FAO’s regional meetings on agroecology: a reflection

In 2015, a series of unique meetings on agroecology were organised on three continents. Hundreds of civil society representatives, academics and policy makers attended. What have the meetings achieved and what is next? “Agroecology (…) is an approach that will help to address the challenge of ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms”said José … Read more

Call for articles: Strengthening pastoralist societies through improved governance

The December issue of Farming Matters aims to inform pastoralist communities, practitioners, researchers, civil society, policy makers and others about the practices and policies best fitted to strengthen pastoralist societies. Articles should be submitted before September 1. Pastoralist communities provide meat, hide, dairy, and manure fuel, supporting about 200 million households in places of the … Read more

Making millets matter in Madhya Pradesh

A decline in minor millet cultivation rings true across much of India. Yet a country wide revival of this cereal crop is in motion. Farmers are again recognising and asserting the value of minor millets, a cereal crop that was once central to their culture. A group of farmers in Madhya Pradesh have taken strength … Read more

Farmers’ firm grip on diversity

Over 50 crop species grow on farms in the Gamo Highlands. Farmers use this diversity to meet nutritional, cultural and production needs under variable conditions. In the face of population growth, increased access to improved seed, and cultural and political pressures, maintenance of crop diversity requires more attention than ever before. To this end, farmers … Read more

Interview: Mariam Mayet on protecting farmers’ crops from GM

Mariam Mayet is the director of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). In a recent report, ACB turns their attention towards genetic modification of non-commercial ‘orphan crops’ and the way this technology is replacing farmer-managed food systems. In this interview Mariam explains what is wrong with genetic modification of these crops and where the real … Read more

Lupin regains ground in Central Ecuador

This story shows the power of farmers’ leadership and self-organisation to revitalise neglected crops. A successful partnership between farmers and socially committed researchers, provided the scaffolding farmers needed to take matters into their own hands. A group of farmers set up a producers’ corporation to tackle the constraints to lupin production collectively. Amongst other achievements, … Read more

Youth find hope in crops of their elders

“Local, traditional food, rooted in traditional crops and agricultural practices, is a source of strength, ability and culture […]” Frederik van Oudenhoven narrates how through connection with the knowledge of their elders, young farmers in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, make sense of the present and imagine a future of their own. I saw a film recently about … Read more

Farmers in focus: Finger on the pulse of new local markets

André Jurrius is an organic farmer in the Netherlands who experiments with annual legume crops, and along with other farmers and food processors, is building new local markets. My name is André Jurrius and I am an organic farmer. For the past decade, I have been farming in the Netherlands, a stones throw from the … Read more