When the worm of the potato tuber moth enters the potato, in the field or in storage, it destroys it completely. Once the worm is inside the potato, nothing can kill it, not even chemicals. If there are a lot of moths, they can destroy an entire harvest in store...

Sara’s childhood was full of sunshine. She remembers herself in farming fields under the sun, in the dry valleys of Bolivia. Many seasons had lacked rain which dried the soil and the air she breathed. The landscape became a palette of brown colours, intensifying the feeling of heat. Sara grew...

We need to ferment the mixture to convert the ingredients into nutrients and hormones that can be readily absorbed by plants. The biofertilizer will be ready in 2 to 3  months, depending on the weather and the ingredients you use

When many living things are found in the soil, it means that the soil has life, because these little creatures help to decompose organic matter, make nutrients available to plants, and make the soil spongier.

Soils that are depleted or heavily leached are often acidic. Soils can also become acidic from the high use of chemical fertilizers. Acidic soil inhibits the bacteria that help organic matter to decompose. Acidic soil makes some nutrients less available to crops. A good soil has a lot of organic...

In Latin America, hegemonic development strengthens agribusiness, whose model follows the Green Revolution with its technological packages. An alternative arises from the growing convergence of two social movements: agroecology and Solidarity Economy (EcoSol), here called EcoSol-agroecology. Their networks build short circuits, bringing producers and consumers closer together and strengthening their...

When selling in fairs, you can create an identity as a group, for example, by using the same signs, aprons and table cloths. Organize recreational, educational activities with consumers, and their kids. Make alliances with local authorities to create places to sell ecological food, differentiated from those produced with agrochemicals....

Non-extractive and power-equalising research involves different knowledge holders (e.g. researchers and farmers) in a process of close cooperative engagement, jointly producing new knowledge, with mutual learning. As such, this form of cooperative enquiry is a significant reversal from dominant roles, locations, and ways of knowing. I offer some examples and reflections on...

La Plataforma de Conocimientos sobre Agricultura Familiar en colaboración con Barefoot Guide Connection organizó una serie de “talleres de escritura”, para ayudar a los profesionales a escribir sus propias experiencias, generando conocimientos que destaquen las prácticas, cambios, innovaciones e impactos de lo que hacen en apoyo a la agricultura familiar. Estos...

Even seemingly simple tasks, like raising the humble earthworm, can be done in more ways than one, however all variations must follow certain basic principles. In a video from Bangladesh, villagers show the audience how to raise earthworms in cement rings, sunk into the soil. The floor is covered with a...

Esta evaluación se llevó a cabo a fin de aportar insumos para la elaboración del nuevo MPP mediante la valoración de los aspectos más pertinentes del programa de FAO en Bolivia durante el período examinado, y proporcionar recomendaciones para reforzar la pertinencia estratégica de la FAO en el país. La...

Provengo de una familia campesina que vivía en una comunidad rural cercana al centro poblado de Quillacollo, en Cochabamba, Bolivia. Recuerdo que cuando era niña mi mamá nos preguntaba ⎯¿Qué quieren comer? ⎯ y siempre contestamos ⎯¡Fideo con asado! ⎯. Era lo que más nos gustaba, y ella nos complacía...

Recuerdo que llegué a comienzos de junio del 2016. En el horizonte se observaba un paisaje esplendoroso. En los días despejados, mágicamente aparecían un sinnúmero de montañas formando la cordillera central de Bolivia y en la profundidad del paisaje el majestuoso Río Grande, que como una serpiente en movimiento, divide...

Rosario Cadima is an enterprising farmer who spends two days a week buying and selling potatoes at the fair in Colomi, Cochabamba. Juan Almanza, who is an extensionist, had given her a DVD with a series of agricultural learning videos aimed at farmers like her.

Sara’s childhood was full of sunshine. She remembers herself in farming fields under the sun, in the dry valleys of Bolivia. Many seasons had lacked rain which dried the soil and the air she breathed. The landscape became a palette of brown colours, intensifying the feeling of heat. Sara grew...

This report provides a collection and analysis of six case studies which introduce trailblazing shared label initiatives by smallholder organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each case study explores the motivation for collective marketing action, the choice of claims to make through a shared label, the control over the...

To expand agroecology depends on raising and stabilising incomes for small-scale producers through alternative markets that avoid profit-driven middlemen. Producers thereby retain more of the value that they add, build closer relationships with consumers, and offer nutritious food at relatively low prices. An agroecology agenda should ''Ensure proximity and confidence...

I learned from Ing. Abrahán Mujica how you can culture your own microorganisms, using some simple equipment and a few inexpensive ingredients. Abrahán showed me and a small group at his agroecology course that you can start by collecting some leaf litter. We gathered the leaves and topsoil from the...

To expand agroecology depends on raising and stabilising incomes for small-scale producers through alternative markets that avoid profit-driven middlemen. Producers thereby retain more of the value that they add, build closer relationships with consumers, and offer nutritious food at relatively low prices. An agroecology agenda should ''Ensure proximity and confidence...

l Senado de Bolivia renueva la composición del Frente Parlamentario de Lucha contra el Hambre y reactiva esta instancia del Legislativo que es fundamental para que el país avance hacia el logro de la soberanía alimentaria y la mejora de nutrición y alimentación en Bolivia. Su trabajo suma al de otros...