In the Bolivian Andes, some officials are starting using local knowledge to improve their early warning systems for natural disasters. For centuries, local farmers have used the signs of nature (clouds, stars, the behavior of plants and animals) to predict disasters like hail, floods and droughts, and to forecast the welcome...

The Government of Andhra Pradesh introduced Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in 2016 as an alternative to chemical-based and capital intensive agriculture through its implementing agency Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS). The main objective of the ZBNF is to make agriculture economically viable, agrarian livelihoods profitable, thereby reducing agrarian distress through cost reduction and...

This study analysed Swedish stakeholders’ views on future developments of organic production and consumption based on Organic 3.0, a strategic initiative by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Focus group discussions were carried out with actors representing different parts of the organic value chain in Sweden. These identified...

Usually, farmers fatten male sheep and goats because they grow faster. To fatten the animals, it is important to find the right animals. To fatten sheep and goats, also give them protein rich feed for about 3 to 6 months. Along with good food, you must also make sure that...

In the Shrubs for Change project, 300 ‘trainers of trainers’ learn how to get more milk from dairy cows by feeding them nutritious leaves from shrubs. These trainers will in turn train and support 120,000 dairy farmers in Kenya and Malawi to start growing shrubs in their own gardens. Research has...

This report presents the results of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on 'Protecting fruit production from frost damage'. In the European Union, the fruit and vegetable sector is particularly affected by frost and, despite global warming, the risk of frost damage in the growing season may increase. This report reflects the...

Greek olive oil producers are turning out to more sustainable production methods, whereas climate change cuts off previous year’s production in -30%. 

Suzana Dimitrievska is an organic farmer in North Macedonia. Coming from a line of strong, well-educated women, she has always been comfortable embracing new technology. She is using Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to increase the efficiency of her family farm. Several years ago, she bought a farm management software that enabled...

French farmers, beekeepers and agricultural students join forces to promote biodiversity For the past three years, the Biodiversité project in the French region of Normandy has been working on biodiversity in agriculture. Farmers, beekeepers and students have joined forces to study the potential of increasing biodiversity on agricultural parcels by planting...

In Guinea-Bissau, the intensifi cation of cashew monoculture and the decline in yields of rice and other staple cereals is a common issue that puts the population in an unprecedented state of food insecurity. Organisations such as CAURAL REMOBE have tried to fi nd a solution to this problem. The...

Current food systems are at a crossroads. There is a strong need for transforming food production and consumption patterns in a sustainable way. One where farmers adapt and build resilience to the increasing challenges from climate change and where nutritious food is available for all. Agroecology provides one solution towards...

Surendranagar, India – For many people, salt is an ingredient without which a meal is tasteless and incomplete. But have we ever given a thought to the effort which goes into preparing this salt? In India, farmers spend eight months in the harsh salt pans in the Little Rann of Kutch...

The FFS has been one of the most successful approaches developed and promoted by FAO over the last 30 years, empowering farmers to become better decision-makers in their own farming systems. Initiated by FAO in 1989, and followed by many other organizations and institutions, the FFS programmes represent one of...

La Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológica/Agroecológica (SEAE) ha publicado el trabajo Evidencias científicas sobre la producción ecológica que trata de mostrar, a través de evidencias, los beneficios de este tipo de producción. Este documento es apoyado por más de cincuenta entidades del ámbito académico, ambientalista, empresarial y del asociacionismo del sector ecológico...

Agroecological practices have been widely promoted as an alternative to the hegemonic agri-food system, yet they also can help to ‘green’ the system. To strengthen a transformative agroecology, Latin American activists have promoted the concept desenvolvimento territorial rural (DTR or rural territorial development), which has different versions. The dominant version advocates broad...

This article discusses the economic dimensions of agroecological farming systems in Europe. It firstly theoretically elaborates the reasons why, and under what conditions, agroecological farming systems have the potential to produce higher incomes than farms that follow the conventional logic. This theoretical exposition is then followed by a presentation of...

In the Western French region “les Pays de la Loire”, an idea emerged about a decade ago in the minds of some environmentalists. Faced with the dreadful, global, current loss of biodiversity, especially in agricultural landscapes – which accounts for 70% of the regional land – these passionate naturalists strived...

The African workforce will grow by 800 million people over the next 30 years. Generating sufficient jobs and incomes to meet their needs is one of the biggest political and economic challenges of our time. This report proposes strategies and policies, harnessing cooperation between Africa and Europe, to enable the...

This brief is based on experience gained from the Master’s Programme in Agroecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in particular, and on contributions from our partner programmes at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and Martyrs University in Uganda (UMU). The brief provides an overview of agroecology,...

In this report, the HLPE explores the nature and potential contributions of agroecological and other innovative approaches to formulating transitions towards sustainable food systems (SFSs) that enhance FSN. The HLPE adopts a dynamic, multiscale perspective, focusing on the concepts of transition and transformation. Many transitions need to occur in particular...