Nissa Wargadipuras’s earliest memories involve learning how to live with nature. Her childhood home’s backyard in the hilly town of Garut, West Java was a little forest where her father planted vegetables, herbs and fruits. Her mother produced traditional medicine from the plants for their family and their neighbours. “Whenever I...

In 2020, the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC) through the ASEAN Farmers’ Organisation Support Programme (AFOSP) – Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) platform conducted the “Young Farmers Dance Challenge” with the following objectives: 1) to attract young people to join Farmers Organizations;...

THE YOUTH HAVE SPOKEN! Young farmers from Asia have spoken up about the various issues affecting agriculture and forwarded their ideas on how to resolve these challenges that they also face as agriculture practitioners. Delve into the minds of today's youth. Read their letters addressed to policymakers in the agriculture sector and understand their...

Bangladesh with all successes in poverty alleviation is yet to reduce the nutrition deficit, particularly for pregnant women. Malnutrition has a negative impact on the growth of children and could impact them for the rest of their life. Food intake with balance diet is out of reach for the majority...

This study, in collaboration with the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), provides an overview of the current state of sustainable agriculture practices and systems (SAPSs) in India. It aims to help policymakers, administrators, philanthropists, and others contribute to an evidence-based scale-up of SAPSs, which represent a vital alternative to conventional,...

By watching the video, you will learn about the impacts of COVID-19 on local food systems and rural areas. Ron Hartman, Director of the Global Engagement Partnership and Resource Mobilization of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), also imparts response measures that can enhance farmers’ capacities, including the repurposing...

Leading the European Union-funded Programme for Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea (EU-STREIT PNG), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) focuses on promoting fair participation of women in all nodes along three targeted value chains of Cocoa, Vanilla and Fisheries under...

This video tells the story of Sireesha - one of the thousands of women and men farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India, practicing agroecology in Farmer Field Schools facilitated by the Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming Programme and FAO. Through agroecology and FFS, Sireesha and her family improved their incomes; consume healthy and...

The leader of the Community Managed Natural Farming (CMNF) programme Vijay Kumar explains the Social Capital side of the story, and how women’s groups were a central part of the success of CMNF, now recognised worldwide as a model of agricultural transformation. The CMNF initiative has mobilised over a million...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for five FAO-led projects in eight countries, totaling more than $46.6 million in funding.  The decision was made during the 60th GEF Council Meeting and the 30th Least Developed Countries Fund Council...

Millions of people in Myanmar are expected to become hungry over the coming six months as food insecurity is predicted to rise sharply and plunge the country into a food crisis. In the wake of political and financial instability, an increasing number of people are facing uncertainty as job losses...

The 36th Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) has wrapped up the first of its three-day biennial session, convened in its first all-virtual format, amid ongoing uncertainties created within fishery-food supply chains caused by the global pandemic. In opening the Commission Session, the Director-General of the Department of Fisheries of the Royal Thai Government...

Herbal pesticide has been prepared based on farmers innovations documented by SEVA in association with Honeybee Network and National Innovation Foundation. The main objective is to disseminate low cost eco-friendly practices which are safe to human, livestock and environment. SEVA has promoted farmers experimentation and validated this practice. Now this...

In order to promote livestock in dry land areas, farmers created “Korangadu” pastureland many centuries ago in their own private lands in Tamil Nadu. This system encourages livestock keeping and earning more income in dry land/rainfed areas. Korangadu typically consists of a mixture of grass, legumes and tree species including...

Hydroponic farming – a system where plants are grown in water instead of soil – seems too high-tech and costly for smallholders in developing countries. But dairy farmers in the Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra have in recent years learnt to successfully produce quality green fodder using...

Oral administration of Herbal masala bolus to work bullocks is a traditional practice in Tamil Nadu in order to overcome anorexia, off feed. SEVA team members administered orally "Herbal Masala Bolus" directly to more than 50 000 animals (cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats) and indirectly many thousands through trained members over...

Pruning and mulching are traditional cultural practices in small cardamom cultivation to expose the panicles for better pollination and fruit set as well as to reduce insect pest build up. Also pruning the lower branches of shade trees in cardamom field is a cultural practice to maintain about 50 percent...

Haor ecosystem of Bangladesh plays dual roles: local economic development through agricultural income-earning activities and preserve the environment. Smallholder haor farmers face a variety of challenges that confined their access to the market. This study was undertaken to examine the determinants of smallholder's market access that plays an important role...

Pregnancy testing in livestock needs examination by expert veterinarians. Poor livestock farmers and livestock keepers in rural areas cannot afford or do not have access to such technical feats by vets. The Bio-indicator method is a traditional practice where seeds of pulses soaked in urine of the animal are used....

This guidebook is an offshoot of the research outputs, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations of the project Piloting and Upscaling Effective Models of ISARD implemented by SEARCA in partnership with the Visayas State University, the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (now the Mindoro State University), and the local government units (LGUs) of...