May Muthuri
Starting small, thinking big: seven ingredients that help smart agriculture thrive
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 climate change, manage their natural resources […] Continue Reading
While raising crop yields, African thorn tree Faidherbia albida captures large amounts of carbon
A large, old Faidherbia albida tree with a metre-plus diameter stored the equivalent of the CO2 emitted by 8 cars over one year. These useful trees play an important role in carbon sequestration, a critical part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. People in many areas of Africa gain […] Continue Reading
A game changer: learning and adapting to climate change in Ghana
Can a boardgame simulate reality in how farmers adapt to a changing climate as well as inspire social learning? Scientists from the University of Bonn, Germany and Kwara State University, Nigeria have used a role playing game to gain useful insights into strategies used by farmers in semiarid Ghana to cope with increasing climatic variability. […] Continue Reading
Using Agroforestry to save the planet
Agroforestry—the use of trees in farming—benefits both farmers and the environment. According to a recent report by Biodiversity International, the Center for International Forestry Research, the World Agroforestry Centre, and Charles Sturt University, forests contribute to the livelihoods of more than 1.6 billion people. Yet, 30 percent of the world’s forests are used primarily for the production of wood […] Continue Reading
Can superfoods boost the planet’s health, too?
It can seem like new health food fads pop up every week — fads that often fade as quickly as they appear. Two gaining steam lately, though, may be worth a longer look: baobab and moringa. Traditional fare in parts of Africa (and for moringa, Asia as well), these foods offer the potential not only […] Continue Reading
East African farmers rewarded for letting grass grow under their feet
Stephen Tumhaire rakes through the knee-high grass in his field to get rid of fallen tree branches that might stop the grass from growing. Sweat shines on his face, and he repeatedly mops it with his palm. In 1972, Tumhaire’s grandfather moved from the west of Uganda to the central Nakasongola district, a once sparsely […] Continue Reading