Food insecurity is a worrying challenge worldwide, with sub-Sahara Africa most affected. Literature reveals that in developing countries, food insecurity is a largely ‘‘managed process’’, meaning people are ac...
Authors: Takemore Chagomoka, Sophie Unger, Axel Drescher, Rüdiger Glaser, Bernd Marschner and Johannes Schlesinger
Citrus ranks top among the agricultural export commodities of Bhutan both in terms of volume and value. However, citrus cultivation practices still remain traditional with very low yield and inferior fruit qua...
This study aims to determine predictors of food insecurity in a typical setting where resilience of population is weakened as a result of protracted crises. South Sudan is used as a case study. The rationale o...
Authors: Lailà B. Lokosang, Shaun Ramroop and Temesgen Zewotir
This paper examines rice farmers’ access to livelihood capitals (natural, financial, physical, social and human) and the relationship and propensity for entrepreneurship capacities amongst rice farmers in the ...
Authors: Eliasu Mumuni and Oladimeji Idowu Oladele
After the closure of Cameroon’s National Produce Marketing Board in 1990, rigorous measures no longer existed to control production of quality cocoa. This study assesses farmers’ knowledge of postharvest pract...
Authors: Lewis Dopgima Levai, Henry Dilonga Meriki, Amayana Adiobo, Sama Awa-Mengi, Jane-Francis Tatah Kihla Akoachere and Vincent P. K. Titanji
The article describes the institutionalization of farmer participatory research and plant breeding that has occurred in Honduras over the past 22 years and demonstrates how this approach can offer a positive r...
Authors: Sally Humphries, Juan Carlos Rosas, Marvin Gómez, José Jiménez, Fredy Sierra, Omar Gallardo, Carlos Avila and Mérida Barahona
This paper analyzes ownership and control of productive resources by gender as determined by culture. This is premised on the fact that past researchers have isolated gender and productive resources on one han...
Because of growing demand for meat and declining availability of agricultural land, there is an urgent need to find alternative protein sources. Edible insects can be produced with less environmental impact th...
The role of both organic (OF) and conventional (CF) farming remains open to debate particularly when related to food security and climate change. Targeting plant breeding for OF can contribute to reduce its yi...
Authors: Leonardo A. Crespo-Herrera and Rodomiro Ortiz
There is a lack of scientific evidence that home gardens contribute to women empowerment, which eventually leads to greater gender equality, although it is generally assumed that they do. Using data from poor ...
Authors: Marie Antoinette Patalagsa, Pepijn Schreinemachers, Shahana Begum and Shawkat Begum
What are the key factors that contribute to household-level food security? What lessons can we learn from food secure households? What agricultural options and management strategies are likely to benefit femal...
Stick insects have been reported as significant phytophagous pests of agricultural and timber crops since the 1880s in North America, China, Australia and Pacific Islands. Much of the early literature comes fr...
Land degradation reduces agricultural productivity and poses a serious threat on food security status of households. In Ethiopia, farmers have been using only urea and di-ammonium phosphate for more than 15 ye...
Authors: Hillette Hailu, Tekalign Mamo, Riikka Keskinen, Erik Karltun, Heluf Gebrekidan and Taye Bekele
Human population growth and rising income levels in developing countries are increasing demand for animal protein. One of the key enablers of the associated increase in global animal protein production has bee...
Sitophiluszeamais is a key pest of stored maize causing serious economic damage. The predominant control of this pest is the use of synthetic residual pest...
Authors: Simon Pierre Yinyang Danga, Elias Nchiwan Nukenine, Gabriel Tagne Fotso and Cornel Adler
Participatory plant breeding leads to early adoption of a newly released variety as farmers would be aware of whatever advantage it might have over prior existing ones as early as possible. Cowpea farmers arou...
Authors: Kenneth Fafa Egbadzor, Samuel Kwame Offei, Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, Daniel Ashie Kotey, Dickson Korku Gamedoagbao, Mark Dadoza, Martin Yeboah and Kwadwo Ofori
Small-scale agriculture, government entitlements, and livelihood opportunities offered by rapid economic growth shape the food security and wellbeing of people in rural India. This paper analyses this ongoing ...
Authors: Kirit Patel, Hom Gartaula, Derek Johnson and M. Karthikeyan
Sorghum is a staple cereal crop that is well adapted to arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It has a potential of assuring food security and livelihoods in the ASALs. The objective of this study was to determine...
