How One Ugandan Peanut Scientist Fights “World War Z”
Uganda’s groundnut farms face risks from climate change but their number one threat is the groundnut rosette virus, according to Dr. David Kalule Okello. Dr. Okello is a busy man. […]
Protecting Smallholder Farmers from “Superbugs” by Enlisting Them in the Fight
Food security isn’t just about producing enough calories. It’s also about ensuring that food is nutritious and safe to eat–and preventing the emergence of super-bugs linked to agriculture. Though they’re […]
“Harnessing the Power of Data” for Smallholder Tea and Coffee Farmers: Producers Direct
In 2011 a farmer-led organization based in London called Producers Direct launched Wefarm, the world’s first digital networking service designed by and exclusively for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The […]
Transforming Irrigation, a Group Looking “Beyond Fertilizer” to Boost Smallholder Farm Yields
Governments in sub-Saharan Africa frequently give two bits of advice to smallholder farmers hoping to improve crop yields: apply more fertilizer, or use more irrigation. These tips seem reasonable, simple […]
Monitoring Livestock Disease Outbreaks in Real-Time
From late September to mid-October sporadic cases of avian influenza were reported at poultry farms in South Africa, China, parts of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Israel, suggesting a possible global outbreak. […]
Harnessing Underground Crops for Better Food and Nutrition Security among Nepal’s Indigenous: LI-BIRD’s Story
By Bharat Bhandari and Shree Prasad Neupane The Hard Life of the Chepang, Nepal’s Mountain Farmers The Chepang, an indigenous community of more than 68,000 people, live in geographically inaccessible, […]
How Mobile Money Could Transform Smallholder Agriculture
Mobile phones are ubiquitous today, and not only in richer nations. Consumers in developing countries have embraced smartphones and flip phones, and these nations could very well be advancing their […]
Resilient Agriculture through Integrated Pest Management
By Sadiksha Basnet and the Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development Agriculture accounts for 65% of Nepal’s workforce and 30% of its land area, yet it […]
Will Solar Water Pumps Transform Smallholder Agriculture?
As recently as 2015 one basic solar-powered water pump could cost $1,500. Futurepump says it can sell you one in Nigeria today for a little over $500. In a small […]
Is the Future of Food Security Hidden in Fungi?
By some estimates, 95% of plant species host some form of mycorrhizal fungi on their roots, and at least 60% of all known plant species are entirely dependent on this […]