Kuttanad is a delta region of about 900 sq. km situated in the west coast of Kerala State, India. The area is a larger mosaic of fragmented landscape patches and varied ecosystems such as coastal backwaters, rivers, vast stretches of paddy fields, marshes, ponds, garden lands, edges, corridors and   remarkably networked water ways.  The Kuttanad Below Sea-level...

Rural social movements have in recent years adopted agroecology and diversified farming systems as part of their discourse and practice. Here, we situate this phenomenon in the evolving context of rural spaces that are increasingly disputed between agribusiness, together with other corporate land-grabbers, and peasants and their organizations and movements....

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...

Los agricultores suelen ser conscientes de la enorme diversidad de especies de insectos en sus campos, y de las funciones que estos cumplen como parte de un ecosistema. La agricultura tiene gran influencia en el equilibrio de la población de insectos. Sin embargo, en todo el mundo, las evidencias muestran...

China has a five-thousand-year history of agricultural civilization. Diversified natural and cultural features across regions have led to a variety of agricultural heritage systems which have evolved from the co-adaptation of the local community and its environment. However, for a long period, their ecological rationality and potential economic benefits have...

Las últimas crisis internacionales –cuyos ejes principales e interrelacionados fueron el cambio climático, la producción de alimentos, la escasez de fuentes de energía y la explosión de la burbuja inmobiliaria en Estados Unidos–, han obligado a redirigir la mirada hacia los elementos más básicos de la producción y la reproducción...

El proceso complejo de transición, detallado en este libro, analiza la trama de variables y actores que participan en él en relación con los objetivos trazados en el Proyecto Específico AERN-296022, Investigación Acción Participativa de los procesos de transición hacia sistemas de producción agroecológicos. Sin duda esta obra representa, desde...

"En este último número LEISA, enfocamos nuevamente el aspecto económico de la producción de pequeña escala, pero ahora desde la perspectiva del mercado." Contenido: Editorial. Nuevos mercados, nuevos valores Construcción de mercados: un desafío para la agricultura campesina (Paulo Petersen) Las variedades criollas del maíz, los mercados especializados y las estrategias de vida de...

"Este número de LEISA revista de Agroecología, presta especial atención a las organizaciones de agricultores. ¿De qué forma se organizan los agricultores? ¿Qué problemas existen en sus organizaciones de agricultores y cómo se resuelven?"

Food production in Kenya is closely related to smallholder agricultural production. Paradoxically, many smallholders suffer extended periods of food crises. This underscores the importance of understanding the multiple pathways smallholders use to deal with food insecurity. Participatory action research, using both qualitative and quantitative methods was undertaken to identify adaptation...

The North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul State is characterized as a diversified ecological and cultural region, related to the formation of the Atlantic Forest, superimposed on the presence of different ethnicities and social groups with their various knowledges and practices. Diverse organizations are  attending  to  their  region  mainly ...

This issue of Caravan describes the new program, and some of the research innovations it will build on. The issue begins with two ‘opinion pieces’ by scientists from partner organizations in the CRP. They share lessons learnt from past successes (and failures), and ideas that could be applied to dryland systems...

Longxian is a traditional Rice-Fish Culture system (RFC) village, located in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, China. It spreads over 461 ha and has 50 ha of RFC that represent an ingenious agricultural rice-fish mutuality practiced by farmers over generations. Instead of using pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, fish eat plant hoppers...

A produção de alimentos saudáveis, em quantidade adequada para suprir as necessidades humanas, tem demandado a prática de uma agricultura sustentável, que possibilite a interação entre os seres humanos e os recursos ambientais, de forma que a ação do homem seja componente dos processos ecológicos que acontecem nos agroecossistemas. A valorização...

Chemical pesticides for controlling plant diseases and insect pests in farmlands cause a series of serious problems including residue effects, environmental pollution, etc. Bio-pesticides and bio-controls are, on the other hand, slowly effective, high cost, and, always with certain targets. Integrated, high-efficient and environmentally friendly disease and insect-pest control measures...

"Este número especial de LEISA Revista de Agroecología proporciona una visión general de la importancia de la agricultura a pequeña escala y de un enfoque agroecológico de la agricultura, analizando en detalle cuatro áreas clave: seguridad alimentaria, reducción de la pobreza, energía y el cambio climático."

Seed security initiatives are proliferating in both developmental and crisis contexts but the field as a whole is weak in critical thinking. Two gaps in particular are explored in this paper: the need to set explicit seed security goals and the need to ensure balance among the security elements of...

GIAHS are found throughout the developing world, linked to centers of diversity.  Agroecosystems cover more than one quarter of the global land area, reaching about 5 billion hectares. Agroecosystems are ecosystems in which people have deliberately selected crop plants and livestock animals to replace the natural flora and fauna.  

Aohan Bannery is located in the southeast of Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. It is the interface between China’s ancient farming culture and grassland culture. From 2001 to 2003, carbonized particles of foxtail and broomcorn millet were discovered by archaeologists in the “First Village of China”, Xinglongwa in...

The report analyses the international legal and policy matrix to assess the level of existing support for GIAHS and to ascertain the gaps in that support.