All posts belonging to the GFAR blog
LET’S BE FRANK: 2018 was not exactly a banner year for the planet. Nearly every major environmental assessment presented grim results: crucial habitats like tropical forests continue to disappear; wildlife populations declined 60% over the last 40 years; and, perhaps most alarming, we’re failing to make the progress we need to keep the climate within safe boundaries. We still have … More 10 Groups to Watch in 2019
Santayana’s famous line “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it”, makes more sense each year as we see programs and investments repeat common errors of past decades. With the support of a thoughtful client that operates food processing plants around the globe (McCain Foods) we began a brief distillation of the … More Don’t repeat history with the same development mistakes
Interest in soil microbes seems to be skyrocketing, and not just from organic farmers. Internationally recognised soil scientist Dr Christine Jones travels the world giving talks on the benefits of microscopic organisms that live in and on plants and how they can help improve the quality of your crop, whether it be on the farm … More Probiotics of the plant world: Why soil microbes are gaining worldwide interest
Populations in developing countries are becoming increasingly youthful, with Africa having the youngest population of all. Between 10 and 12 million young Africans aged 15-35 are entering the continent’s workforce every year. On a continent where 60% of the population derive their livelihood from the agricultural sector, the massive potential of the agriculture sector to … More Tapping the potential of Africa’s futures
A robust, sustainable global agriculture and food production sector is critical to the future of a growing world population. It will take farms of varying types and sizes to address food insecurity and hunger, and to stabilize local communities and big cities alike. With a history that dates back to 1947, Nuffield International Farming Scholars … More Global Exploration and Practical Research Meet in Nuffield International Farming Scholars Program
Dr. Iman El-Kaffass of GFAR Secretariat delivered a keynote speech to encourage participants at a conference of the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) to step back and see agriculture—as well as the farmer and student of agriculture—holistically. The GUNi International Conference “Generating Synergies between Science, Technology and Humanities,” held in Barcelona, Spain on November … More The Comprehensive Farmer: What can (s)he teach our students?
In 1962 the environmentalist Rachel Carson published her seminal book Silent Spring that criticized the pesticide industry and the impact of its products on both nature and human health. The book marked an important milestone in the development of the crop protection industry as it emphasized the need to improve and invest in the safety … More Changing Face of the Pesticide Industry
Computer technology has been around for decades, but the machines we use today are light years ahead of where we were even a decade ago. They are faster, more accurate and easier to use. This is cutting-edge technology. Machine learning and artificial intelligence help plant scientists to run millions of “microsimulations” that give researchers insights … More How artificial intelligence can speed up innovation – Partner Spotlight on CropLife International
What makes a rose red? It has a gene, which tells it which color to be. In a major scientific breakthrough 20 years ago, scientists discovered how to turn down the red gene and introduce a new blue gene, from a petunia, to produce the world’s first blue rose. This process, where scientists have learned … More Technology to Revolutionize Agriculture – Partner Spotlight on CropLife International
Imagine spending $50 every minute for 11 years! That’s what the crop protection industry does to develop cutting edge products for farmers. Only through investment in innovation can we help farmers deal with the ever-increasing threat from crop pests, while also meeting more exacting societal expectations for pesticide products that are safe for human health … More Innovating for Safer Pesticides – Partner Spotlight on CropLife International
Did you know that in one handful of soil there are more microbes than humans on planet earth? Microbes are tiny micro-organisms like viruses, bacteria or fungi, some of which can have pesticide-like qualities that can be used by all farmers, large and small-scale. These pest-fighting microbes can be found all over the world in … More Nature at the Heart of Crop Protection -Partner Spotlight on CropLife International
A new mentoring toolkit developed as part of a GFAR Collective Action synthesises a decade of valuable learnings and resources, openly accessible for use by youth in agriculture! Four years ago, we coordinated our first mentoring program. We were working on the youth engagement component of the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) taking place in Lima, Peru, focused on … More Want to run a mentoring program? This toolkit will show you how
Food systems are shaped by consumption and demand—we need to always keep this in mind. This truth is increasingly obvious in middle and lower-middle income countries, with their dynamic economies and rapidly growing megacities. Urbanizing food systems are also more complex, for a number of reasons. Food environments and consumptive behaviors are changing rapidly, yet … More Strategic simplification to create healthy and sustainable food systems in an urbanizing world
The wildlife sanctuary in the Dhera Block of Arsi Mountains National Park in the Oromia region, Ethiopia, hosts a variety of acacia-dominant vegetation cover and is the habitat for over 25 wild mammals dominated by greater kudu, lesser kudu, spotted hyena and warthogs. The park is also home to more than 189 bird species including … More Association for Sustainable Development Alternatives: Protecting Biodiversity & Livelihoods
Climate change is coming like a freight train, or a rising tide. And our food, so dependent on rain and suitable temperatures, sits right in its path. The plants that nourish us won’t disappear entirely. But they may have to move to higher and cooler latitudes, or farther up a mountainside. Some places may find … More 5 Major Crops In The Crosshairs Of Climate Change
Many conversations about open data for agriculture and nutrition promote the win-win scenario of improved livelihoods for farmers, as well as more nutritious, environmentally conscious food. However, examples of open data benefiting farmers often only span one growing season, or include small groups of farmers. This begs the question, does open data truly have the capacity … More Collaboration is key to achieving the long-term benefits of data sharing
‘Youth are the pillars, changers and builders of the nation. They have a huge power to change the system and develop our country.’ This is what the youth of YAD (Youth for Agriculture Development, Nepal) believe. I still remember the initial days of the YAD organisation. The young people involved did not believe in their strengths, but … More YAD: From Zero to Hero
We celebrate World Development Information Day by highlighting CCAFS’ work on climate information services in Africa. Information and communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalization, and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion.” UN General Assembly … More Leveraging climate information services to help farmers cope with climate change in Africa
GFAR and Impakter have recently launched an exciting new online media campaign: #GFARImpakters. Impakter, a cutting-edge online magazine dedicated to topics of sustainability, is now working with GFAR Secretariat to showcase the valuable work done by Partners in GFAR to transform agricultural research and innovation systems. Impakter wants Partners in GFAR to share, and the public at … More #GFARImpakters Series: Sharing the Impact of the Partners in GFAR
GFAR Secretariat welcomed 4 bright young researchers on the occasion of World Food Day to share their fascinating findings on what some cutting-edge food technologies and innovations mean for our future. Last April, GFAR Secretariat had the pleasure of welcoming, at FAO Headquarters in Rome, a delegation of 16 researchers about to embark on a world … More Embracing the Future of Food on #WFD2018
