All posts belonging to the GFAR blog
Policymakers urgently need ideas on ways to end hunger. But a global review of the literature finds that most researchers have had the wrong priorities. How can research help to end hunger? One way to answer this question is to assess published research on hunger, and determine which interventions can make a difference to the … More Ending hunger: science must stop neglecting smallholder farmers
“If you have any idea about farming then you probably know that crops need to be planted at a certain time of the year. But this March, Zimbabwe went into a national lockdown, and the window for seeding wheat had passed,” says Ruramiso Mashumba, a farmer and CEO of Mnandi Africa, an organization that helps rural … More Farmers are true COVID-19 heroes and we must support the people who produce our food
By Emir Šahinović, NextGen Plant Science Network Water scarcity, water demand, clean water, water governance – these terms are increasingly being used due to the expanding effect of climate change on Earth. Climate change has significantly threatened this vital resource, influencing different facets of human life. These adverse consequences are reflected in the disruption of … More WATER – A priceless yet endangered resource
By Emir Šahinović, NextGen Plant Science Network As the world evolves with the advent of new technologies and increasingly invasive agricultural practices, we continue to actively pursue the development of new types of industries while still dependent on existing ones. Of course, the benefits to the human population from these new technologies and industries are … More Soil pollution, a barrier for sustainable development
Recently I had a craving for Thai food. I visited Thailand a few years back, and I can say the common knowledge about Thai cuisine is true: it takes your taste buds on an adventure. Like most South Asian cuisine, Thai cuisine incorporates contrasting flavours and textures in just the right balance. But, since Thai … More Food: What have we forgotten?
This week, State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 charted just how off track we are to end hunger and meet global nutrition targets by 2030. With more than a quarter of the world population without regular access to nutritious food and insufficient progress on all forms of malnutrition, FAO DG José Graziano da Silva calls for “bold multisectoral action” and a redoubling of … More Looking beyond hunger: thoughts on SOFI 2019
By Matthew Tucker Photography by Rob Kesseler Source – BBC News Experts at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, selected 11 seeds from plants and trees that may be better suited to climate change than other species. Using a scanning electron microscope, artist Rob Kesseler created striking colourised images of the seeds in extraordinary detail. The … More Seeds of life: The plants suited to climate change
The chachafruto (‘basul,’ Erythrina edulis), a leguminous tree native to the Andean region that produces large and sweet beans inside its pods, reminds me of my childhood in eastern Antioquia, Colombia. During the harvest season, the beans were used to produce delicious and super nutritious cakes. It was so popular that one of the local chivas, rustic colourful buses … More All aboard the Chachafruto Express
Forty years since India gained independence, what has really changed for the farmers of today? Farmers incomes are still too low, India needs to at least double farmers’ income. During this crucial post-independence period, agriculture contributed 45% of the country’s GDP, employing the majority of Indian workers. After an impressive increase in agricultural production in … More India Wants to Double Farmers’ Incomes – and Tackle Climate Change. Is Technology the Answer to This Double Bind?
“After each class, students fill out a short feedback survey on our sessions are. The most pertinent response a student said to me was that our beginner, paper-based coding game was too easy and that her school’s IT class is already doing Python. This means we simply have to step it up.” – Keron Bascombe, Creator, Tech4agri … More Trinbagonian Impakter: Tech4Agri for the A in STEM
“Loss of biodiversity means we have less opportunities,” says Christian Puglisi, sending off fireflies with his eyes. A Danish chef of Sicilian-Norwegian heritage, he is an alumnus of the world’s famous Noma and runs several restaurants in Copenhagen, including the Micheline starred entirely organic Relæ. He also has a farm in Lejre, 40 minutes away from … More Food Biodiversity: The bottomless well of innovation
According to The State of the Food Security and Nutrition in the World released last year (SOFI 2018), global hunger and malnutrition has increased considerably since 2016, reaching 821 million undernourished people – approximately one person out of every nine in the world. This means that the number of people suffering from hunger has returned … More Diversified Agri-food Systems: Bastions of biodiversity, nutrition and resilience
Agricultural innovation – Is it only about technology? Or can broadening participation be innovative in itself? Key takeaways from FAO’s International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers resonate strongly with the Partners in GFAR: Innovation must be done by and with farmers and youth. The International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers, held … More We’re all in this together: Putting farmers and youth at the center of #AgInnovation
Dr. Mark Holderness’ term as Executive Secretary ended on December 31st, in line with the GFAR Charter. As GFAR Secretariat seeks to fill this role, we reflect on the contributions of Dr. Holderness to GFAR during his eleven years of service, in expanding and transforming our collective movement, shaping a new future for agriculture and … More Achieving greater impact together
YPARD, IAAS, CropLife and the University of Ghent share why they are so excited to help give youth in agriculture an opportunity to share and develop their innovations in sustainable crop protection. When we first sat down to talk about how to engage youth in being part of the future of crop health we were … More We’re inspired by you: the next generation in agriculture!
Are you 18-40? Are you passionate about developing a sustainable farming future and do you have the energy, passion and creative ideas to do it? Would you like to attend the world’s largest conference dedicated to finding sustainable crop protection solutions? If the answer is yes, read on. We are looking for 50 young people … More Submit your idea for sustainable farming to WIN
Young people are instrumental in delivering on a sustainable future for agriculture. If we are to ensure this happens there needs to be opportunities for agricultural students and young professionals to be provided with the tools to become powerful, actionable leaders. GFAR has launched two key focus areas that support youth in agriculture – Engaging … More A program for youth by youth
By 2050, half a portion of your favorite lunch will be more than twice its current price! Most restaurant, fast food or cafeteria owners might like the sound of this, but will there be enough food to meet the rising demand? “How can we double the amount of food produced in the world in order … More Taking these “F-words“ seriously: Food and future
FAO estimates that between 20 and 40 percent of global crop yields are reduced each year due to the damage wrought by plant pests and diseases. This is a staggering amount that has a real impact on our food and nutrition security. It is therefore crucial that in this more and more globalized world, we … More Turning the spotlight on the next generation’s role in agriculture
In this second instalment of the Emerging Technology (EmTech) blog series, the UK Government Office for Science (GOS) is exploring some new technologies for agriculture. This series covers some of the innovative and exciting technologies the GOS’s EmTech Scanning Programme has identified. (Find the original post here.) The Future of Farming The transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies … More How are emerging technologies changing the way we farm our food?
