In Vietnam rice is grown on 85% of cultivated land. Annual paddy (unmilled) rice production grew from 19.2 million metric tons in 1990 to 42.4 million metric tons by 2011, and in 2012, Vietnam exported eight million metric tons of rice. These yield increases were achieved through improved seeds, but...

Tubers, pulses and millets are important for the livelihoods and nutrition of poor farmers, especially in fragile regions. These crops are not only underutilized, but are also under researched. Ama Sangathan, a women federation consisting of 1200 indigenous women, have revived these crops in two blocks in Odisha, by their...

This practice focuses on facilitating the nursery germination and plantation of the “Malabar Neem” (Melia dubia), which is locally known as “Malaivembu”. The tree is found in forest plantations in India and is a fast growing tree crop with up to 20 m height. It produces greater bio-mass in a...

Rural youth are the future of food security and rural poverty reduction. They are also the present, as there are more young people today than ever before – 1.8 billion between the ages of 10 and 24, most of them living in less developed countries and in rural areas. However,...

In the last two decades, visions of food sovereignty have inspired the origin of social movements, policy innovations, new experiments and debates. The perspective of food sovereignty is thinking by many authors as a ‘dynamic process’, without a clear conceptual and practical definition (Edelman 2014). Many social and rural movements...

The purpose of this volume is to provide FAO member countries with insights into institutional change and how a different type of market incentive contributes to the redefinition and adoption of sustainable practices by farmers. It contributes to FAO’s normative work on sustainable agrifood chains and voluntary standards by providing...

Cette année le 8 mars a eu un accent particulier. Et cela pour deux raisons. La première, les autorités ont placé la commémoration sous le thème «Entrepreneuriat agricole des femmes : obstacles, défis et perspectives». Elles sont allées plus loin que le thème de la journée internationale qui est «Planète 50-50 d’ici 2030 :...

On the basis of the results of the ELVULMED ,MOUVE, and CLIMED research projects, this chapter presents a long-term analysis of the Bedouin society in the northwestern coastal zone (NWCZ) of Egypt, especially the resilience of the Bedouin social–ecological system facing global change. Located along the Mediterranean coast, the NWCZ...

Within the SPOTS Project, L’Oréal has committed to purchasing RSPO-certified production from smallholders in the Sabah Region (Malaysia) over five years, through a partnership with the NGO Wild Asia and its suppliers. The initiative gives these smallholders a long-term access to the international market, allowing them to improve their agricultural...

Pulses have a huge share in Ethiopia’s agriculture crop production. As figures show, Ethiopia annually produces over 400 000 metric tons of chickpea, which places the country among the top ten largest chickpea producers in the world. About five million Ethiopian smallholder farmers are relying on the production of pulses for...

The United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) was established in June 2013 through a Resolution by the UN General Assembly as the main forum for sustainable development issues within the UN framework. Its establishment is one the main outcomes of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development...

This report, achieved through a two-month consultancy, was only possible with equal financial contributions provided by the Western and Central and Pacific Commission’s Japan Trust Fund (JTF) and the Pacific Fisheries for Food Security Program funded by the Australian Government. Artisanal fisheries in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) provide...

The international community is increasingly aware of the link between biodiversity and sustainable development and its direct impact on wealth, health and well-being. Biodiversity is the origin of all crops and domesticated livestock. It is also the source of vital ecosystem services and functions, including soil conservation, water cycling, pollination,...

Migration out of rural areas is a complex issue, especially when caused by distress and lack of alternatives. The decision to migrate depends on a number of variables, including poverty, food insecurity, lack of employment opportunities, conflicts, natural disasters, poverty employment opportunities, and as well as household and individual characteristics....

This paper is aimed to obtain an understanding of the impacts of salinity on agriculture production, the livelihood options of farmers and responses to technologies available to cope with the salinity problem; Mussayeb, Dujaila and Abu Al-Khaseeb are chosen to conduct a socioeconomic analysis. Although descriptive analysis of the field...

Iran is expanding dryland farming as a lingering drought is forcing the country to use its resources more prudently and cast off deep-seated wasteful ways.  Expansion of dryland farming might also help persuade legions of farmers, who rely on dwindling aquifers, not to abandon their vocations. Many of them have moved...

Mariam Mayet is the director of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). In a recent report, ACB turns their attention towards genetic modification of non-commercial ‘orphan crops’ and the way this technology is replacing farmer managed food systems. In this interview Mariam explains what is wrong with genetic modification of...

FAO welcomed an agreement by Indonesia and the European Union (EU) to issue the world's first Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) timber license as a major achievement in the fight against illegal logging. As of 15 November, the FLEGT license can accompany shipments of timber exported from Indonesia to...

This practice describes how moringa plant can be propagated by air layering to promote vegetative propagation of trees and produce seedlings. Farmers nowadays might prefer propagation of moringa through air-layered cuttings rather than through seed propagation because through vegetative propagation the air layered seedlings represent the characteristics of selected mother...

La siguiente tecnología contiene características de limpiadores de malas hierbas y pulverizadores de mochila. Justifica cuándo su utilización puede ser conveniente en términos de sus ventajas y desventajas. Las ventajas incluyen ahorro de mano de obra, fortalecimiento de la resiliencia de los medios de vida, equipos, habilidades y costos. Las...