The IFAD-funded PAMA Programme - the Agricultural Markets Support Programme - supports the implementation of major economic reforms launched by the government during the 1990s, including the commercialization of small-scale farming through better access to markets and improved linkages with private sector operators. The programme enables small-scale farmers in Boane,...

Le présent travail est le fruit de la capitalisation de 8 expériences qui illustrent de façon très concrète les liens entre développement local et agriculture familiale. Il ne vise, en aucun cas, à traiter de manière exhaustive toutes les problématiques liées à l’agriculture familiale. Il présente ici des expériences vécues,...

Between 2008 and 2013 ASARECA coordinated and provided leadership in implementing a project called “Dissemination of New Agricultural Technologies in Africa” (DONATA) across 6 countries in eastern and central Africa. The approach in DONATA was the innovation platform for technology adoption (IPTA). At the start of the project, there were...

It has been established that smallholder farmers have minimal access to various support services that would have otherwise enabled them to increase their output levels. The focus of this paper is to identify and quantify the impact of various support services on the production levels of cocoa in the Eastern...

The EMPRES-i Event Mobile Application (EMA) allows national veterinary authorities to use smartphones to report disease outbreaks. It also allows district veterinary officers to access disease reports submitted by colleagues. During the second half of 2013, the app was tested in a pilot which took place in ten districts of...

Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are complex problems. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 214 million people are chronically hungry and child and infant malnutrition rates are amongst the highest in the world. As part of a multipronged approach to addressing the challenge, the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)...

This publication contains of information on technologies and innovation for addressing climate change and variability in Eastern and Central Africa. They were compiled from national agricultural research system (NARS) and International research centers working in the ASARECA region. The information was submitted and discussed at a regional conference on “Climate...

Annonce, en marge d'un séminaire-débat intitulé " Fenêtre sur l'agriculture ", organisé par l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (Fao) et l'Ong Initiative prospective agricole et rurale (Ipar), de l'investissement de 100 milliards de FCfa par l'Etat Sénégalais dans " Les domaines agricoles communautaires ".

South-South and triangular cooperation has an enormous potential role in agriculture and rural development in developing countries, both in unlocking diverse experiences and lessons and in providing solutions to pressing development challenges. From the cases that follow, a number of common lessons emerge. First, it is important to create a...

Almost half of the world's agricultural workers are women - but in Africa, less than 15% of them own land. Rice farmer Awa Jagne explains what it means to her to own her own land and produce food for her family.

In Africa and in particular, Sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that there are more than 45,000 species of plants, of which about 1,000 can be eaten as green leafy vegetables. Most of the latter fall within the category of African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs). ALVs are also known to be rich...

Soil degradation is a major threat to Southern Africa's agricultural production. Crops show generally weak responses to mineral fertilizers on degraded soils. A three-year study was conducted between 2009 and 2012 on smallholder farms in eastern Zimbabwe to explore entry points for rehabilitating degraded croplands using principles of integrated soil...

Bilan à la fin de l'année 2013 du Projet sénégalais d'appui aux filières agricoles (PAFA), qui affiche de bons résultats. Avec 90% de taux d'exécution et 87% taux de décaissement pour le compte de l'exercice 2013, le projet, prévu jusqu'en 2017, maintient la dynamique qui lui a permis  d'améliorer le sort de 17 834...

Le présent travail est le fruit de la capitalisation de 8 expériences qui illustrent de façon très concrète les liens entre développement local et agriculture familiale. Il ne vise, en aucun cas, à traiter de manière exhaustive toutes les problématiques liées à l’agriculture familiale. Beaucoup d’ouvrages, documents ont été écrits...

This publication provides real life examples on how to re-engage youth in agriculture. It shows how tailor-made educational programmes can provide rural youth with the skills and insights needed to engage in farming and adopt environmentally friendly production methods. Many of the initiatives and approaches reported in this study originate...

WFP marks the International day of Co-operatives and commits to invest in capacity building of small-holder farmers through local purchases to achieve sustainable food security.

One way that family farmers improve their resilience to both climatic and economic shocks is to diversify what is produced. More and different crops and livestock, particularly local varieties and breeds are being promoted. Two other options stand out too – bees and trees. These have the added advantages of...

For many generations subsistence farmers have successfully grown their own fruits and vegetables, and reared their own livestock. KwaHhohho in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, has a rich history of these traditional farming practices. But these are under threat, and this small farming community is fighting to save their natural seeds and traditional...

This Report presents the results of the 2011-2012 Agriculture and Livestock Survey (ALS) in A1 Farms conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.

In a dry, thorny, remote village about 200 km south of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, a group of women have transformed an abandoned piece of land into a flourishing community garden, growing enough fresh, nutritious vegetables to supply nearby towns and villages, while boosting the health and income of their own community.