West Africa’s ecosystems are transforming, reshaping its vast savannas into forest islands or arable lands. This change, mainly driven by human activity, has profound implications for soil health and ecosystem sustainability.

Aquatic foods hold a unique potential to contribute to a much-needed transformation of food systems thanks to their high nutritional value, cultural significance, and relatively low environmental impact. However, realizing this potential requires a transformative approach to help overcome two grand challenges: sustainably increasing the production of nutritious aquatic foods...

The response to the global call for more data on children’s and adolescents’ diets and nutrition is limited by the lack of straightforward practical indicators to track their diet quality. On the basis of a food group score compiled from 10 food groups (FGS-10), the minimum dietary diversity for women,...

The cotton jassid, Amrasca biguttula, a dangerous and polyphagous pest, has recently invaded the Middle East, Africa and South America, raising concerns about the future of cotton and other food crops including okra, eggplant and potato. However, its potential distribution remains largely unknown, posing a challenge in developing effective phytosanitary strategies....

Natural variations conferring salt tolerance (ST) are of great value for breeding salt-tolerant rice varieties. The major ST genes, including SKC1, RST1, OsWRKY53 and STG5, have been identified to contain or be associated with a specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). However, the distribution and genetic effects of those ST genes in rice cultivars remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated...

Recently banana plantations have been affected by the Black Sigatoka Disease (BSD), producing streaks, lesions and yellow and brown spots on the leaves until the appearance of entire dead parts. The disease causes reductions in yield making it essential to assess infection by monitoring plants status and implementing agronomical measures....

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of global scientific production on Conservation Agriculture (CA) and its relationship with climate change mitigation. Using data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, the research encompassed 650 articles published between 1995 and 2022. The analysis revealed significant growth in the number of...

There is a fundamental link between the act of caring for people and caring for the planet. Both are essential for human survival. Both are exploited in the pursuit of short-term economic and material profit.1 The devastating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are outcomes of these exploits, as...

On 4 February 2025, the Italian Senate's Agriculture Committee held a parliamentary hearing with representatives from FAO, part of an ongoing investigation by the Italian Government into the effects of climate change on agriculture and the measures needed to adapt to these changing realities.

Food is the great connector. It is survival and nourishment. It is family and tradition. It is hope and resilience. It is love. Sharing food around the table is an experience that binds us all. This document presents five distinct agricultural livelihoods in five countries facing food crises: wheat farming...

Bayang (she/her) is an environmentalist from Qinghai Province, China. In 2021, she joined the "Sanjiangyuan Women Environmentalists Network" with support from UN Women China. In 2023, UN Women China and the Qinghai Rural Revitalization Bureau launched the "Women-Led Renewable Energy Transformation and Governance in Rural Communities" project, aiming to enhance...

The Food and Nutrition Science Laboratory (FNSL) unit of IITA–CGIAR commits to ensuring food and nutrition security on the continent by harnessing the potential of IITA mandate crops and underutilized legumes. This is coming at a critical time, as Africa’s wheat imports have been rising at an annual rate of 9%, with...

La COP29 qui s’est achevée fin novembre 2024 à Bakou a une fois de plus mis en lumière les inégalités criantes à travers le monde en termes de financement de l’adaptation au changement climatique et de l’atténuation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Les négociateurs africains sont arrivés...

Lake Victoria – the second largest lake in the world – supports around 200,000 fishers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with more than 50 million people depending on it directly or indirectly for their livelihoods. But with fish being a highly perishable product, fishing communities have little time to either...

L’Afrique, qui n’est responsable que de 4% des émissions mondiales de gaz à effet de serre, est une des zones les plus vulnérables aux effets du changement climatique. Cependant, le continent ne reçoit qu’une fraction des fonds climat, à peine 30 milliards $US en 2020 : c’est seulement 3 %...

Fortes pluies, canicules et sécheresses occasionnent des pertes de récolte. Pour faire face à ces phénomènes extrêmes, certains pays misent sur des techniques culturales innovantes et des plantes résilientes. Aux Pays-Bas, les pommes de terre se cultivent sur sol salé tandis qu’en Italie, les oliviers s’adaptent au changement climatique.

L’accès au crédit reste un défi majeur pour les familles paysannes en Afrique en raison de la faiblesse des revenus, de l’absence de garanties, et du cycle long des productions agricoles. L’épargne et le crédit restent essentiels pour aider les paysans et paysannes à sortir de la pauvreté et à...

Where water resources are often limited and irregular, rainwater harvesting is an essential practice for agriculture. In the face of increasing challenges caused by climate change and rainfall variability, efficient water management becomes imperative to ensure food sovereignty and the sustainable development of communities. By collecting, storing, and efficiently managing...

Discover how Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala are rescuing ancestral agricultural knowledge to avoid risks associated with pesticide use. These natural, chemical-free methods, rooted in cultural values, offer powerful alternatives that boost food security, keep land and water clean and support environmental conservation for sustainable development. Protecting not just the health...

Nigeria boasts one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, significantly contributing to its agricultural gross domestic product. However, the crucial pastoral production system which encompasses millions of pastoralists faces significant challenges due to climate change.