Beekeeping has long been a traditional pursuit in Uzbekistan and Ethiopia, where smallholders produce honey for sale and use in food and traditional drinks. As well as providing an ideal, low-capital, accessible, and business opportunity in urban and rural areas, bees also play a vital role in protecting farmstead biodiversity by pollinating crops and plants. Beyond its vital
From wet markets to empty markets, the functionality of food systems has shaped the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact, making it desperately clear that the status quo is unsustainable. Unsurprisingly, the inequities of the food system have been most acutely felt among the world’s poor and marginalized people. The effects of this pandemic are felt widely but unevenly, yet around
Following the successful terms of IRRI Board of Trustees (BOT) Chair Jim Godfrey and Vice-Chair Kaye Basford, IRRI welcomed new Chair Dr. Suthad Setboonsarng and Vice-Chair Dr. Cao Duc Phat on 27 April during the virtual BOT Chair’s Address. Suthad Setboonsarng Cao Duc Phat “The solid foundation that we have collectively built over the years will play a crucial role
BY EMILY SCHMIDT AND PAUL DOROSH In general, the COVID-19 pandemic has had only modest impacts on food availability but greater consequences for food affordability. During the food price crisis of 2007-8, rice prices increased dramatically in rice-importing countries such as Papua New Guinea (PNG) when rice-exporting countries imposed export bans. In this post, Emily Schmidt and Paul Dorosh model different
CGIAR CONTRIBUTORS ILRI, LIVESTOCK TYPE OF INNOVATION Biophysical science Genetic (varieties and breeds) Production systems and management practices Research and communication methodologies and tools Social science
In this famous optical illusion, some people see a rabbit, while others see a duck. Similarly, when it comes to new crop varieties, users see them in different ways. Farmers want higher yields while consumers want better taste. The list of perspectives is long, and even longer when you take gender differences into account. Continue reading G+ Tools Provide
BY XINSHEN DIAO,THOMAS REARDON, ADAM KENNEDY AND JESSICA WALLACH While urbanization is shrinking rural populations in many parts of the world, rural areas, particularly in Africa south of the Sahara, will continue to be home to substantial numbers of people—and the livelihoods of many of them depend on small farms. These small farms play essential roles in national food systems and with
Given the challenge of making gender approaches and concepts actionable, especially the concept of women’s empowerment, multiple tools have been developed to operationalize theory and thus improve the lives of women in the agricultural sector. However, many of the opportunities that exist to improve the capacity of practitioners to generate change still lie in our ability to share the lessons