id21 Sustainable Agriculture

Elephants versus crops – paying for nature in Kenya

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:32:29 +0000

Ecosystems provide many different services and benefits to humans. Schemes in which people receive payments to protect ecosystems that provide services have recently been pioneered in some developed countries. Could such a scheme be used to conserve elephants and other wildlife in Amboseli National Park, Kenya?

Bigger is not always better for Botswana’s livestock industry

id21 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:22:55 +0000

Agriculture is important in Botswana, with the main land use being livestock production. Botswana’s agricultural policy has focused on promoting beef production and there has been considerable investment in large-scale commercial ranching. But is this more productive than smaller-scale livestock systems

Improving women’s control over agriculture halts famine in Southern Africa

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:14:55 +0000

Southern Africa suffered severe drought in 2001 and 2002. In some areas food aid took a year to arrive. But, whilst hunger did occur, the predicted severe famine did not. Women played an important role in preventing starvation

Bushmeat, wildlife products and forest livelihoods

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:04:34 +0000

Wildlife products from forests are a significant source of food, income and fuel for many people living in tropical forested regions. These products include bushmeat (meat from wild animals), freshwater fish and wild plants. Harvests are often unmonitored, but where research has been done, evidence suggests that many tropical forest species are being overexploited, particularly mammals

Sal seeds: an untapped resource in India

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:58:46 +0000

Across central India, about 30 million forest dwellers, mostly tribal people, depend on seeds, leaves and resins from sal trees (Shorea robusta) for their livelihood. Sal seeds are particularly crucial because people collect them in May and June, when virtually no other sources of income are available – this is after the time for harvesting Kendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) leaves and before the agricultural season.

The role of walnut-fruit forests in rural Kyrgyzstan

id21 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:54:20 +0000

Agroforestry is the predominant way of life in forested parts of southern Kyrgyzstan and walnut forests are a major part of the cultural landscape. Local farmers lease forest plots from the state and these provide a wide range of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

Improving staple crop boosts women’s influence in northern Nigeria

id21 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:17:37 +0000

Research from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, based in Nigeria, looks at how programmes to improve cowpea have benefitted women in Kano and Kaduna, two states in northern Nigeria. These states are home to the Muslim Hausa tribe

Coping with rising food prices in Asia

id21 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:02:09 +0000

Global food prices are at the highest levels in history and it is likely that prices will remain high for several years. Governments, donors and international agencies must act to minimise the impact of inflation and food shortages, which hits poor communities in developing countries hardest

What lessons can be learned from the Starter Packs Programme in Malawi?

id21 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:55:32 +0000

In the late 1990s, the Malawian government tried to tackle extensive, chronic food insecurity by increasing agricultural productivity. The Starter Packs Programme was an initiative that provided free packs of seeds, legumes and fertiliser to farmers. What lessons can be learned from this programme, and its subsequent demise?

Fighting cycles of quiet starvation

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:19:01 +0000

Seasonality is the most neglected dimension of rural deprivation. Seasonal hunger amongst poor rural people is a permanent global crisis, affecting seven out of every ten hungry people in the world. How can policymakers and development organisations fight seasonal hunger?

A public health crisis as stocks of medicinal plants start to decline

id21 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:09:11 +0000

An estimated 80 percent of people in developing countries rely on traditional plant-based medicines. Medicinal plants are also vital for producing many important pharmaceutical drugs around the world. However, unsustainable harvesting of the most popular wild plants is depleting stocks and putting public health at risk

An alternative approach to food aid from the Sudan conflict

id21 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:15:58 +0000

2006/03 - id21 [Policymakers are increasingly recognising conflict and displacement as the major causes of food insecurity and famine. Humanitarian responses in Sudan have usually prioritised immediate food aid, shelter and healthcare. The NMPACT food programme takes a longer-term approach, addressing the root causes of the crisis]

Starter Packs in Malawi: can the successes be repeated?

id21 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:13:39 +0000

2006/03 - id21 [Many people in rural Malawi produce their own food, but one third of smallholder farmers are extremely food insecure. The Starter Pack programme helped to achieve national food security in its first two years but funding was then cut back: a major factor behind Malawi’s food crisis in 2002]

Promoting organic farming in Bangladesh

id21 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:00:06 +0000

2006/11 id21 [Bangladesh has some of the most fertile agricultural land in the world. However, the move from subsistence to commercial farming has increased the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Many non-governmental organisations have been supporting and training smallholder farmers in organic farming methods]

Saving traditional knowledge from the ‘biopirates’

id21 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:31:02 +0000

2007/04 - id21 [Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge about the use of natural resources is vital for conserving biodiversity. This knowledge is now under threat from intellectual property systems and globalisation. A new legal framework is needed to protect traditional knowledge]

Why are rice farmers in Bangladesh ignoring recommendations on pesticide use?

id21 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:26:46 +0000

2008/08 - id21 [Pesticide use by rice farmers in Bangladesh is low compared with many Asian countries. However, it is increasing and becoming excessive in some places. Why do some farmers overuse pesticides, despite their cost and well-known negative impacts?]