study was conducted to evaluate small ruminant production systems and productivity in the northern area of Lebanon. Fifty-one small ruminant holders were monitored over two years focusing on the technical and economic situation of the herd. Another 19 farmers were covered by a technical and economic questionnaire of analysis in...

"Los artículos contenidos en este número de LEISA describen algunas de las estrategias seguidas por productores de todo el continente para transformar sus formas de producción al mismo tiempo que buscan un mejor impacto en la economía familiar. Como resalta Teobaldo Pinzás en el Editorial de este número, lo que...

Farming couple Anu and Esa Immonen run Esa's family estate in Nilsiä in the province of Savo, a good 400 km north of Helsinki. These are the northernmost farmed areas in the world. The crops that grow in these latitudes comprise a small selection of cereals, vegetables, berries and grass...

The objective of this study, commissioned by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and SDRR, is to analyse the status of and future needs for information and communication systems of private and government organizations in the national agricultural research system and its relevant partners with respect to agro-ecological and organic...

Biodiversity plays a key part in maintaining healthy and functioning ecosystems. However, in many instances, modern agricultural practices neglect the environmental aspect, prioritizing higher rates of production and economic benefits. This issue of AGRIDAPE looks at how agroecology can help maintain biodiversity while achieving satisfying yields.

This issue of Caravan provides examples of ICARDA's work with its partners to help ensure sustainability of livelihoods for the poor in marginal areas.

Reconciling food production and nature conservation is a challenge shared by all. This document stresses the need to maximize the contribution of protected areas to food security and poverty alleviation through soundlymanaged agriculture. Farmers and forest dwellers, including a large proportion of indigenous people, are the main inhabitants and users...

"El número de LEISA que aquí presentamos, trata de la importancia de las especies vegetales subutilizadas en la sostenibilidad de la biodiversidad de los agroecosistemas, así como para una nutrición humana y animal balanceadas. Sabemos que la dieta humana, a nivel mundial, se encuentra restringida a unos pocos cultivos básicos,...

There is a wide diversity of cultivated banana (Musa spp.) found growing in small-holder systems around the world. The main types of bananas that are important for small-holders differ from region to region. Diversity is important for small-holders for many reasons. Diversity-rich production systems help to ensure a continuous supply...

For centuries, traditional farmers have developed diverse and locally adapted agricultural systems, managing them  with  ingenious  practices  that  often  result  in  both  community  food  security  and  the  conservation  of agrobiodiversity. This strategy of minimizing risk stabilizes yields, promotes dietary diversity, and maximizes returns using low levels of technology and limited...

El Proyecto Escalonamiento de Experiencias Agroecológicas Exitosas en América Latina representa una segunda fase del Proyecto “Sustainable Agriculture Networking and Extension” (SANE), la misma que fue financiada por el Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo (CIID) en el marco del Programa Minga “Gestión de Recursos Naturales en América Latina...

Local agricultural knowledge in dry-land land-use systems is centred on the conservation, use and optimisation of soil moisture and soil organic matter. Additionally, biodiversity is carefully managed and nurtured to interface with hydrological and nutrient cycling to provide for ecosystem resilience, food security and diversity, and risk minimisation.

Based on a review of its history, its present structure and its objective in the future, agroecology is defined as an integrative discipline that includes elements from agronomy, ecology, sociology and economics. Agroecology’s credentials as a separate scientific discipline were measured against the norms of science, defined by Robert King...

La pobreza rural constituye uno de los mayores problemas de América Latina y del Caribe. En América Central la incidencia de la pobreza alcanza a casi la mitad (49.9%) de la población. En 1999, 17,5 millones de centroamericanos tenían ingresos por debajo de la línea de pobreza y 9.3 millones...

The Gambian government, with the assistance of donors, is involved in the promotion of the local milk and dairy products sub-sector. The farming system in this country is characterised by the predominance of mixed crop-livestock production. The cattle stock is mainly composed of N’Dama, a breed described as a low...

Subsistence agriculture is a phenomenon that is presently encountered not only in developing countries, but also in the Central and Eastern European transition countries (CEECs). The various land reforms implemented in Eastern Europe have led to differences in the land tenure and farming systems and have influenced the access to...

Cultural methods such as crop fertilization can affect susceptibility of plants to insect pests by altering plant tissue nutrient levels. Research shows that the ability of a crop plant to resist or tolerate insect pests and diseases is tied to optimal physical, chemical and mainly biological properties of soils. Soils...

Organic agriculture is defined as an environmentally and socially sensitive food supply system. This publication examines its many facets, looking at the contribution of organic agriculture to ecological health, international markets and local food security. It builds on empirical experiences throughout the world and analyses the prospects for a wider...

Throughout the developing world, resource-poor farmers (about 1.4 billion people) located in risk-prone, marginal environments, remain untouched by modern agricultural technology. A new approach to natural resource management must be developed so that new management systems can be tailored and adapted in a site-specific way to highly variable and diverse...

Throughout the developing world, resource-poor farmers (about 1.4 billion people) located in risk-prone, marginal environments, remain untouched by modern agricultural technology. A new approach to natural resource management must be developed so that new management systems can be tailored and adapted in a site-specific way to highly variable and diverse...