This is Chapter 13, "Regional Assessment of Soil Changes in the Near East and North Africa," of the report Status of the World’s Soil Resources.  The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region has a land area of approximately 14.9 million km2, nearly all of which is hyper-arid, arid or...

Depuis les années 1990, la thématique des jeunes a pris de l’importance dans le débat public au Maroc, que ce soit en termes de renouvellement de la classe politique ou de l’obtention d’emplois pour les jeunes diplômés. En témoignent les mouvements contestataires des jeunes diplômés chômeurs, les politiques d’appui aux...

The great lakes region of Central Africa is beautiful and abundant in hills, people and conflicts. Its high altitude and cooler climate make it ideal for crops. But soils have been exhausted, spare land is rarely available, and competition and struggle for resources has marked much of the region’s history...

The Regional Conference on “Building a future for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea” (7-9 March 2016, Algiers, Algeria) enjoyed the robust attendance of over 200 participants, which included policy-makers, scientists, practitioners, fishers representatives, fish workers, civil society organizations, NGOs, research institutions, international organizations and more....

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, e.g. fish, and hydroponics is growing plants in a soilless medium. Aquaponics couples both systems. The nutrient-rich water from the fish unit is used as fertiliser for the hydroponically grown crops, therefore significantly reducing the sewage of the fish component. However, larger aquaponic systems...

In Tanzania, most smallholder dairy farmers rely on on-farm resources for feeding their livestock. These on-farm feed resources include grasses, legumes, crop residues, cereals and oilseed byproducts. These feed resources, in particular pasture and crop residues, do often fluctuate seasonally both in terms of quantity and quality. For example, pasture...

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...

The purpose of this workshop is to develop capacity in a range of areas related to the IPPC. This will include learning how to analyse draft ISPMs and to formulate productive comments using the examples of draft ISPMs for member consultation in 2016, to build phytosanitary capacity and raise awareness...

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...

This publication summarized the activities of the project (Coping with water scarcity – the role of agriculture- Phase III: Strengthening national capacities in Lebanon). The project has helped improve the national, regional and local capacity to cope with water scarcity, as a result of an improved knowledge on how water...

This paper provides a brief overview of agroforestry systems in Vanuatu through case studies on two villages on Efate Island, Etas and Epau. Epau village is longer settled and is characterised by secure property rights, while Etas is a newly settled village with less secure property rights. Common problems facing...

Farming has long been seen as an overworked and underpaid job. Many people, especially the youth in the countryside, choose to leave the fields. Now, the stereotype is changing. A pilot family farm scheme in Shanghai's Songjiang District has made farming a career with a decent income. In 2015, the average...

The purpose of the FCC (Food Chain Crisis) Early Warning Bulletin is to inform FAO and other international organizations, countries, scientific experts, and decision makers on the forecast of threats to animal and plant health and food safety with a potential high impact on food and nutrition security for the...

Association of private farming of the Czech Republic organized an International Conference on family farms and Common Agricultural Policy of EU. The event was held in Brno on 4 - 6th of April 2016. 10 European countries attended the conference. Herewith volume 8. Presentation of Slovakia

Drought is one of the main causes of food insecurity. In 2011, the horn of Africa has faced the worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 12.4 million people suffered from a massive food shortage. To mitigate the impact of agricultural drought, it is of high importance to dispose of...

Tea began its journey towards becoming the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water, some 5 000 years ago. According to folklore, a few tea leaves accidentally wafted into a pot of water that a Chinese emperor was boiling, giving off a rich aroma and enticing the emperor...

Remaining fish parts that are not eaten are usually wasted. Fish powder made from fish remaining can be used to enrich staple foods such as maize and cassava, and therefore improve levels of micronutrients in the diet. This practice describes the benefits of the fish powder, how to produce fish...

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...