New Agriculturist

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

Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar: reaching out to farmers in rural India

By understanding and supplying farming families with all their agricultural and household needs, the Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar centres aim to engender trust and provide their customers with quality products and long-term advice.

Date published: March 2010

Artificial glaciers for summer irrigation

The farmers of Ladakh, a particularly cold and arid region in northwest India, depend on glacier-melt for irrigating their agricultural land. But glaciers are receding. Through the development of 'artificial glaciers', farmers have been given new hope of much-needed irrigation water.

Date published: March 2010

A new era for biocontrol in the Pacific

Invasive species have wrought havoc on both natural ecosystems and farming systems in the Pacific islands. But a more reliable science of biocontrol, and a renewed commitment to networking across the region, mean that biocontrol can now take its place in helping restore equilibrium within the fragile ecosystems of the islands.

Date published: January 2010

Faidherbia - Africa's fertiliser factory

Soil degradation has led to reduced crop yields in Malawi. But conservation agriculture - preserving soil structure by practising minimum tillage farming and planting the nitrogen-fixing Faidherbia albida acacia tree - could restore degraded land, reduce input costs and potentially triple maize yields.

Date published: January 2010

Kenya's coffee industry shows dramatic growth

Traditionally, Kenya has enjoyed the reputation of being the best producer of Arabica coffee in the world. But in recent years, Kenyan Arabica has been blended with coffee from other sources and, as a result, Uganda has overtaken Kenya in the coffee stakes. In response, the government has taken a number of steps to improve Kenya's performance as a quality coffee producer.

Date published: January 2010

Agricultural trade in the Pacific - it's a FACT

Renowned for their inter-island trade, Pacific Islanders are struggling to participate in global markets. But with support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, small companies are benefitting from the export of high-value, low-volume goods.

Date published: November 2009