New Agriculturist

New virulent rust threatens world's wheat

With the discovery of four new mutations of Ug99 - a strain of wheat stem rust - which have overcome two of the most important stem rust-resistant genes used in breeding programmes, scientists have warned that an outbreak in any significant wheat growing area could wipe out 40 per cent of the crop.

Date published: June 2010

Sharing belief in LEAF

Already used by farmers in 17 countries, the Integrated Farm Management approach developed by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) is being rolled out in sub-Saharan Africa, to help smaller scale farmers of export crops to adopt high environmental standards of production, thus securing good contracts with a European retailer.

Date published: July 2010

Learning for change: a logical approach for fodder innovation?

Tracking the right evidence to demonstrate impact is a conundrum common to many development projects. However, adopting a 'learning by doing' approach and having space to experiment at five pilot sites in India and Nigeria has provided valuable lessons in building innovation capacity to address fodder scarcity.

Date published: July 2010

Cloud over Africa's horticultural exports

The ban on flights across much of Europe in April, imposed due to a volcanic ash cloud, caused exports of perishable goods from Africa to Europe to grind to a halt. While African producers work hard to recover from the disruption, questions have again been raised about whether European countries should be importing so much fresh produce.

Date published: May 2010

Battle in the Congo Basin: preserving biodiversity

Overpopulation in the north Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening biodiversity in Virunga National Park, part of the Congo Basin. A partnership between WWF and local authorities is pioneering a community-driven model for protecting the 800,000 hectares of fragile ecosystems ranging from rainforest to savanna within the context of conflict.

Date published: May 2010

Restoring value to Kashmiri saffron

Kashmiri saffron, famous for offering the best quality in the world, has almost halved in value since 2009. However, with the support of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the World Bank has launched a 'Value Chain on Kashmir Saffron' project, which aims to boost production and quality.

Date published: May 2010

A new market model for pastoralists

The sleepy township of Wamba in Kenya's Rift Valley Province bursts into life long before dawn, as minders urge on their livestock. Established in 2005, the Lolkuniani livestock market has changed the lives of not only livestock keepers but also other traders living in this remote and neglected region.

Date published: May 2010

Small steps towards a greener Ghana

Three thousand children in 15 Ghanaian primary schools are involved in a tree planting and forest conservation project. Following poor responses by adults in previous attempts to encourage tree planting, the project aims to teach children that planting trees is a worthwhile investment in their own future, and the future of the planet.

Date published: May 2010

Haiti's earthquake: agriculture the key to recovery

With rising food prices, displacement of people, and disruption of trade and agricultural activities as a result of the earthquake, Haiti is facing a major food crisis. In partnership with the government and other UN agencies, FAO is working to rebuild the agriculture sector and increase food production.

Date published: March 2010