Agriculture and Food

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.

Browse our resources

Teaching Resource (1000.84kB)

Aprendiendo Apicultura. El mundo de las abejas

Si deseas iniciarte en la actividad apícola, en este tríptico te haremos llegar algunos alcances y consejos básicos p...

Manual (5.57MB)

10 pasos para un cacao de calidad

El presente manual reúne un conjunto de prácticas y recomendaciones técnicas que busca brindar asistencia y apoyo for...

Book (6.11MB)

Bloques nutricionales, una alternativa resiliente en época de estiaje

La cartilla busca informar, capacitar y complementar una caja de herramientas útil y de fácil accesibilidad a los bene...

Article (599.39kB)

Effects of cassava peel mash on chemical composition, nutrient intake, and rumen environment parameters of West African dwarf rams supplemented with dried Ficus thonningii foliage

The study evaluated effects of feeding cassava peel mash (CPM) supplemented with dried foliage of Ficus thonningii (DFF)...

Article (900.38kB)

Being realistic about the contribution of private businesses to public nutrition objectives

This article concerns the role of the state and the private sector in addressing Sustainable Development Goal 2, which i...

Article (480.24kB)

COVID-19, seed security and social differentiation: when it rains, it pours

Food security and seed security are closely linked, especially for poor smallholders in developing countries. The impact...

Book (6.63MB)

Buenas prácticas para el cultivo de hortalizas en ambientes atemperados y en campo abierto

Esta cartilla rescata buenas prácticas para la producción de hortalizas en ambientes atemperados y en campo abierto co...

Infographic (90.95kB)

Curso de Emprende tu Negocio y Marketing Digital

Curso de Emprende tu Negocio y Marketing Digital – Joddy y el Proyecto Jóvenes y Turismo ejecutado por Practical Acti...

Infographic (307.33kB)

Convocatoria I Curso de formación “GESTORES EN TURISMO SOSTENIBLE” del destino JUSTIFICACIÓN Rurrenabaque: Madidi - Pampas

Practical Action (Soluciones Prácticas) ejecuta el proyecto “Creando oportunidades de empleo para jóvenes a través...

Video (93.85kB)

Managing tomato late blight

Late blight is caused by moulds that survive in the soil and in residues of crops that had the disease. As the disease s...

Infographic (1.86MB)

Boletín informativo proyecto: Aplicación de tecnologías ancestrales para el control de la sedimentación en fuente

El proyecto piloto es implementado por Practical Action (Soluciones Prácticas) con el financiamiento del Programa de la...

Book (659.69kB)

Decidiendo Nuestro futuro: Agua para todos

El segundo reporte da a conocer la problemática del acceso al agua, de manera global como local, expone instituciones, ...

Article (1.15MB)

Gestión de Riesgos de Desastres

El tercero reporte muestra la gestión de riesgos, las amenazas a las que esta expuesta Ixiamas y como la gestión terr...

Book (2.03MB)

Medio Ambiente y gestión territorial

El cuarto relata la gestión ambiental de Ixiamas y la gran importancia de la misma, considerando el paisaje tan biodive...

Magazine (742.17kB)

Guía para la implementación de infraestructura de datos

La guía busca replicar una metodología para la implementación de Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales (IDE) en context...

Book (19.94MB)

Decidiendo nuestro futuro: gestión sostenible de las áreas protegidas municipales de Ixiamas con enfoque territorial para el desarrollo local

Sistematización de los resultados y buenas prácticas del proyecto "Decidiendo nuestro futuro" implementado, entre 2018...

Policy Paper (4.86MB)

Normativas sociales para el sector cafetalero del municipio de Caranavi

El presente documento es un compendio de las normativas sociales para el sector cafetalero impulsadas por el Gobierno Au...

Infographic (3.91MB)

Heno fortificado suplemento nutricional para ganado bovino y ovino

Este alimento sirve para suplementar principalmente al ganado bovino y ovino en etapa de producción de leche, con el ob...

Book (33.38MB)

Producimos para Vivir Bien: Una mirada a la producción ecológica en Bolivia desde la sociedad civil

Sistematización del proyecto Producimos para vivir bien que fue implementado de 2017 a 2020 por la AOPEB y Practical A...

Presentation (229.95kB)

Análisis del contexto municipal frente al COVID - 19

Presentación realizada en el evento: Diálogo nacional para el fortalecimiento y reactivación productiva agroecológic...

LOAD MORE

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