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

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...

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.

Misinformation about the impact the coronavirus is having on the safety of food in the Asia-Pacific region has led to confusion and concern among consumers, and it’s time to set the record straight, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced today. The spread of COVID-19 has affected...

This technology describes the outcomes of a cost-benefit analysis on rice cultivation with guano fertilizer that was conducted based on quantitative data collected during a monitoring period in both the 2015 wet season and the 2016 dry season.

In farmer-managed aquatic systems, poor people do not always have the resources to stock ponds with different fish species. Furthermore, in the dry season, water bodies dry out and access to food sources becomes limited. Self-recruiting species (SRS) are animals that do not require repeated stocking in farmer-managed systems and...

Blowfly infestation of traditionally processed fish is a serious problem that results in significant physical and economic losses. It also leads to the unregulated use of inappropriate and hazardous insecticides by fish processors in some developing countries. This manual provides guidance on the biology of blowfly infestation and its control....

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrate poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. INBAR’s priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. The following technology covers the advantages of using the steam-bending technique instead of the...

This practice was introduced from the Moluccas islands in Indonesia by indigenous people. Sago palms require only negligible maintenance, which makes sago plantations among the most productive systems that can be operated at almost no maintenance cost. Small-scale sago cultivation without drainage results in a high sago self-propagation rate, short...

This technology describes the cultivation and cost-benefit analysis of straw mushroom cultivation in Laos. By diversifying agricultural livelihoods, the resilience of small-scale farmers to drought and flood risks is increased.

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrate poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan’s (INBAR) priority is to give people, at all levels, the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. Rattan is a natural material and...

Situated at the headwaters of the Yellow River, the sedge-dominated peatlands in the Ruoergai plateau in China store water and supply it to downstream areas. These peatlands are important grazing lands for local pastoralists and play an important role in Tibetan culture. Other uses from the peatland are fuel, medical...

Bhavnaben Suthar of Dungarpur, India is a farmer and master trainer for SEWA Manager Ni School. She grows various crops including wheat, chana, and sarso in her farmland. The majority of farmers in their area also grows vegetables. However, their livelihood is deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As her farm...

Beyond honey, hive products like pollen and propolis can be gathered easily from stingless bees, representing a possible additional source of income for farmers. This technology explains simple procedures for gathering honey, pollen and propolis from stingless bees.

It is now harvest season in Sagwara district in India. However, the country was placed under lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. In effect, harvesting machines and laborers are not allowed to go outside or to travel to other villages. Without help from laborers, farmers will not be able...

Harvesting honey from colonies of giant honey bees, Apis breviligula and Apis dorsata can be a profitable village enterprise. Smoke is used to drive away the bees from their nest. The honeycomb is cut and separated from the pollen and brood. The comb is processed in a honey house to...

Stock assessment tools and fishery management guidelines were synthesised into a framework guide. The guide assists fisheries managers in using Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP) stock assessment tools. It describes a process for writing and implementing a fishery management plan and shows how stock assessment tools can support fishery managers...

In Gamda Bamaniya village in India, many farmers cultivate wheat. However, right now they face challenges in terms of their livelihood. It is the harvest season now, but due to the lockdown being implemented in the country to stop the spread of COVID-19, laborers from other villages cannot travel to...

We’re trying to teach our young ones that there’s no rocket science to it. It’s about keeping that natural balance and it will just keep giving.” 🌱 Meet Togia Tavita Faletoese, a Samoan organic farmer who set up a youth farm to pass on traditional knowledge

While the coconut shell technology is the easiest and cheapest way to propagate stingless bees, it may not be practical for inter-island transport for pollination of large plantation crops like mango. Thus, a suitable wooden hive was designed for this purpose. This practice describes how to build the wooden hive...