Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote...

ABSTRACT After briefly describing the origins and recent history of agroecology, the author critically reflects on what makes agroecologyfundamentally different from Climate-smart Agriculture (CSA). This article focuses in particular on the more transformative elements ofthe agroecology and food sovereignty paradigm to clearly identify overlaps and divergences with CSA and explore...

Patents increasingly undermine the strong legal edifice patiently constructed by UPOV (1).The Treaty guarantees free access to the main industrial resource of plant breeders - peasants’ seeds collected from farms across the world. This article argues that broadening the reach of patents over genetic resources is increasingly replacing benefit sharing,...

Mountain people learn, live, love and unite for life – to awaken and search for the treasure within the mountain. By combining our wisdom, we can co-exist and develop to our fullest potential, working towards holistic dignity and sustainability. This initiative involves 1,144 families, mainly concentrated in Mae Win, Mae...

Organic farms sustain 30% more biodiversity than conventional arms, as demonstrated by a meta-analysis of 94 studies from the past 30 years (Tuck et al., 2014). The most distinct differences in biodiversity were seen in landscapes containing a higher proportion of arable crops, and plant biodiversity benefited the most from...

India faces a dual crisis related to food and agriculture. First is the malnutrition and hunger crisis. Every 4th Indian is hungry. Every third women is severely malnourished. Every second child is “wasted”. This is not “Shinning India” but “Starving India”. The second aspect of the crisis is the agrarian...

The 88 page illustrated book showcases 15 case studies, showing how agroecology benefits Africa in terms of food and nutrition, livelihoods, restoration of biodiversity, knowledge and innovation, and climate change resilience. Leading experts in their fields explain how agroecology reforms food systems to promote better nutrition and health, especially among poor...

The collapse of the socialist block in 1989 generated a deficit of energy, supplies and chemicals, and forced significant changes in the ways in which food was produced and distributed in Cuba. Due to these deficits, in the 90´s Cuba moved from being the largest consumer of agrochemicals in Latin...

  During Tea & Honey Tour guests travel through the wonderful lush countryside, past different provinces and tiny  communes, up into The Great Caucasus Mountain regions and past lowlands and historic towns in search of as much aroma of tea & honey as possible! Guests taste various types of honey at local farms...

The TheruBeedi Seed Bank and Producer Group facilitate informal benefit sharing mechanisms that can be very effective in protecting biodiversity and encouraging farmers to contribute to the genetic pool. The approaches include offering family farmers incentives to cultivate traditional or rare varieties, providing assistance in the marketing of their products,...

For farmers in Central Asia, growing and marketing organic produce could be a rational – even promising – strategy. In some cases, they may even have an advantage over their peers in other countries.

In the Ecuadorian provinces of Bolivar, Chimborazo, and Cotopaxi, family farmers are building new capacity to conserve and use the biodiversity on their farms. By participating in action research they gain a greater understanding and control of their plant genetic resources. This results in increased resilience to climatic and other...

In 2015, two global policy developments stood out, which are highly relevant for agriculture. Firstly, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed, which seek to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture (Goal 2) by 2030 (UN, 2016). Secondly, the UNFCCC Paris Agreement was adopted...

The agriculture sector is the largest employer in developing countries of Asia and in Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Smallholders, landless and marginal farmers and their families, who comprise the main category of the rural self-employed in the sector, face a large number of economic, demographic, social and technical constraints. Strengthening...

This guide is based on information from the Food Plants International (FPI) database developed by Tasmanian agricultural scientist Bruce French.  The source material and guidance for the preparation of the book has been made possible through the support of Food Plants International, the Rotary Clubs of District 9830, particularly the...

What is successful access and benefit sharing’ for smallholder family farmers? This contribution argues it is not about legal contracts or mechanisms that regulate the international transfer of plant genetic resources. It is about farmers’ access to seed diversity and the ability to share in the benefits of the continuing...

The collapse of the socialist block in 1989 generated a deficit of energy, supplies and chemicals, and forced significant changes in the ways in which food was produced and distributed in Cuba. Due to these deficits, in the 90´s Cuba moved from being the largest consumer of agrochemicals in Latin...

"Esta edición presenta artículos cuyos autores, en muchos casos protagonistas mismos de la experiencia, refieren que para avanzar en la práctica de la producción agraria sostenible es necesario medir sus impactos, pues con ello es posible valorar la eficiencia de los esfuerzos invertidos para los procesos de transición hacia la...

This issue of Farming Matters explores the different ways pastoral societies are joining forces to challenge the policies that undermine their culture and way of life. For millennia, pastoralist societies have managed the rangelands of the world’s most challenging environments, producing food and providing ecosystem services for millions of households. The experiences,...

Mapping the Local and Solidarity-based Partnerships in Mediterranean Basin is an extremely challenging task: it means dealing with a new and rapidly growing field. To date, to the best of our knowledge, there is has been no study that deals specifically with local food systems in the area as a...