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.

Sustainable agriculture’s climate mitigation potential

A new report written for Greenpeace by Professor Pete Smith from the University of Aberdeen, a lead author on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, examines the direct and indirect impacts of agriculture on climate change. […]

Push-pull’ strategy successfully controls pests, weeds

Research published online recently demonstrates the benefits of using ‘push-pull’ approaches for controlling insect pests and weeds. […]

Compost Sharply Increases Crop Yields in Tigray, Ethiopia

Data collected in 2002-2004 from a farming project in Tigray, Ethiopia showed that, on average, composted fields gave higher yields, sometimes double, than those treated with chemical fertilizers. […]

Organic Agriculture Can Feed the World and More

Dr Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute of Science in Society analyses the findings by scientists from the University of Michigan who reported that organic agriculture has the potential to contribute substantially to feeding the world. […]

Organic agriculture helps adaptation to climate change

An FAO paper which explores the potential of organic agriculture in increasing resilience within the agroecosystem to cope with unexpected events such as climate change. […]

Energy use in organic agriculture

An FAO paper published in August 2007 analysing energy use in organic agriculture, in comparison with conventional agriculture. […]

Mitigating climate change through organic agriculture

The article from the Institute of Science in Society, UK examines the potential of organic agriculture in mitigating climate change. […]

Organic Food is More Nutritious

Early results of EU-funded research have indicated that organic fruit and vegetables contain 40% more antioxidants compared to non-organic foodstuffs. […]

UN rapporteur urges 5-year biofuel moratorium

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, has called for a 5-year moratorium on biofuel production using current methods. […]

Organic agriculture and the global food supply

This study has found that organic agriculture has the potential to contribute substantially to the global food supply […]