Tag: GCARD2

Ask a young person what they wish for their future, and very few will mention agriculture. Whether as a farmer, researcher or extension officer, the production of food tends to be a last resort, not the positive choice of an ambitious young man or woman. This of course raises a fundamental question: who will grow… Continue reading If agriculture is an aging profession, we need to make some changes!

The story of a dream, a nightmare and a wish... Video: Social media can be more than "a means". It can be "a purpose" too.  The dream by Enrica Porcari, GCARD2 Communications coordinator As we planned communication activities for GCARD2, we wanted more than ‘ tell a story’. We wanted to advocate the cause of… Continue reading GCARD2: Young professionals “Make Agriculture Cool Again”

Partnerships are fundamental to conducting research. Douglas Sheil/CIFOR PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay (12 November 2012)_Small-scale farmers in many tropical nations depend primarily on their crops for survival, but without additional income generated by nearby forests, they would often be unable to weather through the hard times. This is why agricultural and forestry institutions should partner… Continue reading Agriculture and forestry: mainstreaming research findings that work for communities

Experts who gathered at the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2) in Uruguay say they want to march into a future where agricultural research remains fast paced, innovation ratchets up production, and the welfare of small-scale farmers is assured. They call for a science that not only fuels development but improves the… Continue reading Brazil: Innovation and smallholder partnership provides nutritious foods to school children

Researchers from the International Potato Center (CIP) are working in Benin for a project designed to introduce ahipa, a highly nutritious root crop originating in the Andes of South America, as a promising food staple in drought-prone regions of Central and Western Africa. They are discovering that beyond its potential as a healthy food alternative… Continue reading South-South exchange: Adapting ahipa in Africa

For a poor fairytale farm-boy named Jack reduced to selling the family’s emaciated cow as a last resort, the stalk of a magical bean led to a golden goose and prosperity. For real-life farmers in developing countries, the treasure brought by iron-rich beanstalks comes in the form of higher yields and better nutrition. More than… Continue reading Bionic beans breeding better nutrition

Millions of food insecure farmers could improve their yields, incomes and resilience if they have access to the appropriate information and knowledge which further helps them make informed choices about their farm. Yet, despite  many new information and communication technologies (ICT) and successful pilot initiatives, reaching out to these farmers with the right information at… Continue reading Appropriate knowledge for smallholder farmers will make the world more food secure

Helen Keller International reflects on GCARD 2 Household Nutrition Security session. I’d like to commend GFAR for including the panels on pathways to nutrition in the conference agenda. It is an important development for GCARD--not least, for the fact that a nutrition-sensitive agriculture also helps maintain attention focused on the critical gender issues that are also… Continue reading Building pathways to nutrition

In the wake of green revolution, notable increases in agricultural incomes and subsequent contributions to food security were noticed among many farmers in the world. Amidst all this, a majority of rural dwellers still wallow in poverty. This differential poverty is what has fueled a growing need to embrace new sources of innovation that are… Continue reading The second freedom for women

What do coffee and banana have in common? One is a cash crop and the other is a food crop. According to scientists working at increasing food production to enhance food security to meet the growing population and adapt to climate change, the two crops make a perfect marriage. A study by the International Institute… Continue reading Growing coffee and bananas generates 50% more revenue for farmers

After a highly aggressive mystery maize disease crippled crops in 2011, Kenya’s number two crop – potato – could be a smart investment. Already there are 800,000 potato farmers in Kenya. Payoffs from potato can be high in terms of both income and nutrition. But only if farmers can get their hands on clean planting… Continue reading The shop that potatoes built

The vast “corn belt” of the Midwestern United States, the “amber waves” of wheat in India’s Punjab region, and the rice paddies of Southeast Asia – iconic landscapes that could disappear before too long. Our three most valuable calorie sources are all in peril from the negative effects of climate change. Maize yields tend to… Continue reading Global food production: recalibrate or die

Msekiwa Matsimbe is not afraid to get her feet wet, whether mingling with a crowd of international policy leaders and experts in agricultural research for development or netting fish specimens in the rivers and lakes of her native Malawi. At age 27, she may be one of the younger faces in the crowd, but she… Continue reading Capacity strengthening program strengthens passion for helping others, too

Uruguay tiene presencia mundial no solo por el fútbol. El Plan Ceibal hace que nuestro país tenga una presencia importante en varios eventos. En diciembre del año 2006, el presidente Tabaré Vázquez anunció que se pondría en marcha el Plan Ceibal y que con él, cada alumno y cada maestro de las escuelas públicas de… Continue reading Un niño, una computadora

“We want GCARD to become a real process, not just an event,” said Monty Jones of FARA-Ghana, in his role as chair of the Outcomes Session on the final day of the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2). That means holding the participants and organizers - especially GFAR and the CGIAR - of… Continue reading For the record…

More than 600 global participants highlight the need for foresight, investment and partnerships to meet future agricultural targets. Punta del Este, Uruguay: On the closing day of the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2), leading experts in the global agricultural research community outlined clear steps for maximising the future impact of scientific… Continue reading Global Conference Sets Priorities for Future of Agricultural Research for Development

It all started off as a challenge for a young group of social media enthusiasts that wanted to give a voice to young professionals in agricultural research for development (ARD) at the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD 2012). From all walks of life, young spirited people have gathered between October 25th… Continue reading Social Reporting Geeks signing off

One of the best examples of the inter-connectedness of the three themes for this year’s Gobal Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2) is the Global Foresight Hub, re-introduced on Wednesday by Joost Vervoort of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Vervoort’s take home message? You can have all… Continue reading No partnership = no foresight = no food.

Cuando pensamos en el desarrollo individual de los pequeños productores muchas veces perdemos de vista lo que ello significa en forma global. Por cada productor que puede mejorar su rendimiento, gracias a las asistencias técnicas y económicas significa dos cosas, un mejor nivel de vida para el y su familia, y una mayor cantidad de… Continue reading Desarrollo indivudual, desarrollo nacional