AgriCultures newsletter - July 2011
| Learning AgriCultures | "Insights from sustainable small-scale farming" |
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Our educational series, "Learning Agricultures", is now complete. This set of modules is suitable for educators and teachers at universities and vocational schools who are aiming at a comprehensive course on sustainable small-scale agriculture. The seven modules of the series covers the following themes: Interested in the Learning AgriCultures series? Find out more here. |
| Debate | Are GMOs really necessary? |
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The use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is a controversial subject, and one about which much is being said. Do GMOs help us solve the problems related to agriculture and food? Can small-scale farmers benefit from this technology? Read the ten reasons given by Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, to refuse this technology, and also the points that Dario Bressanini, Research Professor in Theoretical Chemistry, presents against his position. What do you think? Join our debate! |
| Out now | Farming Matters - Trees and farming |
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Recent studies have shown that the application of agroforestry principles – simply said, an integrated system with trees, non-tree crops and/or animals in the same piece of land – has enormous advantages. This approach, which in some cases can even double yields, is not only convenient for farmers who adopt it, but also respectful for the natural environment. This explain why an organization like ROPPA, African network of peasants and farmers, struggles to spread and make the adoption of agroforestry in western Africa possible. ROPPA's support for this approach is not an isolated case. As the articles in this issue point out (reporting several experiences worldwide), the interest in agroforestry is more and more widespread. Read about the work of TREES in Brazil, or about the Wanakaset concept in Thailand. |
| Farmers and markets | IIED's "Provocative Seminars" |
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Is a market-based development approach suitable for small-scale agriculture? The first series of “provocative seminars” organized by IIED, Hivos and other partner institutions such ILEIA, have come to an end. Having started last September in The Hague (The Netherlands), the “provocation” – challenging the common view that smallholders are not competitive in a market-based system – travelled around Europe, touching Stockholm (Sweden), Paris (France), Manchester (UK), and finally Brussels (Belgium), in June 2011. This was covered in the three latest issues of our magazine, where we also included an interview with Bill Vorley, co-ordinator of the “Knowledge Programme on Small Producer Agency in the Globalised Market”. At the moment, further sessions to discuss how small-scale farmers can be included in the market are being considered. More information on the IIED website. |
| Call for articles | Land and land rights |
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Land is a scarce resource. Large-scale land acquisitions by governments and companies – also known as “land grabs” – allow them to secure food supplies or simply make a profit. The current and impending food crises are increasing pressures on the ownership of land and its use for agriculture. What are the implications of this for family farmers? Land grabs cause large scale migration, poverty and conflict – not to mention environmental impacts. Small-scale farmers have little power to farm sustainably if they don’t have control over land: secure access to land is a prerequisite for farmers to invest in sustainable agriculture. Land grabs give rise (directly or indirectly) to other issues, the rights of pastoralists, ethnic or political conflicts, and can also threaten protected areas. The key question is: who has the rights to land, or to determine what happens to it? Deadline: September 1st, 2011. Find out more. |
| Donate | Get involved! |
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The quarterly magazines produced by ILEIA and partners are read in more than 150 countries, and are shared by farmers, extension agents, lecturers, students and policy makers. Help us reach many more readers by making a tax-deductible donation. Support our work by making a donation today. You can also opt for a solidarity subscription. With this option you take a subscription to our global magazine, while at the same time you help us send one or more copies to a reader in the south. |
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