Authors: Alex M. Kange, Erick K. Cheruiyot, Joshua O. Ogendo and Peter F. Arama
Grains of important food and export crops in Africa are susceptible to contamination by toxin-producing moulds. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins associated with liver damage and cancer in humans and animals. These to...
Authors: Daniel O. Okun, Fathiya M. Khamis, Geoffrey M. Muluvi, Joseph J. Ngeranwa, Fidelis O. Ombura, Moses O. Yongo and Eucharia U. Kenya
The low adoption of technologies, developed by research institutions, by farmers substantiates the need for client orientation in research and development. Hence, to bridge the gap between breeders and farmers...
Authors: Abdalla Dao, Jacob Sanou, Vernon Gracen and Eric Y. Danquah
In spite of considerable rice production gains over the past 50 years, Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming increasingly dependent on rice imports as demand is outpacing domestic supply. The serious economic and soc...
Authors: Sultana Nasrin, Johanna Bergman Lodin, Magnus Jirström, Björn Holmquist, Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt and Göran Djurfeldt
Over the past two centuries, the human population has grown sevenfold and the experts anticipate the addition of 2–3 billion more during the twenty-first century. In the present overview, I take a historical g...
Effective management of water under irrigated agriculture is crucial to ensure food security. One crop that has high irrigation economic potential at local and international scales is soybean. This article pre...
Authors: Omotayo B Adeboye, Bart Schultz, Kenneth O Adekalu and Krishna Prasad
This study evaluated options and obstacles to strengthening food security through breeding a staple crop in a developing country, using the case of quality of bread wheat in Tajikistan as an example.
Authors: Bahromiddin Husenov, Marufkul Makhkamov, Larisa Garkava-Gustavsson, Hafiz Muminjanov and Eva Johansson
Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is the major cereal crop of Ethiopia where it is annually cultivated on more than three million hectares of land by over six million small-scale farmers. It is broadly grouped...
Authors: Habte Jifar, Kebebew Assefa and Zerihun Tadele
Climate is a key input of rain-fed agriculture. Climate variability and change has been the most important determinant of crop yields in Kenya and other parts of the world. However, there has been not much res...
Authors: Nyandiko Nicodemus Omoyo, Jacob Wakhungu and Silvery Oteng’i
Within the post-2015 agenda discussions of the United Nations, sustainable development goals (SDGs) are being drafted. In this context, nutrition-sensitive agriculture has been introduced. Nutrition-sensitive ...
Authors: Angelina G. Balz, Eleonore A. Heil and Irmgard Jordan
Tillabéry is the main rice growing region of Niger, and it includes both irrigated and lowland rice. Rice production has stagnated due to several factors this research investigated through farmers’ eyes.
Authors: Mounirou Sow, Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Illiassou Mossi Maiga, Mark Laing, Rodomiro Ortiz and Marie-Noelle Ndjiondjop
This paper asks: What have been the impacts of farmer- or community-led (informal) processes of research and development in agriculture and natural resource management in terms of food security, ecological sus...
Authors: Ann Waters-Bayer, Patti Kristjanson, Chesha Wettasinha, Laurens van Veldhuizen, Gabriela Quiroga, Kees Swaans and Boru Douthwaite
What has long been suspected is true: genetically modified (GM) crops do have real benefits for the environment and for the economic well-being of farmers. A meta-analysis of peer-reviewed journal articles and...
Productive resources are essential to the livelihoods and food security of the world’s rural poor. Gender-equal ownership of resources is considered key to increasing agricultural productivity, equity, and foo...
Authors: Alessandra Galiè, Annet Mulema, Maria A Mora Benard, Sheila N Onzere and Kathleen E Colverson
Vegetables play a major role in the livelihoods of the rural poor in Africa. Among major constraints to vegetable production worldwide are diseases caused by a group of viruses belonging to the genus Begomovirus,...
Authors: Walter N Leke, Djana B Mignouna, Judith K Brown and Anders Kvarnheden
As countries around the world face urgent agricultural challenges, the concept of ‘climate-smart’ agriculture (CSA) has been put forward to achieve climate change adaptation, mitigation, and food security syne...
