Rodent Control – The Natural Way
Most efforts to support smallholder farmers focus on initiatives and innovations deployable in the daytime. Few innovators think up interventions that work mainly at night, when farmers are asleep. Luwieke […]
Bring Back the Chocolate: Building a Better Cocoa Bean in Malaysia
Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and White Day wouldn’t be the same without cacao. And smallholder farming in Malaysia isn’t the same as it was back when the crop was more […]
Farm Certification Schemes – Do They Work?
Smallholder farming is a tough business sometimes described as, ‘Buy retail, sell wholesale’. Governments around the world have tried lots of things to help farmers add value, from supporting high-value […]
India Wants Innovators to Get Excited About Millet
It’s nutritious. Drought-resistant. And yes, you can make it into alcohol. No wonder the UN declared 2023 the International Year of Millets. The consumption of millet has declined relative to […]
The Secret to the Perfect Organic Fertilizer? Worms.
Vermiculture is the practice of deliberately cultivating worms, specifically earthworms, either at large scales or in smaller artisanal systems. It’s how bait and tackle shops next to popular fishing lakes […]
Keeping Ethiopia’s Wheat from “Rusting”
Of all the natural threats to the world’s food supply, few are more dreaded than wheat rust, a category of fungal infections that can ruin a harvest. In the US, […]
Developing a Farm Management Information System for Smallholders
Farming is often more mental than physical. Farmers need to keep track of planting and harvesting dates, revenues and expenses, yields, pests and diseases, markets, weather, and more. Larger American […]
Photosynthesis and Photovoltaics—Together at Last
A farmer’s land is used to grow food—period. Once seeds are in the ground, roots take hold, and shoots emerge, that piece of real estate is spoken for until harvest […]
Colombian “Big Data” Start-Up Connects Smallholder Farmers to Customers
Colombia’s farming is dominated by smallholders working plots five hectares in size or less, who are often disconnected from markets by poor transportation and communications. Middlemen create costs and delays […]
The Incredible Edible Nettle
Stinging nettles are a family of plants known for their tiny, distinctive spikes on stems and leaves that can sting and irritate the skin. But science is increasingly discovering how […]
