Although it is increasingly recognised that Zimbabwe’s Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP), initiated in 2000, was redistributive (Moyo et al 2009; Scoones et al 2010), few studies have examined the qualitative character of this outcome and its prospects for progressive social and political transformation in a largely agrarian society....

L’absence de matériels de pêche (filets, pirogues, etc.) installe de nombreux acteurs de la filière à Madagascar dans une pauvreté chronique. Mais grâce au « micro projet coup de pouce » initié par le Projet FIDA Appui au Développement du Menabe et du Melaky (AD2M) et qui a mis à la...

While seed security is key to food security, concrete means for building resilient seed systems remain unexplored in research and practice. A new toolkit, the Seed System Security Assessment (SSSA), examines what actually happens to seed systems during crises and highlights specific features that foster or undermine resilience. Drawing evidence...

Small-holdings in sub-Saharan Africa are prone to low crop yields. Problems contributing to low yield are mainly related to poor soil fertility and weed infestations compounded by inappropriate application of recommended technologies. Researcher-managed trials were done to determine fit for technologies to prevailing socio-economic conditions. The research was done as...

The Barefoot Guide 2 is a free, downloadable and practical resource for leaders, facilitators and practitioners involved in social change who want to improve and enrich their learning processes. But this is not just another book on organisational learning and social change. It is different in many ways. It is different in...

Au Burkina Faso l'agriculture a connu des gains de productivité très conséquents, passant  en quelques décennies de l'abattis-brûlis à la culture continue. Les services liés à la production cotonnière et en particulier le crédit à l'équipement, ont joué un rôle majeur dans cette intensification des systèmes de production. Pourtant la malnutrition touche encore une part  importante de la...

In this chapter we present our assessments of the current socioeconomic and biophysical vulnerability of the Ethiopian agricultural sector, mainly focusing on key indicators of socioeconomic vulnerability and selected food enterprises. General circulation model (GCM) projections to 2050 are used to uncover what the future holds for the agricultural sector...

The FAO-Finland Programme is supporting Tanzania in its efforts towards developing and implementing national efforts on integrated fire management as a key factor to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. All stakeholders1 see the fire situation in Tanzania as complex, difficult, widespread and of significant concern. The detail of the fire...

The preparation of this report was initiated because of the increased need for information about the characteristics of rice production and its producers in Ethiopia for the design of effective research and development interventions. The emerging importance of rice in the country is well recognized following the approval of the...

The agriculture sector continues to be viewed as a vehicle through which economic growth and development can be achieved; particularly for developing economies. This view is incorporated in South Africa’s rural development framework in the National Development Plan, which indicated that this sector will be the main driver in developing...

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) committed to the mitigation of the effects of climate change by signing the Kyoto Protocol for climate change and other related environmental management protocols. Since 1994, DRC has produced two national climate change communication documents (RDC, Ministère de l’Environnement, Conservation de la Nature, Eaux,...

African governments, international agencies and NGOs are calling for policies which pay more attention to young people and agriculture.  This policy brief draws on research findings by Future Agricultures and asks: What are the expectations and aspirations of young rural men and women? What are the constraints and opportunities facing...

Les effets du Conseil à l’Exploitation Familiale sur le revenu et la productivité agricoles des bénéficiaires ont été évalués dans cet article. Les données collectées auprès de cent soixante (160) producteurs choisis aléatoirement à raison de quatre-vingt (80) auditeurs CEF (AC) et quatre-vingt (80) non auditeurs ont été analysées à...

Eritrea has adopted various international environmental laws and policy guidelines. The major policies and programs related to climate change are the Environmental Management Plan for Eritrea, the National Action Program to Combat Desertification and Mitigate Effects of Drought, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Eritrea, Eritrea’s Initial National...

Dans la perspective de l'Année Internationale de l'Agriculture Familiale (2014), le Cirad avait été mandaté pour analyser les caractéristiques des agricultures familiales du monde avec des études dans neuf pays dont le Mali. Parmi les conclusions de cette étude , celles que les exploitations familiales maliennes ont  un besoin urgent d'une politique agricole ambitieuse...

This working paper synthesizes and analyzes the characteristics of the indigenous sheep production and breeding strategies and practices of four sheep farming communities located in pastoral (Amibara), sub-alpine sheep-barley (Menz), perennial crop-livestock (Bonga), and cereal-livestock (Horro) production systems. The paper also provides a model framework for characterizing the indigenous sheep...

Dans la région Est du Burkina Faso, le Projet d’investissement communautaire en fertilité agricole (PICOFA) a entrepris de disséminer la pratique du Warrantage de auprès des groupements de femmes et de jeunes en vue de réduire la vulnérabilité des ménages en période de soudure et faciliter l’accès aux crédits, parfois nécessaires...

The majority of the rural people in Swaziland depend on cash income for survival strategies. Rural agriculture is insufficient to meet all food needs, but agricultural production provides a vital supplement to other food sources as well as employment opportunities during peak agricultural seasons (such as for weeding and harvesting).  ...

Nearly 70 per cent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) live in rural areas and rely mainly on agriculture for livelihood security. Low agricultural productivity in the region keeps this population under constant pressure, even though investment in agriculture is a proven way to reduce regional poverty. Studies have...

Many farmers across rural Africa depend on their livestock for survival. Whether animals such as chickens, goats, pigs and cattle are used as a primary source of household food or as income from the sale of animal by-products, they represent an important asset to many families throughout the continent. This reality,...