Category: GFAR blog

All posts belonging to the GFAR blog

Looking beyond hunger: thoughts on SOFI 2019

July 24, 2019

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

Seeds of life: The plants suited to climate change

July 15, 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

All aboard the Chachafruto Express

May 14, 2019

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

India Wants to Double Farmers’ Incomes – and Tackle Climate Change. Is Technology the Answer to This Double Bind?

April 24, 2019

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?

Trinbagonian Impakter: Tech4Agri for the A in STEM

March 20, 2019

“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

Food Biodiversity: The bottomless well of innovation

February 26, 2019

“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

Diversified Agri-food Systems: Bastions of biodiversity, nutrition and resilience

February 19, 2019

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

We’re all in this together: Putting farmers and youth at the center of #AgInnovation

January 31, 2019

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

We’re inspired by you: the next generation in agriculture!

January 29, 2019

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!

Submit your idea for sustainable farming to WIN

January 28, 2019

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

Taking these “F-words“ seriously: Food and future

January 24, 2019

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

Turning the spotlight on the next generation’s role in agriculture

January 23, 2019

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

How are emerging technologies changing the way we farm our food?

January 22, 2019

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?

119 Organizations Shaking Up the Food System in 2019

January 21, 2019

2018 was a great year for Food Tank. We hosted ground-breaking Summits, innovative events, and global discussions about the food system in Senegal, Italy, Russia, and across the United States. We published the book Nourished Planet, and met many of our members and readers in person! And we started the Food Talk podcast. We’re excited about … More 119 Organizations Shaking Up the Food System in 2019

10 Groups to Watch in 2019

January 15, 2019

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

Don’t repeat history with the same development mistakes

January 14, 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

Probiotics of the plant world: Why soil microbes are gaining worldwide interest

December 17, 2018

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

Tapping the potential of Africa’s futures

December 12, 2018

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