Charles Dhewa, a knowledgeable broker and management specialist, penned an article emphasizing the shift from industrial agriculture to agroecology, which applies ecological concepts to farming. Dhewa points out that while critics question agroecology's ability to support the booming global population or address unemployment in Africa, traditional commercial agriculture hasn't provided...

Livestock is the subject of widespread allegations regarding its responsibility for global warming. And yet authorisations for factory farms continue to be granted and there is still major confusion about the different types of livestock farming. This confusion, added to the call for people to eat "less but better meat",...

Organic tree fruit quality and yield are often reduced (10 - >80%) because of insect and pest damage. No effective control measures exist for many of these pests. This increases economic risk and can reduce growers’ motivation to develop organic production. At the same time, there is a large potential...

In a recent Daily Monitor article titled "How agroecology battles nutritional deficiencies and food insecurity," the merits of agroecology over conventional farming were brought to the fore. Through testimonials from Ugandan agriculturalists, the piece underscores the adverse effects of inorganic farming, such as soil degradation and excessive fertilizer use, while...

Located in Central Asia, Mongolia is the most sparsely populated fully sovereign country in the world. Landlocked and far from the sea, the vast grazing lands and grassy steppe of Mongolia have for centuries been a heartland of nomadic animal husbandry. About 73 percent of agricultural land is pastureland used...

Want to know more about IIED’s research on the environment, climate change, urban issues, sustainable markets and lots more. You’ll find information on upcoming events, details of new projects, links to download our latest publications and more. The newsletter is sent every two weeks, so you’ll never miss out on our...

This webinar focuses on the processes of getting planning permission for horticultural land. Speakers include Bill Knight, an organic farmer, sustainability consultant and Permaculture tutor; James Shorten, a planning specialist at TerraPermaGeo specialising in sustainable and regenerative land use; and one of the OGA directors Jim Aplin of Hotchpotch Organics,...

We invite you all to join us on a virtual trip to the 7th Annual West African Farmers' Seed Fair organised by the West African Committee for Farmers' Seeds (COASP) in Zoungbonou, Benin, from 9 to 11 March 2023.  The seed fair brought together farmers, CSOs, government officials, academics and...

Agroecology holds that agricultures that are part of sustainable food systems are closely interwoven with local contexts and communities. These agricultures are embedded into farmers’ local and practice knowledge which is articulated in constructive ways with scientific knowledge. They combine producers’ concerns with concerns of consumers and environmental protection and...

As part of the RISE ATTER project, consortium partners co-designed and delivered a 7-day event at Monkton Wyld Court in Dorset, UK. This is the first of three summer/autumn schools planned to take place over the course of the ATTER project. The main objective of this week-long collective space was...

This general fiche summarises all the environmental and climate impacts of organic farming systems and specifically on organic livestock systems, found in a review of 30 synthesis research papers [1]. These papers were selected from an initial number of 220 obtained through a systematic literature search strategy, according to the inclusion criteria reported...

People who traditionally eat insects, such as grasshoppers, termites, white ants or crickets catch them in the wild when they are in season. In some places there are now fewer edible insects because the environment has been damaged. Rearing insects on your farm can provide proteins throughout the year. Edible...

El Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO) es una institución internacional no- gubernamental con estatus asociativo en la UNESCO, creada en 1967, actualmente, reúne 836 Centros de Investigación y posgrado en el campo de las Ciencias Sociales y las Humanidades en 57 países de América Latina, el Caribe y otros...

For centuries bees, among the hardest working creatures on the planet, have benefited people, plants and the environment. By carrying pollen from one flower to another, bees and other pollinators enable not only the production of an abundance of fruits, nuts and seeds, but also more variety and better quality,...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

EU CAP Network Newsletter March 2023! Optimising the flow of information about agriculture and rural policy within the EU is what the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Network is all about.  The Network is a forum through which National CAP Networks, organisations, administrations, researchers, entrepreneurs and practitioners can share knowledge and information...

FiBL turns 50! On the 1st of February 1973 the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Schweizerische Stiftung zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus) was established, thus laying the foundations for FiBL. It’s an occasion to take a look back: Browse through our image gallery on FiBL's history from...

Agriculteurs, acteurs institutionnels et membres du Cirad se sont réunis pour un atelier d’échange sur les pratiques agricoles pour faire face aux enjeux de préservation des ressources en eau et de la biodiversité. Le but ? Restituer des résultats sur la qualité de l’eau et sur le suivi des populations...

Quels rôles peuvent jouer les organisations paysannes en matière de transition agroécologique ? Quelles initiatives et approches défendent-elles pour répondre aux enjeux de formation ? Éléments de réponses avec Ramadan Sylla, chargé d’agroécologie paysanne à la CNOP-Mali (et apprenant du master MIFAR).

Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and socialconcepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems.It seeks to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment, whiletaking into account the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and equitable food system. Natural Farming...