Authors: Christine Negra, Sonja Vermeulen, Luís Gustavo Barioni, Tekalign Mamo, Paul Melville and Melaku Tadesse
The international community and national agricultural research systems (NARS) recognize the importance of supporting smallholders in order to reduce poverty and promote the food security status of some of the ...
The persistent problem of poor agricultural practices and technology use leads to food insecurity for some farmers in Ghana. Studies show that the adoption of improved agricultural practices and technology may...
Authors: Jifar T Nata, James W Mjelde and Frederick O Boadu
There is an increasing need for West African Sahel farmers to be availed with appropriate technologies and management practices that sustainably increase productivity and resilience, while reducing greenhouse ...
Authors: Robert Zougmoré, Abdulai Jalloh and Andre Tioro
The ecosystems around, and plant composition in, paddy fields in Java are varied, owing to differences in climate, altitude, and traditional farming practice. This study examines the effects of different types...
Authors: Nur Rochmah Kumalasari and Erwin Bergmeier
Globally, high amounts of food are wasted due to insufficient quality and decay. Although pollination has been shown to increase crop quality, a possible impact on shelf life has not been quantitatively studied.
Authors: Björn Kristian Klatt, Felix Klaus, Catrin Westphal and Teja Tscharntke
International research for development is under increasing pressure to demonstrate development outcomes that enhance people’s food security and well-being while preserving the natural resource base. The CGIAR ...
Authors: Wiebke Förch, Patti Kristjanson, Laura Cramer, Carlos Barahona and Philip K Thornton
Ethiopia encompasses an extraordinary number of ecological zones and plant diversity. However, the diversity of plants is highly threatened due to lack of institutional capacity, population pressure, land degr...
Authors: Mekuanent Tebkew, Zebene Asfaw and Solomon Zewudie
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) addresses the challenge of meeting the growing demand for food, fibre and fuel, despite the changing climate and fewer opportunities for agricultural expansion on additional lan...
Authors: Kerri L Steenwerth, Amanda K Hodson, Arnold J Bloom, Michael R Carter, Andrea Cattaneo, Colin J Chartres, Jerry L Hatfield, Kevin Henry, Jan W Hopmans, William R Horwath, Bryan M Jenkins, Ermias Kebreab, Rik Leemans, Leslie Lipper, Mark N Lubell, Siwa Msangi…
The 23rd Annual Dialogue series at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation aimed at suggesting important inputs in the regulatory process for the approval and commercialisation of genetically modified crops.
This paper examined the effect of variety attributes on adoption of improved sorghum varieties in Kenya. Using data from a random sample of 140 farmers, a multivariate probit was used to identify variety-speci...
Authors: Anne Gesare Timu, Richard Mulwa, Julius Okello and Mercy Kamau
There seems to be growing controversy among interest groups worldwide about whether genetically modified (GM) foods need to be labelled. There are also growing concerns, particularly among civil society groups...
Despite low rice yield levels in Tanzania, the country is the leading producer in Eastern and Southern Africa. Given that this business is dominated by smallholder farmers and that the country is endowed with ...
Climate change is expected to have an impact on food production, processing and transport systems. While food systems have become globalized in recent decades, interest has re-emerged for local production and ...
Authors: Gillian Hall, Alison Rothwell, Tim Grant, Bronwyn Isaacs, Laura Ford, Jane Dixon, Martyn Kirk and Sharon Friel
Food insecurity is a major world problem, with ca. 870 million people in the world being chronically undernourished. Most of these people live in tropical, developing regions and rely on smallholder farming fo...
Authors: Peter R Steward, Gorm Shackelford, Luísa G Carvalheiro, Tim G Benton, Lucas A Garibaldi and Steven M Sait
In the past half dozen years, farmers and professionals working with them in several Asian and African countries have begun adapting and extrapolating what they have learned from and about the system of rice i...
Authors: Binju Abraham, Hailu Araya, Tareke Berhe, Sue Edwards, Biksham Gujja, Ram Bahadur Khadka, Yang S Koma, Debashish Sen, Asif Sharif, Erika Styger, Norman Uphoff and Anil Verma
Rural livelihoods relying on agriculture are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Climate models project increasingly negative effects on maize and sorghum production in sub-Saharan Africa. We present a ...
There has been a rise in the number of overweight women across the globe and sub-Saharan Africa has not been spared. Our objective was to describe the performance of household food security as a factor in dete...
Authors: Susan Keino, Guy Plasqui and Bart van den Borne
