New Agriculturist

A call to action: conserving livestock diversity

One billion people around the world are involved in livestock farming and 70 per cent of the poor are dependent on livestock. But many indigenous breeds are under threat leading researchers to call for the urgent establishment of genebanks to conserve them.

Date published: November 2007

Seeds of change: jatropha in India

Jatropha, the oilseed-bearing tree, is at the centre of a new initiative to rehabilitate wasteland in rural India and improve the livelihoods of landless villagers. Renowned for its ability to withstand harsh conditions, and its growing popularity as biofuel feedstock, the crop has given the barren lands around Velchal village, Andhra Pradesh, a new lease of life.

Date published: November 2007

Hot property: Rwanda spices up its exports

Production of cassava flour and bird's eye chillies is helping smallscale farmers in Rwanda access lucrative European markets. With the help of several organisations, smallholders have been able to earn income above and beyond subsistence farming.

Date published: November 2007

Equipping Japanese rice farmers for the future?

A new satellite-controlled rice planting machine is one of the latest developments from the Furukawa Agricultural Research Centre in Japan. Able to turn corners and plant neat rows of rice, scientists hope the invention will help make Japanese farms more efficient.

Date published: November 2007

A future for organic agriculture in Africa?

Organic farming is the fastest growth area of Africa's horticulture industry and a major export earner. But if the UK Soil Association withdraws its certification of airfreighted produce due to concerns over 'food miles', what are the prospects for organic agriculture in Africa?

Date published: September 2007

West African farmers prepare for ant-aid

The humble weaver ant could come to the rescue of west African mango farmers suffering from fruit fly attacks. Praised as a 'gift of nature', a recent report from Benin has found that an abundance of the hungry hunters can provide effective and low-cost biological control.

Date published: September 2007

Going bananas for vital vitamins

Each year an estimated half a million people go blind from a lack of vitamin A in their diet. But orange-fleshed plantains, rich in certain carotenoids and traditionally grown in many African countries, could provide important nutritional benefits.

Date published: September 2007

Africa's visionary farmers

Building on earlier participatory processes, Enabling Rural Innovation empowers communities to set priorities and make best use of their resources, enabling community members to make the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

Date published: July 2007

Branching out - safou goes global

With a flavour described as both nutty and tangy safou, or African plum, is widely eaten in Central Africa, but little known outside the region. Now, cultivar selection and increasing professionalisation of the safou sector in Cameroon is transforming the marketing and trade of this indigenous African tree crop.

Date published: July 2007