by Vincent Mariadho - Prolinnova Kenya Coordinator 56-year-old smallholder farmer Rebecca Auma Dero is the brains behind the innovative sack-garden irrigation kit. Identified during the now concluded Proli-FaNS (Promoting local innovation in Food and Nutrition Security) project run in Kenya by Prolinnova Kenya, Rebecca’s innovation has been documented and used as a starting point for… Continue reading Local farmer innovation an entry point for farmer-led joint research
By Andres Sanchez FORAGRO/IICA Digital agriculture solutions are considered by many as innovations per se. However, if we more ambitiously see innovation as "an iterative, social process characterized by attempts, trial and errors", aimed to "respond to one or more constraints hindering the wellbeing of an individual, of a group, or of a whole community"(1),… Continue reading How do family farmers perceive digital solutions in the LAC Region
By the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) A digital soil map for Nepal launched in 2021 provides access to location-specific information on soil properties for any province, district, municipality or a particular area of interest. The interactive map provides information useful for new crop- and site-specific fertilizer recommendations for the country. Produced by… Continue reading Digital soil map provides information for crop productivity and soil health
By The Land Portal Credit: barnyz/Flickr The landscape of land data is different from many other types of data held by governments because land tenure systems are social, political, and economic in nature. Land tenure systems determine how land can be used, controlled or transferred, and for how long, for what purposes and under which… Continue reading The Land Portal: Bringing together data governance and FAIR principles
By CABI Credit: CABI CABI has been awarded a $4.5 million contract from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work with them to help address known constraints to data utility in agriculture development investments. These include helping the foundation’s Agricultural Development Program strategically address data sharing considerations at the beginning of projects rather than… Continue reading Constraints to FAIR and responsible data use in agricultural development investments highlighted
By Samwel Onyango, Cassava Project Assistant and Masters graduate in Food Safety and Quality, University of Nairobi Credit: S.Onyango The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted food systems. In the ‘new normal’, Kenyan farmers are struggling to revitalize their farms and are keen to mitigate some of the challenges experienced due to lockdowns, controlled gatherings and… Continue reading Revitalizing Kenya’s cassava value chain post COVID-19
The Partners in Action Campaign As we near the closing of the year 2021, GFAR takes this opportunity to thank all our Partners in Action contributors, readers and those who engage in the comments section. When the Partners in Action campaign was flagged off in May we were hoping that you would offer your experiences… Continue reading End of Year Letter from our Executive Secretary – Hildegard Lingnau
By Lauren Sarruf, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) A study by CCAFS has explored the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on Guatemala's food production systems, generating a series of recommendations for the sector. Credit: J.L.Urrea/CCAFS The closures and safety measures adopted worldwide in response to the coronavirus outbreak continue to… Continue reading Impact of COVID-19 on Guatemala’s agriculture sector
By Dr. Dennis Rangi, Director General, Development, CABI CABI’s Dr. Dennis Rangi, based in Nairobi, asks how we can apply the determination and urgency shown to the COVID-19 pandemic to plant pandemics on the African continent in order to help food security. Dr Dennis Rangi. Credit: CABI During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across Africa showed… Continue reading Healthy crops are key to solving Africa’s food insecurity
By the Kenya National Farmers' Federation (KENAFF) Like the rest of the world, Kenya's climate is changing. The rainy seasons' timing and duration have shifted, making them exceedingly unpredictable. Climate change poses a significant danger to agriculture, food security, and poverty alleviation. Agriculture contributes to climate change by emitting anthropogenic greenhouse gases and converting non-agricultural… Continue reading Bolstering Kenyan farmers’ resilience to climate shocks
By Harun Cicek, Lauren Dietermann and Miguel de Porras from FiBL Agro-silvo-pastoral landscape during the rainy season. A mosaic of millet and groundnut fields dominated by Faidherbia Albida trees (defoliated during rainy season). Niakhar, Senegal. Audebert, CIRAD, August 2018. The West African Sahel is at the frontline of climate change with severe land degradation, water scarcity and soil erosion problems that are expected to increase in… Continue reading Building food systems resilience in the West African Sahel
By Ayyanadar Arunachalam, ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh Tree inclusion in a rural landscape Plants are an important source for the sustenance of life on this planet. Among the plants, some plants are perennial, i.e. their vegetative and reproductive stage continues throughout the year. These ‘woody perennials’ include trees, palms, bamboo and shrubs.… Continue reading Trees for the SDGs: Woody perennials building resilience in urban and rural landscapes
By Bethel Terefe, Gender Coordinator, CABI, and Frances Williams, Global Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, CABI When it comes to rural communities, social norms matter because they affect the choices and opportunities available to women © Pixabay Women are an important asset to the global agricultural workforce, making up 43% of the farming sector, but despite… Continue reading Addressing social norms to help women access agricultural technologies
Blog post by Cathy Reade, Director of Outreach, Crawford Fund The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cessation of international travel in early 2020 dramatically impacted the Crawford Fund’s mentoring, training and Master Class activities. The Fund’s capacity building program has involved over 13,000 developing country agricultural scientists, extension staff and farmers in a… Continue reading No pausing for the pandemic – e-Mentoring for inclusive, equitable agriculture
Rekindling interest in wild and non-cultivated edible plants can have positive nutrition, health, and conservation outcomes Blog post by Kamal Aryal and Samuel Thomas of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu Several species of macro fungi are part of the basket of wild edibles During the lockdown, there were several reports of… Continue reading Our forgotten wild foods
Blog post by Glindys Virginia Luciano, Network Engagement Coordinator, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) & Genna Tesdall, YPARD Director In the last several years, dialogue around safe and nutritious food has evolved from talks about productivity towards post-productionist goals. What does it really mean to consume food that is produced in an ethical manner… Continue reading Transforming the food system? Let’s talk finance.
By Samwel Onyango, Cassava project assistant and masters graduate in food safety and quality at the University of Nairobi Samwel Onyango showing Caroline Dama how to use a phone and capture images. Photo credit: Benson Kimbio, UON-Semis. Cassava crop has been grown along the Kenyan coast since time immemorial, but farmers scarcely appreciate the crop… Continue reading Food heroes changing perceptions of nutrition in Kenyan Households
By Genna Tesdall, Director of Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) 19-year-old Aisyah takes a break during her work day in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Credit: CIFOR Global food and agriculture is finally giving a focus to youth! As a network born 15 years ago out of the need for young agricultural professionals to come together… Continue reading Youth in agrifood systems: more than the leaders of tomorrow
By Deston Pope and Keron Bascombe, Tech4Agri Deston Pope shoots footage on location for a site visit to a farm in Tabaquite, South Trinidad. "In today’s world, the words ‘vaccine’ and ‘economy’ including the phrases ‘digital transformation’ and ‘food security’ can be heard almost every day. And yet the greatest untapped resource, our youth, still… Continue reading New series #RiseofAgriculture tells the stories behind Trinidad and Tobago’s agriculture sector
By Indika Arulingam, Research Officer, International Water Management Institute and Shakuntala Thilsted, Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health, WorldFish Tilapia fingerlings being bought at aquaculture ponds in Kitwe, Zambia. Credit: D.Huso/WorldFish Governments knew that youth unemployment was high before the COVID-19 pandemic, but what they failed to realize was how vulnerable even those with… Continue reading Reeling in economic opportunities for Africa’s youth
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