A retrospective cross-sectional study of mortality was conducted on smallholder dairy farms in 2 separate regions (Iringa and Tanga) of Tanzania during the period of January to April 1999. A total of 1789 cattle from 400 randomly sampled smallholder dairy farms (200 each from Iringa and Tanga regions) were included...

Sheep farming is practiced throughout Iceland, although it is most common in sparsely settled areas. About 2,000 farmers are engaged in sheep farming. Icelandic sheep are short-tailed and belong to a breed formerly common in north western Europe, but now only to be found in very few areas of the...

January 2010 saw the launch of the world's first livestock insurance for remote African pastoralists as a result of years of research.

Thousands of small scale farmers in India commit duicide, because they can no longer solve their debt problems. Two decades ago they took up modern farming and with the help of government subsidies they started growing commercial crops. In the beginning harvests were good, but as time went on, the...

In this issue of BAOBAB, we focus on the importance of indigenous knowledge as a key for sustainable agriculture. This knowledge has the potential to play an important role in conserving natural resources, finding food alternatives and reducing the use of chemicals in production of materials. In this issue partnerships...

This first issue after the merger of the old Baobab with the Kilimo Endelevu Africa (KEA) looks at the importance of livestock in the livelihoods of farmers. Livestock is an integral part of most family farms, and fulfills many functions such as food, assets and fertilizer. This issue focuses on...

This issue of the BOABAB focuses on partnerships for learning: forging partnerships, expanding networks, including different stakeholders and meanwhile promoting sustainable agriculture. Not only do the partnerships prove important in farming matters but also in how people effected by HIV and AIDS are able to cope, improve their lives and...

Pasture is one of the most vital natural resources for Central Asia countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It accounts for nearly 260 million hectares of land resources being a basis for livestock breeding which is an income source for the majority of Central Asia population. Pasture land is...

Building  on  case  studies from the field, the paper outlines a range of practices, approaches and tools aimed at increasing  the  resilience  and  productivity  of  agricultural  production  systems, while  also  reducing  and  removing  emissions. The second part of the paper surveys institutional and policy options available to promote the  transition...

Through the “Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania,” Heifer International has empowered 630 families in rural areas to increase their food and income by transforming subsistence farms into a sustainable resource while increasing cooperation between farmers. The donation of heifers, combined with effective technical assistance and training on community development,...

The traditional polders in The Netherlands have been formed from the 12th century onwards, when people started creating arable land by draining delta swamps into nearby rivers. In the process, the drained peat started oxidizing, thus soil levels lowered, up to river water levels and lower. Throughout the centuries farmers...

This Food Security Toolkit, designed specifically for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), aims to improve Pacific Islanders’ ability to produce and access safe and nutritious foods that meet their dietary and cultural needs. Targeting food security in the Pacific region is a critical action in the face of climate...

Se evaluó la tecnología de cama profunda como alternativa para el engorde de cerdos en el sector campesino en Cuba. Realizándose 2 ciclos de crianza de 106 días con 108 animales cada uno (hembras y machos castrados), de la raza Yorkshire Landrace YL (Camborough), de aproximadamente 21,0 kg de peso...

Le pastoralisme est une des pratiques les plus anciennes de l’activité humaine. Il produit des paysages spécifiques, à la fois par la marque qu'il imprime au territoire et par les traditions culturelles matérielles et immatérielles qui leur sont associées. Exposé à des mutations profondes dans certaines régions, en voie de...

The Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) region consists of five countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and three in the South Caucasus (Armenia Azerbaijan and Georgia). The eight countries of the region attained independence after the breakdown of the former Soviet Union in 1991, and...

his is a story about how FAO assisted groups of farmers in five farming communities in the moist savannah zone of South Western Burkina Faso to enhance their crop-livestock systems through Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices, including crop diversification, using an innovative farmer discovery process, to bring about agricultural intensification and...

Actualmente en nuestro país se están tomando medidas que fomentan y exigen un desarrollo sustentable en el manejo de los suelos del país. A lo largo de la historia hubo períodos de expansión agrícola que fueron acompañados de severa degradación de los suelos, llegando inclusive a dejar grandes áreas inutilizadas...

Ce numéro d’Options méditerranéennes restitue des actes de la deuxième réunion thématique d’experts sur le pastoralisme méditerranéen qui s’est tenu à Tirana (Albanie du 12 au 14 novembre 2009. Trente participants de douze pays méditerranéens ont participé à cette réunion ainsi qu’un certain nombre d’organisations internationales : Fao, Pnud-Albanie, Icomos,...

This Food Security Toolkit, designed specifically for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), aims to improve Pacific Islanders’ ability to produce and access safe and nutritious foods that meet their dietary and cultural needs. Targeting food security in the Pacific region is a critical action in the face of climate...

Current agricultural practices are regarded as one of the most significant drivers of biodiversity loss. At the same time, the goal achieving global food security remains a long way off; indeed, the number of malnourished has recently risen to over 1 billion people. The world desperately needs an agricultural production...