This research aims to provide the evidence required to help put dryland issues firmly on the development agenda at national, regional, and global levels. Dryland Systems research informs the interventions required by providing international public goods – tools, methods, practices, policies, and technologies – to enhance the economic and social...

Climate change is undermining the ability of African nations to feed themselves. Women smallholder producers are on the front line of dealing with the impacts, but are not first in line for international climate finance. Wealthy countries have committed to helping countries in Africa to adapt to climate change, but...

Farmers’ organizations are inclusive of the poor and are charged with the purpose of becoming a market outlet for smallholder farmers in Guinea. Improving farmers’ income earning capability and agricultural productivity has been an important strategy of Guinea’s agriculture development policy. However, despite their growing importance, empirical studies on how...

November 2015: On the 5th and 6th of this month, a unique Africa-wide seminar on agroecology took place in Dakar, Senegal. We are proud to present 7 inspiring agroecological initiatives driven by farmers from across Africa. 

Launched in 2006, a conservation farming project has transformed hundreds of farmers’ lives in Zimbabwe’s Nkayi District. Once food-aid beneficiaries, these farmers now produce enough maize to cover family needs, with some producing an excess for sale. Farmers produce their own maize seed each year, which are made available to...

A couple who are first generation farmers knew that strawberries would be a difficult crop, but were undeterred when told it was impossible to grow them in Ballito which is just north of Durban. The couple has proved experts wrong by successfully growing the crop on their 17 hectare farm...

The project is a response to land degradation in the Savannah region and its impact on agricultural production. The area suffers from overexploitation of natural resources, particularly forest products, linked to human activities. The result of these activities is the destruction of vegetation, leaving the soil bare and highly eroded....

The countries of East and Southern Africa have made major commitments to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, and they are starting to pay off. A number of countries have achieved substantial progress towards gender parity in primary school enrolment. Nearly all countries have adopted quota systems requiring women’s participation...

West African Agriculture is at a turning point. The combination of strong demand growth, sustained economic growth, higher global agricultural prices, and an improved policy environment has generated the most conducive conditions for Agricultural growth in over 30 years. West African countries and their Development Partners now clearly recognize the...

Dans le Sahel, les politiques de protection sociale en lien avec la sécurité alimentaire ont un rôle fondamental quant au bien-être de la population. Étudier ces politiques ainsi que leurs mesures profite aux organisations qui œuvrent pour la sécurité alimentaire de la région et peut contribuer à la conception de...

La lutte contre l’insécurité alimentaire prend une nouvelle orientation écologique, plus naturelle et moins coûteuse, si l’on en croit l’Organisation des nations unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture (FAO). Cet organisme, prône l’agro-écologie qu’elle considère comme une solution pour lutter contre la faim et la mal nutrition.  

Article qui décrit un atelier qui s'est déroulé du 30 mars au 02 avril 2015 à Chadakori (Région de Maradi), au Niger. Cette rencontre organisée conjointement par l´Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN) et la Fédération SA’A qui a regroupé les producteurs, les médias, les autorités administratives...

Brazil has achieved impressive results in reducing poverty with “Fomento,” a set of large-scale, government-run social programs targeting smallholder farmers. Rural poverty in Brazil dropped dramatically from 51.4 percent in 2002 to 29.1 percent in 2011; during the same period, family farmers’ incomes also grew by 50 percent. When an...

FAO, China and Uganda signed a two year agreement worth almost $2.5 million to support small-scale farmers in Uganda in boosting their production, including through sustainable technologies. The agreement marks the second phase of a partnership initially established in 2012 to make training and technical advice available to the Ugandan...

We are delegates representing diverse organizations and international movements of small-scale food producers and consumers, including peasants, indigenous peoples and communities (including hunters and gatherers), family farmers, rural workers, herders and pastoralists, fisherfolk and urban people. Together, the diverse constituencies our organizations represent produce some 70% of the food consumed by humanity. They...

Beyond staple foods, agriculture needs a stronger focus on nutrient-dense foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes and animal source foods), suggesting the diversification of smallholder production, such as integrated farming systems. To understand the availability of agricultural biodiversity, working with partners that included the community members themselves, a farm inventory of cultivated and...

Ce présent guide porte sur la recette de compostage de la jacinthe d’eau en anaérobiose

Maize is one of the major five staple cereal crops in Ethiopia. High productivity and efficacy in its production is critical to improve food security, reduce the level of poverty and achieve or maintain agricultural growth. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 385 household heads and interviewed using...

Le projet AGRIFAM-Niger concerne principalement la culture de niébé compte tenu de son importance socio-économique au Niger en général et dans la Région de Maradi en particulier. L’atelier a pour objectif de restituer aux différentes plateformes les résultats des enquêtes ménages menées sur les sites et de réaliser une session...

While scholars agree on the importance of land rental markets for structural transformation in rural areas, evidence on the extent and nature of their operation, including potential obstacles to their improved functioning, remains limited. This study uses household-level data from six countries to start filling this gap and derive substantive...