Developments
Transplanting a safety net against drought
The dry season in the lake Chad region of Nigeria means the beginning of intense farming activity with sorghum seedlings being transplanted to the water-retaining soils of the lake bed. This allows farmers to extend their growing season right into the dry months...
Debates over genetically modified crops continue. Anti-GM campaigners maintain their stance on food safety grounds and fears of cross-contamination, while advocates of the technology claim that it can improve food security and nutrition in developing countries. Among the GM supporters is Professor Michael Lipton, director of the Poverty Unit at the University of Sussex in the UK...
Cage fattening of tilapia... or chickens?
Cage fattening of tilapia has been identified as a possible innovation to enhance the livelihoods of full and part-time fishers. Two families in north west Sri Lanka ran trials in the process and despite the technical and social challenges, there were some interesting findings...
Pyrethrum - from ancient discovery to advanced agriculture
The pyrethrum story is one of a simple daisy with a rare natural property. It is the story of an ancient discovery passed down through the ages which today is the basis of an advanced agricultural industry. It is the story of high-tech agricultural techniques and subsistence farming being mutually beneficial - of developed world technologies co-existing with African traditions. And it is a story of benefits to many...
