The farmer field school (FFS) approach was developed by FAO and partners nearly 25 years ago in Southeast Asia as an alternative to the prevailing top-down extension method of the Green Revolution, which failed to work in situations where more complex and counter-intuitive problems existed, such as pesticide-induced pest outbreaks. ...

Tanzania has adopted a new national land policy which, among others, lowers the ceiling under which foreign investors can lease land from the current 99 to 33 years. The new policy comes barely months after the East African nation embarked on a campaign to seize “idle” land and deter “rogue...

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today met Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera for talks that focused on rebuilding the country's agriculture sector and making it an engine for peace and sustainable development. In particular, they discussed ways in which to tap into the Central African Republic's considerable agricultural...

Africa south of the Sahara (SSA) has seen unprecedented economic growth since the turn of the millennium, and in recent years poverty rates have steadily declined; yet, while this recent growth has improved rural livelihoods in many of the region’s countries, especially the larger ones, numerous countries continue to face...

Farmer Field Schools (FFS) provide farmers with an opportunity to experiment new technologies which help them to make informed decisions that eventually lead to increased production and income. This study aimed at assessing the role of FFS in adoption and adaptation of recommended rice production practices in Mvomero district in...

Effects of Climate Change in Uganda.

Impact, Adaptation and Development in African Mountain Areas

Zaï as they are known in Burkina Faso, or tassa in Niger, are wide deep planting pits. They act as a microcatchment and can be used to rehabilitate soils when used with manure. They have been very successful in West Africa during the last 25 years.

This is the annual report of the Cassava Community Action Research Project (Cassava CARP) for the period October 2015 – September 2016. The Cassava CARP is aimed at enhancing sustainable production, processing and marketing of cassava and cassava products among the cassava farming communities. Its focus is on quality cassava...

Plantwise is a global programme, led by CABI, to increase food security and improve rural livelihoods by reducing crop losses. Working in close partnership with relevant actors, Plantwise strengthens national plant health systems from within, enabling countries to provide farmers with the knowledge they need to lose less and feed...

Demi-lunes (half-moons) are in the shaped of a semi-circle with the tips of the bunds on the contour. They come in a variety of sizes, which help with water harvesting in semi-arid areas. They help to improve soil fertility when manure or compost is added.

The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF) is an innovative Africa-led fund to support Africa for African development initiatives. Its main goal is to strengthen food security across the continent by assisting countries and their regional organizations to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, eliminate rural poverty and manage natural resources in a...

Sub-Saharan Africa is generally characterized by low production and productivity in the agriculture sector, despite rapidly growing human population which calls for closing the production gap in crops, livestock, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries. At the same time, ecosystems are under pressure, a situation which is further challenged by climate change,...

Trees produce timber and firewood, but also fruit, pods, leaves and medicines for people and livestock. Some species help improve soil fertility and reduce local temperatures. The system supports crops and livestock.

Bidco Africa Oil Refineries has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Conservation Agriculture initiative to encourage farmers to take up growing of soya beans and sunflower seeds in a bid to increase the supply of the two crops.

An Open Letter by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food highlighting concern over the Regional Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Plant Varieties by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)The letter highlights concern that the Arusha Protocol is inappropriate for the ARIPO region and the non-transparent...

Based on experience and lessons learned in 2014-15, Africa’s Regional Initiative 2 (RI2) (originally entitled “Integrated Management of Agricultural Landscapes in Africa”) has been revamped for implementation in 2016-17 to sharpen its focus and to make it more programmatic. It takes a food systems approach with two integrated components, namely...

USA/ Statistically, the family farm makes up ninety-eight percent of all American farms, while farmers in general comprise 2% of the work force in the United States. 40% of the crop market is accounted for by 2.5% of nation's total farms, while family farmers produce approximately twenty-seven percent of the...

Integrated soil fertility management is based on maximising the use of organic fertilizers and minimizing the loss of nutrients.

Participatory research approaches are widely being used for promoting the uptake of agricultural integrated innovations. The methods encourage greater knowledge sharing among farmers and give them more confidence in the technology being promoted which in turn brings about wide adoption of the technology in question. Therefore, understanding efficiency and effectiveness...