Copying the West
Dyeing drylands
Save the soil
Worm wonder
Vermicompost has changed fortunes of farmers in a drought-prone Karnataka district
Market hand
Fantastic beasts: How the industrial use of animals in Chinese medicine began
Mao’s Bestiary is a revisionist historical account of the animal drug industry in Mao’s China that also gives context to the current …
75% of world’s seeds are preserved by small farmers, mostly women
Women produce more than half of all the food grown globally and yet they lack access to resources, knowledge and market, all of which can affect …
Speciality rice varieties of Kerala are storehouse of nutrition: study
Rice can be a vital source of nutrition if some of the nutritious varieties of rice traditionally grown can be popularised
Soil fertility is not the only measure of soil health
At the ongoing International Permaculture Convergence, experts discussed how the modern farming system has destroyed soil health
Agricultural biotechnologies necessary to defeat hunger, poverty in Asia-Pacific
The United Nations food agency is urging Asia-Pacific countries to consider both low-tech and high-tech solutions present in the biotechnology toolbox
Recognising the role of pastoralists in agrarian development
The farmer-herder relationship of mutual benefit and care is threatened by commercialisation of agriculture
Africa’s drylands are getting more support. How to make the most of this
The UN recently launched the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide
Understanding zoonotic diseases: ‘Humans tend to be naive to emerging viruses’
Population growth, rapid urbanisation and climate change are leading to the increase in new viruses, says Pranav Pandit, veterinary epidemiologist,…
Rising demand for coffee can create economic rift with poorer nations
Mass production has created harsher economic and ecological conditions in major coffee-growing nations
Wild blood fruit, a source of natural red colourant, may be domesticated
This will be done to conserve the critically endangered fruit after it was indiscriminately harvested from natural forests
17 million missing: Climate change, government policies could deal lethal blow to Indian dairy sector
In India, dairy is a source of sustenance for millions of small-scale and marginal farmers and consumers. Any decision on it should be scientific
Solutions at intersection of traditional knowledge & technology can help rural farmers
With the onset of climate change, monsoon has grown irregular and arrives later with every passing year, worsening the declining water table and …
Harness silvopasture systems for local climate resilience
Silvopasture systems buffer against temperature and wind extremes, providing a favourable living environment for livestock
Why we need to look beyond the farm to achieve sustainability in agri-food systems
Time is ripe to start focusing on the whole agricultural value chain to tackle the three-fold challenges of rural livelihoods, climate adaptation …
Farmers face a soaring risk of flash droughts in every major food-growing region in coming decades, new research shows
One way to help agriculture adapt to the rising risk is to improve forecasts for rainfall and temperature
Assamese villagers become trailblazers in adaptive agriculture
From seed banks to rainwater harvesting, one village on the Brahmaputra has spread innovative agriculture through the region – as farmers …
India has the highest number of organic farmers globally, but most of them are struggling
Poor policy measures, rising input costs and limited market are affecting growth of organic farming in the country
Training villagers in organic farming
Despite the general reluctance of farmers to adopt organic farming, one village in Tamil Nadu is using these techniques successfully.
Realising the virtues of organic farming
Several organisations, at home and abroad, are promoting organic farming as a method of food production that is both ecologically and socially …
Criollo: This breed of cattle developed in the New World can withstand climate change, say Irish scientists
Descended from Iberian cattle brought by Spanish colonists to the Americas, the Criollo has a myriad of climate-adaptive traits
