In India, more and more people have access to toilets. But the widespread poor management and disposal of fecal sludge from millions of new pits and septic tanks is a fast-accumulating risk for public health and the environment. That risk is the impetus behind a national series of training sessions, which will introduce sustainable models of managing fecal sludge from
Potato yields are highly-dependent on fertilizer use but pinpointing the amount of fertilizer to be used can be a challenge, especially for smallholder farmers. This challenge is important in Rwanda where average potato yields are currently 8-10 tonnes per hectare (t/ha), compared to the 25-35 t/ha they might expect with improved potato varieties, better pest and disease management, and enhanced extension services and
In the past, plant breeding has helped avert entire famines by changing a handful of genes in key crop varieties. But today’s breeders must meet similar challenges with consistent excellence, making the right decisions each season to refine natural genetic diversity into a multitude of hard-working food crops. In 2020, CGIAR crop breeders began using computer simulations to model
Global ecosystem restoration efforts are often measured by billions of trees planted or square kilometers of land restored. But there is a critical void in the agenda: the social and political dimensions that make restoration a success.
BY SWATI MALHOTRA AND ALEXANDRIA RICHTER More than 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis level or worse around the world in 2020, an increase of 20 million from 2019 and a five-year high, as the COVID-19 pandemic compounded economic shocks, conflicts, and climate and severe weather impacts, estimates the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC). In a mutual
The International Crops Research Institute of the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) held a four-day workshop, which began on Monday, June 21, with the aim of defining a plan for the development of crop varieties that take into account priority needs. Malian and gender-sensitive populations in West and Central Africa. Have you ever thought of having peanut seeds that produce a lot
Boaz Waswa, Josey Kamanda, Justin Mabeya, Eileen Nchanji, David Karanja, Patricia Onyango, Owen Kimani She wonders why she has to go through the tedious ritual of hitting the bean harvest using sticks to put food on her family’s table! “My hands are hard and blistered because I have to use this stick to thresh the beans after harvesting. It takes