A complete ban on deforestation in Latin America and the Caribbean could cost farmers in the region more than US$12 billion over the next two decades, according to a new study from the Inter-American Development Bank. While a ban would play a key role in stabilising world greenhouse gas emissions, it would come at significant cost to smallholder farmersRead More …
Deforestation ban could cost farmers billions
31 January, 2011 by (comments)Filed Under: Latin America and the Caribbean, Regions
FAO encourages sustainable agriculture to ease pressure on food prices
31 January, 2011 by (comments)The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has released a guide advising countries on ways to manage the impact of high food prices. It also urges a long-term approach to price management, including the “sustainable intensification” of agricultural production to increase productivity and a country’s resilience to international food price hikes. This includes the promotion of community seedRead More …
Filed Under: Agro-ecology and Economics @en
Ghana’s water-stress timebomb
31 January, 2011 by (comments)Ghana could soon become one of the most water-stressed nations on Earth. That’s one of the findings of a new report from Ghana’s Water Research Institute, part of the West African country’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which has linked the likelihood of acute water shortages to climate change. The researchers point to a possible 20% reductionRead More …
Filed Under: Africa @en, Regions
Land grabs – can they work for small farmers?
31 January, 2011 by (comments)2.8 million hectares – land deals between China and DR Congo to produce palm oil for biofuels 700,000 hectares – South Korea’s stake in Sudan 10% of available agricultural land – is up for rent in Ethiopia These are just a few examples of the rush to outsource agricultural production – often referred to as land grabbing – theRead More …
Filed Under: Africa @en, Regions
China keen for public approval on GM
28 January, 2011 by (comments)The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture is funding research into a public debate around the issues of GM food crops, in an effort to allay recent civil protests to farmers having the right to plant GM rice and corn, reported SciDev. The Government is considering the use of GM crops to feed the country’s growing population. Prime Minister Wen JiabaoRead More …
Filed Under: Asia @en, Regions
Ants recruited to defend African farmers’ livelihoods
28 January, 2011 by (comments)Ants could save fruit and nut farmers in Africa millions of dollars, and help them gain access to lucrative organic food markets. The African weaver ant is a highly effective predator of fruit flies and other fruit-hungry insects, that routinely destroy fruit crops. While the use of these ants as a form of biological control is not new –Read More …
Filed Under: Africa @en, Regions
