Category Archives: Agriculture

Africa / Agriculture / Environment / Ethiopia / ILRI / IPMS / Markets / NRM / Soils / WLE

Sustainable land management through market oriented commodity development: Case studies from Ethiopia

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This working paper by Berhanu Gebremedhin, Gebremedhin Woldewahid, Yigzaw Dessalegn, Tilahun Gebey and Worku Teka on Sustainable land management through market oriented commodity development: Case studies from Ethiopia was released on 30 August, 2010. Land degradation has been identified as severe environmental problem in Ethiopia, especially since the early 1970s. Because there is significant degradation … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Cattle / CGIAR / China / Food Safety / Human Health

Bringing agriculture and health back together

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Agriculture and health experts must work together to tackle disease, poverty and malnutrition, says development expert Jeff Waage. The relationship between agriculture and health may seem intuitive and simple — grow more crops and people will have more food and live healthier lives. But because agriculture and health policies are rarely coordinated, the reality is … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Cattle / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Food Security / Kenya

NFU helping the under privileged

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Food security in Western Kenya has been given a massive boost following fundraising from the NFU and the rest of the agriculture industry. The £200,000 raised from the Africa 100 Appeal is now supporting a new project which is benefitting over 12,000 people. The cash is helping farmers to grow stronger, disease-free crops of cassava, … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Brazil / Latin America

Brazilian interest in Africa: Agriculture’s final frontier?

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In this weekly column, Roger Thurow, former foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, describes the interest of Embrapa, the Brazilian agricultural research corporation that engineered a ‘green revolution’ in Brazil, in Africa. ‘. . . In Africa, Embrapa’s scientists are exploring soil and geological conditions that are similar to Brazil’s. . . . Embrapa has … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Consumption / North America / Research / USA

‘Food miles’ can be ‘false miles’ when total energy expenditures are taken into account

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American science and history writer Stephen Budiansky published a tonic op-ed in the New York Times last week on the dangers of simplifying such inherently complex issues as total energy expenditures in the production, transportation and marketing of food. As his article tellingly points out (see excerpts below), making arbitrary rules about our food systems, … Continue reading →

Agriculture

The face of agriculture in 2050

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In the context of the symposium “The Future of Agriculture – Scenarios, Concepts, Visions”, organized by the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)” you are invited to imagine the agricultural world in four decades time and take a glimpse into provocative and inspiring future scenarios. In a very brief survey you will meet three potential … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Farming Systems / Fish / ILRI / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH / Research

Can smallholder farmers feed a growing Africa?—Yes, under the right conditions

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Peter Karanja sells eggs in Nairobi (credit: ILRI / Mann) Intense proposal development work by the 15 centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and their many research partners is coming down to the wire this month, with the deadline for submitting these proposals, 1 September 2010, fast approaching. The proposals are … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Cattle / Climate Change / Environment / Livestock

Adapting agriculture to climate change

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Adapting agriculture to climate change should have twin purposes: adapting to prevent further damage to the environment, and adapting to produce food despite the impact of climate change. The increasing intensity and frequency of storms, flooding and draught have great impact on agriculture and, therefore, on the food supply. The uncertainties associated with climate change … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Asia / Environment / Food Security / North America / NRM / WLE / Women

The sustainability problem: Is it too many people? Or too much consumption by a few?

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The following statements are excerpted from All consuming, an article by David Biello on global consumption and population issues published in the current issue of  Momentum, published by the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. > ‘Two German Shepherds kept as pets in Europe or the U.S. use more resources in a year … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Crop-Livestock / Environment / Farming Systems / Film and video / North America

‘Bring animals back onto farms’–US food activist Michael Pollan

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Michael Pollan (credit: The Essential Bioneers) The following comments were made by Michael Pollan, US food systems activist, journalist and writer of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Food Rules and other popular books, in ’10 Questions with Michael Pollan’, Time Magazine, 1 February 2010. Q: Can you tell us what your current diet is? And if it … Continue reading →