Climate-smart agriculture, including agroforestry and other diversified farming practices, is the future of farming. The world can no longer rely on monocultural, commercial practices to feed the two billion new mouths expected by 2050. While the world is facing a looming food shortage thanks to inadequately preparing for the extra two billion people expected to […]
Climate-smart agriculture, including agroforestry and other diversified farming practices, has huge potential to improve food security and address climate change at the same time. Researchers, policymakers and farmers discuss what should be done to expand such practices and bring greater benefits to more people. The global population is estimated to jump from 7 billion to […]
A private enterprise in São Paulo is demonstrating the viability of large scale organic farming and agroforestry, including on land with highly degraded soils. They’re employing a combination of interventions, sequenced smartly, that are yielding winning results.
Originally published by World Agroforestry Centre. Rural farmers in many parts of the world are already using ‘smart’ agricultural practices like intercropping, agroforestry and rainwater harvesting. But what if those practices benefitted the livelihoods and landscapes of millions more? Climate-smart agriculture, the raft of sustainable agricultural practices designed to help farmers overcome hunger, adapt to […]
The Brazilian agribusiness and forest sectors, aware that the world economy is finding new ways to incorporate carbon into the value equation, have formed an unprecedented alliance, the Brazil Climate, Forest, and Agriculture Coalition (Coalizão Brasil Clima, Florestas e Agricultura). Established in December 2014, the initiative consists of more than 120 sectoral partners—businesses, civil society […]
Most of us would agree that human well-being depends to a large extent on healthy ecosystems and the services they provide. For example, fertile soil enables us to grow food crops, and nutrient cycling in watersheds is needed for water purification to ensure we have clean water to drink. But what role does biodiversity play […]
A shift towards monoculture plantations and higher chemical use is of great concern to many in the Mekong region, particularly due to the impact this is having on food security and health. Farmers who have resisted monoculture cropping, and opted to maintain or create mixed-species agroforestry systems, are benefiting from income and food security and […]
Joseph Zulu never uses the term “climate-smart agriculture,” even as he proudly points out the fertilizer trees he planted between rows of crops on his field in Zambia’s eastern province. But whether he uses the term or not, Zulu is a wonderful example of how climate-smart agriculture can be incorporated into traditional farming environments. Fertilizer […]
People love chocolate. Last year’s global consumption of this delicious and timeless treat was approximately 8 million tonnes, as more and more people can afford it. In particular, demand is rising sharply in in the new middle classes of China and India. The chocolate industry is highly competitive with global players dominating the market. For […]
Land restoration is a key theme at the 2015 Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), the biggest side-event of the climate change negotiations in Paris in December. The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is hosting a discussion on the role agroforestry can play in restoring landscapes. The following is an interview with session organizer Henry Neufeldt, Head […]
Researchers outline the current state of climate-smart agriculture in West Africa. Agriculture plays a key role in the economic development of West African countries. By directly providing employment and income to about 70% of the population, agriculture is the engine of West African economies. It is also the backbone of food security for rural and […]
