A new study shows that eating maize biofortified with vitamin A increased the levels of this important nutrient in the breast milk of Zambian mothers with poor nutritional status—thus supporting the intake of this essential nutrient by their babies. The results seen for biofortified maize were almost the same as results observed in mothers eating maize industrially fortified with vitamin A. This study
Protected from the harsh midday sun with a hat, Pramila Mondal pushes behind the roaring engine of a two-wheel tractor. She cultivates a small plot of land with her husband in the small village of Bara Kanaibila, in the Rajbari district of Bangladesh, near the capital Dhaka. Using this machine, she also provides planting services to farmers who need to
authored by Ranjitha Puskur This op-ed was first published by Al Jazeera on March 8, 2021. In December 2020, data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the economy led to a disproportionate fall in the labor participation rate of women in the country. According to CMIE, women accounted
authored by Esther Njuguna-Mungai This op-ed was first published by AllAfrica.com on March 8, 2021. It has become received wisdom that young Africans are turning away from agriculture, but in reality, this only tells half of the story. Food security across the continent may well be under threat because growing numbers of young people are leaving rural areas, but it
This blogpost highlights 2020 research outputs of the WorldFish gender theme as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems (FISH). Here, we focus on research examining gender in aquaculture, in particular gender-based market constraints in Egypt, and barriers and opportunities for women’s empowerment in aquaculture in Bangladesh. Gender barriers limit returns of women retailers in Egypt In
Vihiga, Kenya: researchers and farmers have established a community seedbank to cultivate traditional crops that can improve both health and livelihoods.
New crop varieties can help farmers thrive in difficult agricultural conditions, feed families and create livelihoods when sold or processed into other products. This creates a design challenge for breeders, who must anticipate which traits are needed for a variety to be adopted and have a positive impact for smallholder farmers and consumers. Hale Ann Tufan (Cornell University) is one
The economics of hunger and agriculture in Africa. According to the United Nations, the Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to double (to an estimated 265 million) the number of people without access to nutritious food, heightening the risk of malnutrition, hunger and social unrest in the near future. But the deeper truth of the matter is that Covid-19 only acts