Browse solutions

As a result of population growth and changing diets, the demand for meat and milk is rising quickly in East and Southern Africa. This increase presents new opportunities for livestock producers but also means increased greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the climate-smart dairy system is to improve forages and feeding strategies that increase the incomes and resilience of smallholder farmers.

By introducing the Juncao species of grass in Fiji, the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University enabled smallholder farmers to greatly improve their incomes. Juncao can be used as feed for livestock during dry seasons and as a medium for cultivating edible and medicinal mushrooms.

A low-cost tool that measures food dryness

Mechanized raised-bed (MRB) irrigation is a field-configuration technology that enhances water use efficiency in dryland conditions. This technology, along with improved crop varieties and agronomic practices, is part of a MRB production package that improves farm productivity and income. For wheat in Egypt, MRB led to an average 25 percent increase in yield, more than 60 percent increase in water productivity and about 20 percent in farming cost reduction.

When properly managed, conservation agriculture can benefit both farmers and the environment. Conservation agriculture refers to the use of technologies and practices that enhance crop productivity while improving resource-use efficiency and soil health. As an alternative to conventional tillage for rainfed drylands, it not only saves time and labour, but also conserves water and nutrients in the soil to make crop production more resilient to climate change.

The reproductive platform aims to establish low-cost, low-infrastructure reproductive laboratories that transform breeding programs in Ethiopia by enhancing the management of reproductive cycles and genetic improvements to popular sheep and goat breeds. It reduces the risk that potentially unsuitable rams would be used for breeding and provides communities with new business opportunities.

The Sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM) toolkit, tested in Tunisia, lays out a scalable, holistic and multidisciplinary approach for addressing the biophysical and socio-economic trade-offs among different land uses. The toolkit helps communities, policymakers and development actors apply key sustainable rangeland management practices to targeted regions. It can play a major role in achieving a neutral level of land degradation, increased forage production and enhanced ecosystem services.

Circular farming project harnesses challenging geography and reduces poverty in mountainous area

Building food security with an agribusiness e-finance system.

Helping hard-to-reach smallholder famers improve household food security and generate income.

Collective planning and action results in more ownership, better skills and higher incomes.

Char land formed by rivers and tides provides a chance of security and income for landless people.

Tackling malnutrition through knowledge sharing and practical demonstrations among farmers

Sustainable, export-oriented small businesses to produce cashmere, mohair and wool.

SMS and radio shows introduced productivity-enhancing technologies to 2 million farmers.

Improving soil fertility and combating flood damage through bocage agroforestry.

Giving entrepreneurs the skills and tools to build their ideas into businesses.

Local and international groups collaborate to restore a tradition of outstanding coffee.

Group-based support project helped new char-area residents build social capital.

Adding female voices to agricultural radio programmes empowered communities in Africa.