Smallholder irrigated horticulture has proven to be a viable and attractive option for poor farmers in developing countries. This paper relates two important lessons learned: low-cost productive technologies must be available to smallholders in terms of both location and price and must correspond to their needs, and the importance of...

Access to land is an important issue for the majority of Ethiopian people who, one way or the other, depend on agricultural production for their income and subsistence. Land tenure issues therefore continue to be of central political and economic importance, as they have been at several junctures in Ethiopia’s...

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) facilitates the transfer of appropriate proprietary technology, held by private and public organizations in the North and South, for use by smallholder African farmers. AATF serves as an honest broker in negotiating the royalty-free transfer of technologies held by public and private organizations in...

The objective of this manual is to provide producers and exporters in East Africa with: • information related to regulations of main import countries • information on major certification programmes • contacts where more information on import regulations and certification schemes can be found. In East Africa, intensive farming with the use of agrochemicals...

This paper proposes to discuss the current vulnerability of the southern African region to climate variability, the projected impacts of climate change and the various strategies and policies that are being deployed to address climate issues, focussing mainly on the agricultural sector. The potential role of research and technology in...

This manual, provides an overview of options for farm power and technologies that could be suitable for small and medium-sized farmers who are faced with making decisions about the different types of farm power sources available. The manual also lays out the importance of the farming systems and the economic...

Southern Africa is one of the regions estimated to be most at risk from climate change. While policy responses to global warming have been mainly driven by debates among scientists, the insights of poor people living on the frontline have been largely neglected. This study seeks to understand what is...

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) facilitates the transfer of appropriate proprietary technology, held by private and public organisations in the North and South, for use by smallholder African farmers. AATF serves as an honest broker in negotiating the royalty-free transfer of technologies held by public and private organisations in...

The value of wild edible vegetables in food security has not been given sufficient attention in South Africa. Consequently, there are no formal interventions that seek to encourage people to use traditional vegetables as sources of essential nutrients. Studies on the role of wild leafy vegetables in food security could...

Southern Africa is one of the regions estimated to be most at risk from climate change. While policy responses to global warming have been mainly driven by debates among scientists, the insights of poor people living on the frontline have been largely neglected. This study seeks to understand what is...

Diversity among smallholders farming 1.28 ha plots at Dzindi Irrigation Scheme in the Thulamela Local Municipality of Limpopo Province; South Africa is investigated by applying farming style theory. Farming styles refer to specific farming strategies, which are conscious responses of farmers to the prevailing ecological and socioeconomic conditions. The specific...

An initial study covered the feed resources and nutritional ecology of Tswana goats kept under extensive communal management conditions in Gaborone Agricultural Region. Such goats feed on a variety of browses and herbaceous forages throughout the year. Only 30% of the respondent farmers provided their goats with supplementary feeds implying...

Axé autour de 18 études de cas réalisées sur les cinq continents, cet ensemble complet de travaux de recherche revient sur la diversité et le développement des formes familiales de production agricole. Tous les thèmes essentiels y sont abordés, de la sécurité alimentaire et des liens aux marchés aux stratégies...

Cet Agrodok se concentre sur la fabrication et l’utilisation du compost. Le Chapitre 8 décrit une recette pour la fabrication de fumier liquide et des extraits de compost. Il s’agit ici des engrais organiques facilement réalisés pour un apport rapide des substances nutritives aux plantes. Bokashi constitue un autre type...

This is the 11th Dimitra newsletter. Our last edition was replaced by the distribution of the Dimitra CD-ROM. Many of you took time to return the short survey we enclosed with it and we would like to thank you for this valuable feedback. We have also received numerous messages telling...

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.

The research examines the status of adoption of improved rice varieties among small holder farmers in South-west Nigeria with a view to asses the impact of technology transfer on rice production in the region. A total of 157 rice farmers selected through multi-stage sampling technique were interviewed using structured questionnaires....

Exporting deciduous fruit from the Western Cape Province of South Africa to markets in Europe, North America and Asia contributes significantly to the province's Gross Domestic Product. The main export producers are large-scale farmers. Even with the change in discriminatory legislation and practices in South Africa after 1994, few smallholder...

The Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) evolved from the belief that FAO could have a greater impact on reducing poverty and food insecurity, if its wealth of talent and experience were integrated into a more flexible and demandresponsive team approach. The LSP works through teams of FAO staff members, who are...

For nearly three decades the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has focused its mission on helping developing countries turn agriculture into an engine of propoor, sustainable economic growth. Conflicts and natural disasters have often interfered with this mission, and disrupted the long-term work in strengthening human and institutional...