Agriculture and Food

More of the world’s people rely on agriculture for their survival than any other livelihood. Yet three quarters of the world’s poorest people are farmers, confirming that agriculture simply isn’t working for the vast majority of them.

Many lives around the world are dependent on agriculture, making it one of the biggest industries for both small and large-scale employment. Our collection of agriculture and food related resources offer sustainable and ingenious alternatives to intensive agriculture, with the potential to transform the lives of millions of families. These practices and findings are based on the research and experiences of small-scale agricultural practitioners working on projects with Practical Action and our partner organizations.

Agriculture is by far the biggest business of the world. Most production is carried out on a small-scale, providing a livelihood for almost 40% of the world’s population (FAO 2009), and 80% of people in the countries which Practical Action work in. For those farmers in poorer regions with little income or natural resources, and thus vulnerable to unforeseen setbacks, farming methods can be improved without relying on large amounts of external financial assistance. We will look at some of the options here, such as cooperative activities and appropriate financial arrangements like micro financing. Findings are based on the research and experiences of small-scale agricultural practice by Practical Action and other organisations.

Further Information

Policy Documents

Please visit our Policy Site to find our policy related documents.

Publications

Practical Action Publishing produces books, journals and catalogs covering a range of development fields including water and gender issues, agriculture and health. It aims to provide academic information and support to where it is needed most in the world.

Beating Hunger, The Chivi Experience
This book describes a project among small-scale farmers in the drought-prone and arid communal lands of Zimbabwe which, within the broad remit of promoting food security, helped the farmers identify their problems and choose their own solutions to them.

Sustainable Mountain Agriculture 1
This volume considers: mountain agricultural development strategies, farmers’ response to development efforts, farming-forestry-livestock linkages, biological diversity, agro-ecosystems, and geographic information systems.

Sustainable Mountain Agriculture 2
This volume considers: farmers innovations and agricultural technologies, diversity of farming systems in mountain regions, indigenous farming technologies, irrigation systems, agroforestry, rural development, and mountain agricultural technology development and diffusion.

External Resources

CCAFS – CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. • Conservation agriculture: Implementation guidance for policymakers and investors • Farmer-managed natural regeneration: how to regenerate pasture and farmland on a low budget • Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Practices for Climate Change Mitigation. • Regional Agricultural Forecasting Toolbox (CRAFT).

Agromisa
www.agromisa.org
Agromisa aims to strengthen self-reliance of the rural populations in the South.
• Marketing for small-scale producers
• Marketing for small-scale producers PDF
• Entering the organic export market
• Entering the organic export market PDF
• Starting a cooperative
•Starting a cooperative PDF
• The rural finance landscape
• The rural finance landscape PDF

Access Agriculture
www.Agtube.org
Agtube is an initiative of Access Agriculture www.accessagriculture.org, an international NGO that encourages the use of training videos to help farmers, pastoralists and rural businesses to improve their profits and livelihoods. Those with an interest in sustainable agriculture around the world can upload and share video clips in any language.

TECA
teca.fao.org
TECA is a platform where you can find practical information – agricultural technologies and practices – to help small producers in the field. In addition, you can interact with people with similar interests and discuss sustainable solutions for your work in our online forums – or Exchange Groups.

African Farming and Food Processing
http://www.africanfarming.net/
A magazine for the agricultural and primary food processing industries distributed throughout English-speaking Africa.

AMA – Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America Farm Machinery Industrial Research
http://www.shin-norin.co.jp/english/07.html ttp://www.shin-norin.co.jp/english/16.html back issues
An international English magazine publishing the papers written about the ways to develop the agriculture in developing countries.

TEEAL – The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library
http://www.teeal.org/
TEEAL is a digital collection of research journals for agriculture and related sciences with thousands of full-text PDF articles available without the use of the internet to institutions in income-eligible countries. TEEAL is a project of Cornell University’s Albert R. Mann Library in cooperation with over 50 major scientific publishers, societies, and index providers. The project is administered through the Service and Collections Department of Albert R. Mann Library The Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA), formerly the TEEAL Africa Office, conducts awareness and training missions throughout Africa.

Conservation Farming Unit
http://conservationagriculture.org/
The Conservation Farming Unit (CFU) is an independent organization registered under the Societies Act of Zambia associated with the Zambia National Farmers Union focused on supporting African farmers to convert to more efficient farming practices that protect their soils and the environments in which the live? Conservation agriculture, also known as No-till farming , zero tillage or direct drilling, is a way of growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage in order to increase water infiltration and retention of organic matter.

Handbooks
• Herbicide Information Booklet 2014.pptx
• Werner Planter Guidelines for Use – Nov.12.pptx
• ADP MIN-TILL RIPPING FARMERS GUIDE.pdf
• CONVENTIONAL & CA FARMING SYSTEMS IN ESA.pdf

Technical Leaflets
• CF Hoe Land Preperation & Basals 2012.pdf
• CF Hoe Seeding2012.pdf
• CF Ox Basals & Seeding 2012.pdf
• CF Ox Land Preperation 2012.pdf
• CFU Herbicide leaflet October 2010.pdf
• Gapping Cotton & Top Dressing Maize 2007.pdf
• Planting Improved Cassava 2012.pdf
• Sowing & Transplanting Faidherbia 2012.pdf

African Book Collective
http://www.africanbookscollective.com
African Books Collective, founded, owned and governed by African publishers, seeks to strengthen indigenous African publishing through collective action and to increase the visibility and accessibility of the wealth of African scholarship and culture.

• The Greening of Africa
Breaking Through in the Battle for Land and Food
Paul Harrison

Farmforce

Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. mobile farming traceability / food safety software for managing small scale farmers and large scale farming with clients in Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali , Philippines, Thailand, Guatemala. Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture P.O Box 30393 – Matumbato Road, Upperhill Nairobi