Knowledge Management Portal

There is a need to address gender inequalities in agri-food systems governance to close the gender gap and improve women's agency and participation in the agri-food sector. Women often face barriers to expressing their voices and exercising their agency in agri-food systems due to a lack of education and knowledge, which limits their ability to adopt and implement new farming techniques for improved yields. Moreso, women are often underrepresented in decision-making processes and leadership roles, which can lead to policies and solutions that do not adequately address their needs and interests. In addition, societal norms and cultural restrictions often limit women's mobility and interactions with men, hindering their participation in productive meetings and decision-making processes. Furthermore, gendered roles and tasks can disincentivize women's involvement in agri-food systems, and traditional practices often favor men in terms of owning agricultural assets such as land. To overcome these barriers, practical approaches such as the diffusion of gender-sensitive technological innovations and the development of women's leadership skills through training can be effective in supporting women's agency in climate-related AFS governance.

Tutorial video for smallholder farmers on how to select rams for fattening

Biological Fixation of Sloping Land Using Sulla Crop, El Rhahla – Siliana, Northwestern Tunisia.

A report of a participatory varietal evaluation by farmers for food-feed traits of barley in North Shewa, Ethiopia.

Over the last six decades, there has been an unsatisfactory gain in pulse productivity in India, which is a severe threat to resilient livelihoods and the overall food and nutritional security of the country. Despite the launch of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 2010, the initiative also failed to reach its target of increasing cereal and pulse production by at least 20 million tons by 2012. In the same year, the International Centre for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) began to implement a multi-disciplinary project with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) to enhance lentil productivity under rice-based cropping systems in West Bengal, India. The project provided farmers with improved technologies, including 19 improved lentil varieties, and a package of agronomic practices to farmers. This working paper documents the major constraints lentil growers faced in adopting ICARDA’s improved lentil varieties, and increasing their knowledge, skills and good practices. It also outlines key findings about lentil prices and market dynamics at various stages of marketing, and assesses the lentil seed system. Finally, the paper provides suitable policy recommendations and identifies strategic actions to enhance the adoption and scalability of ICARDA’s improved lentil varieties in West Bengal to boost farmers’ productivity.

Tutorial video for smallholder farmers on feeds and feeding management for sheep fattening.

Mechanization covers all field works in agriculture, including processing technologies; it can be started from hand tools to more sophisticated and motorized agricultural machinery. Uzbekistan’s agriculture is one of the sectors of the economy which is the most regulated by the state. The markets for many types of agricultural products and production resources and services for the sector are not well developed. Hence this sector is in desperate need of reform. Modern agriculture requires a wide range of technology, knowledge, and skills used by farmers and agri businesses, from operating modern machinery and equipment in open fields and greenhouses to maintaining minimum safety, hygiene, and quality standards in all stages of production, harvesting, post-harvesting, processing, and marketing. Today, agricultural enterprises have a total of 255,586 units of mainly 20 different types of agricultural machinery. 65% of available agricultural machinery is concentrated in commercial companies that provide agricultural machines for fieldwork during crop growing season, 8% in newly established clusters, while 27% belongs to farms and Shirkat farms. This report discusses challenges faced in the machinery sector and technology infrastructure, including technical training, machinery dealer support, repair and maintenance, and suggestions for the future.

Report on small-scale mechanization and ICT opportunities for SI-MFS and Sapling initiative in Ethiopia