rural people. Biogas digesters were coupled with latrines and slurry storage was developed. Sustainable bio slurry will replace chemical fertilizers, allowing households to save money and consume healthier foods. Biogas digesters also alleviate burdens on women...

The 'shell women' of the Pacific coast of Nariño have promoted sustainable harvesting and use of a native mollusk called piangua for the many generations. They are also at the forefront of mitigating climate change and leading mangrove conservation.

Agroecology and organ agriculture present promising alternatives to the current food system, supported by a growing body of evidence. Despite the potential of AE/O, their full benefits cannot be realised in most countries due to political and institutional barriers and lock-ins, including incentives and funding that favour “business as usual”...

Over the past 15 years, Zambia’s economic trajectory has fluctuated because of global and domestic factors. Despite its rich endowment in natural resources, Zambia has yet to fully leverage this potential for economic expansion. The agricultural sector, which engages over 70 per cent of the workforce, is recognized as a...

Agroecology is identified as an important solution to increase the sustainability of agricultural and food systems. Despite the increasing number of publications assessing the socio-economic outcomes of agroecology, very few studies have consolidated the scattered results obtained on various case studies. This paper provides new insights by consolidating evidence on...

Réduire l’écart entre les sexes sur le marché du travail, pour assurer l’émancipation économique des femmes. Bien qu’elles enregistrent l’un des taux de participation au marché du travail parmi les plus élevés, les femmes d’Afrique subsaharienne sont toujours confrontées à de nombreux obstacles qui limitent leur accès à un emploi...

Farmer-managed seed systems and the conservation of agrobiodiversity are increasingly recognized as important components of food and seed sovereignty. In contrast, hybrid, genetically modified (GM), and, increasingly, gene-edited crops continue to be promoted by Green Revolution proponents as a “climate smart” package that includes fertilizers, pesticides, purchased seeds, and links...

Les effets positifs de l’agroécologie dans le domaine agro-environnemental (santé des sols,biodiversité, lutte contre la crise climatique, non-contamination de l’environnement) sont souventmis en avant. Ils s’accompagnent d’effets positifs tout aussi importants dans le domainesocio-économique, comme en témoignent de nombreuses études réalisées dans divers pays duSud, dont plusieurs par des organisations...

Overreliance on a few main crops, as well as poor soil health, reduce yields, hinder achievement of food security and nutrition objectives, and increase agricultural vulnerability to climate change. To address this, the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), launched by the United States in partnership with FAO and...

Organic agriculture is practised in 188 countries, and more than 96 million hectares of agricultural land are managed organically by at least 4.5 million farmers. Global sales of organic food and drink reached almost 135 billion euros in 2022. The 25th edition of "The World of Organic Agriculture", published by the...

Climate-Smart Cocoa (CSC), a strategic offshoot of the wider Climate-Smart Agriculture, is gaining ground in Ghana, a cocoa export-dependent country. CSC is imperative, given the rapidly declining forests, prolonged periods of drought, pest and disease infestations, and fluctuating cocoa yields attributed to climate variability and change. Although many interventions are...

The natural forest in southwest Ethiopia is progressively modified to coffee agroforest. To this effect forest composition and diversity is simplified to local preferred coffee shade trees. Woody plant species that are less managed require the conservation priority in coffee agroforest. The study aims at assessing diversity of plant species, investigating...

Developing policies to foster inclusive rural transformation processes requires better evidence on how climate change is affecting the livelihoods and economic behaviours of vulnerable rural people, including women, youths and people living in poverty. In particular, there is little comparative, multi-country and multi-region evidence to understand how exposure to weather...

The Women’s Empowerment Livestock Index (WELI) is tailored for areas where livestock farming is prominent, aiming to assess the impact of livestock interventions on women's empowerment. By identifying effective interventions, the index seeks to improve empowerment opportunities for women in the sector, thereby enhancing household livelihoods, nutrition, and gender equity....