While interest is generated over new and emerging technologies, there is a diversity of knowledge, technologies and practices in agriculture, health care, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem management. Many of these support the livelihoods of small farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples and local entrepreneurs affecting millions of people and communities across the world, especially in developing countries. In many cases, national industries have developed from traditional knowledge and endogenous technologies.There are thus vast potential and promises in these sustainable systems and practices, requiring investment and mainstreaming into development policies at the national, regional and international level. A holistic approach to technology assessment and choice would develop sophisticated principles, criteria and indicators that enable countries to benefit from sustainable production and conservation systems.

Organic Agriculture Addressing Climate Change and Food Security

IFOAM and IFOAM EU Group argue that organic agriculture has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and food security. […]

Organic Agriculture for Biodiversity and Pest Control

A paper in the journal Nature provides evidence that organic farming promotes evenness among natural enemy species, a measure of biodiversity. […]

Organic Farming Gives Indian Farmers Greater Financial Security

This report finds that organic cotton farming that include practicing crop diversity can be more profitable than merely growing GM cotton. […]

Reducing Global Warming Through Organic Agriculture

Two research institutions argues that organic agriculture can help farmers adapt to climate change. […]

Ecological Food Provision for the Future

A new report from the UK Food Group points to the need for a radical shift towards more ecological and equitable food provision. […]

Organic Agriculture and Climate Change

This paper makes the case for good agricultural management via organic agriculture practices that can compensate for most of the agriculture sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. […]

Research Shows Organic Yields Can Equal or Exceed Conventional

A 12-year experiment in the United States has shown that organic yields are improving and sometimes exceeding conventional yields. […]

Tropical Small Family Farms Can Feed the Hungry and Preserve Biodiversity

Small-scale family farms that adopt sustainable agricultural techniques are more likely to preserve biodiversity in the tropics, which are facing massive deforestation, as well as address food security. This article reports on this research. […]

Sustainable Smallholder Agriculture Key to Tackling Hunger

A briefing from ActionAid UK’s Hunger Free Campaign highlights how sustainable smallholder agriculture offers a key solution to tackling hunger, while addressing poverty and climate change issues. […]

Organic Farming Raises Soil Carbon Levels

Research from the Soil Association in the UK underlines the importance of organic farming for carbon sequestration, hence mitigating agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. […]