Farming Matters magazine

Since 1984, knowledge and information on small-scale agriculture for a sustainable world. Every quarter. Three hundred thousand readers. 172 countries.

Insects cover

COMING UP ...
Our love/hate relationship with insects

Insects pollinate crops and work as natural predators in the field. Yet insects often have a negative reputation in agriculture, and billions of dollars are spent every year fighting them. The use of pesticides, a loss of habitats, the cultivation of exogenous species, all provide potential threats for insect populations: their effect is seen in, for example, the decline of bee populations. What are the implications of this for family farmers? Can they contribute to efforts restore insect populations?

Our March edition looks at these issues, focusing on the many ways in which small-scale farmers benefit from insects, and on the steps they take in order to increase these benefits.

(in the meantime) Read more about insects | bees | pests | pollination | integrated pest management

Regular sections


Opinion Eric Holt-Gimenez, (Food First); Peter Gubbels (Groundswell International); Francisco Caporal (ANA Brasil); ... Read more	Interviews Madiodio Niasse (International Land Coalition); Lois Englberger (Let's Go Local campaign); ... Read more	Farmers in focus Small-scale farmers feed the world. Who are they? Meet Ibu Nasah (Indonesia); Orlando Soares Correia (Brazil); ... Read more	Learning about Center for Women's Land Rights (Landesa); International Society for Ecology and Culture; ... Read more	Agrobiodiversity Agrobiodiversity @knowledge is a new program started by Hivos and Oxfam Novib. Read more