Society is increasingly aware of the strategic nature of food. The agri-food sector is postulated as one of the pillars of our democratic societies, due to its leading role in the production of healthy, safe and sustainable food. However, farmers and ranchers suffer serious problems that make their profession difficult....

Although living at altitude has never been easy – and mountain communities have long demonstrated exceptional ingenuity in thriving in harsh environmental conditions – the escalating impacts of climate change pose unprecedented challenges to mountain people, threatening their traditional ways of life and survival strategies. This publication discusses how mountain...

Tribal farmers in the Himalayas are vulnerable to climatic changes, as their rain-fed cultivation systems, practiced on steep, sloping terrain, are susceptible to changes in rainfall while at the same time being the primary means of livelihood. Soil and water conservation practices (SWCP) can improve the resilience of these cultivation...

Coffee is one of the most important smallholder cash crops in Papua New Guinea. It accounted for $156 million of export earnings, 13% of agricultural export revenues, and 1.4% of total export revenues in PNG in 2021. According to the PNG Rural Household Survey 2023, approximately 55% of sampled households in the...

Este documento presenta los aportes más importantes de un estudio producido para la Iniciativa Andina de Montañas (IAM)1 con el propósito de contribuir a los procesos regionales, nacionales y locales de adaptación al cambio climático de comunidades y ecosistemas altoandinos. El estudio, “Vulnerabilidad y adaptación al cambio climático en zonas...

In the Changthang region of Ladakh, India, pastoralism serves as the cornerstone of both the local economy and the local way of life. However, recent socioeconomic shifts and environmental constraints put this economic structure, which has been expertly adapted to the difficult trans-Himalayan geography, in danger of becoming unsustainable. To...

The earth is warming, and the frequency of extreme weather events have been rapidly growing globally with unprecedented consequences to farming communities. In principle, weather and climate information services (WCIS) can help farmers better manage their activities and farm level outcomes by supporting their decision-making with relevant and usable information...

The UN General Assembly’s declaration of 2026 as the IYRP highlights the global significance of rangelands and pastoralists. The initiative seeks to:  Increase awareness of the value of rangelands and pastoralism for food security, the economy, the environment and cultural heritage  Fill knowledge gaps through participatory research and strategic communication  Advocate for...

Les oasis de montagne d’Afrique du Nord subissent de plein fouet les effets du changement climatique, qui amplifient l’ensemble des contraintes agronomiques : foncier exigu, aridité structurelle, etc. Dans cette étude, l’objectif est d’analyser les différentes dimensions du couplage entre cultures et élevage et leurs effets sur le fonctionnement des systèmes de...

The aim of this glossary is to provide guidance for understanding socio-institutional terms – i.e. about people and their institutions – commonly used when talking and writing about rangelands and pastoralists. It is intended to reduce confusion and misinterpretation of expressions used by researchers and advisory service staff, by policymakers...

Euromontana kicks off the year with the publication of its annual booklet of good practices for sustainable mountain development. This publication showcases 10 inspiring initiatives from across Europe (EU and non-EU) collected by Euromontana throughout 2023 to promote initiatives that drive sustainable change in mountain areas. The booklet covers key issues for...

The Regional Drought Monitoring and Outlook System (RDMOS) is an operational service which produces reliable drought indicators for the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region with a specific focus on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. The system incorporates climatic models with suitable Earth observation data and land surface models to produce...

Mountain ecosystems, including rangelands, wetlands, peatlands and both alpine and temperate forests, are unique habitats characterised by complex geography and rich biodiversity. These ecosystems are integral to the cultures and traditions of diverse Indigenous communities, providing essential goods and services such as food, water, climate regulation and cultural aesthetics. Despite their high economic...

W ildfires have raged across the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalaya this year. The Indian state of Uttarakhand lost over 1,500 hectares of forest while Nepal saw hundreds of forest fires in March and over a thousand in April. As frightening and destructive as these fires have been, for over 10,000 years, everywhere from the Central...

The journey of coffee from farm to cup involves numerous intricate steps, each crucial in determining the quality and price of the final product. At the heart of this process is the grading and pricing of green coffee, a task undertaken by professionals known as Q Graders. Anete Dinne, a...

Born and raised amidst the lush landscapes of the mountain provinces of the Philipines, Daniel Jason Maches and Jaymar Garcia, two Indigenous youth, have always been connected to the land. They’ve witnessed their parents tend to the earth, cultivating crops that sustained their families for generations.  

Natural covering (NATC) has spread on hillside vineyards of central Italy as a replacement for tillage to reduce soil erosion, although it increased nitrogen and water needs. Therefore, in the current context of global warming, using cover crops (CCs) that require less water and provide nitrogen becomes crucial. The effects...

In order to adapt to the impacts of climate change, most countries in the region have developed National Adaptation Plans and Strategies and are now gearing up to implement them. ‘UAE-Belem work programme’ convened by UNFCCC is working on refining and developing indicators for measuring progress towards the Global Goal...

Achieving global biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development goals isn't a short-term task. It demands our ongoing commitments – through sustained investments, strong partnerships, and tangible actions that make a lasting impact on the ground.

Saddle up and prepare for a journey through the picturesque northern mountains of Puebla, Mexico. After ascending 1,000 meters, you arrive at Rancho La Victoria, a historic coffee farm nestled amidst the mountains...