Agro-forestry is a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. Agro-forestry is a dynamic, ecologically-based, natural resource management practice that,…
Conservation Agriculture (CA) is an agro-ecosystems management approach aimed at improving and sustaining agricultural productivity, increasing profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment. CA is characterised by three interrelated principles.
Integrated agriculture provides high quality food and other products by using natural resources and regulating mechanisms rather than polluting chemical inputs to secure sustainable farming. The agronomic techniques and biological / physical / chemical methods are carefully selected and balanced taking into account the health of people (i.e. farmers and…
This section addresses integrated farming approaches that have been promoted as alternatives to Green Revolution agriculture since the 1990s for self-sufficient farming. The New Theory farming system in Thailand and the VAC system in Vietnam (VAC in Vietnamese is Vuon, Ao, Chuong which means “garden/pond/ livestock pen”) consist in highly…
Organic agriculture aims at sustaining the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and natural cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of chemical inputs with potentially adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote…
The System of Rice Intensification, known as SRI is an agro-ecological approach for increasing rice productivity (and more recently other crops) by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients.
ALiSEA Online Library contains a wide range of agro-ecology’s documents: backgrounds, case Studies and initiatives fact sheets, presentations, policy documents, toolkits and IEC Materials. All documents are searchable via their Agro-ecological School(s), country, or type. Access now.
Have you noticed that you are now washing your hands more properly than the last year? It is an important yet unique opportunity on the second observance of World Food Safety Day that we all have a chance to reflect how our continuous and new food safety actions could fit into the “new normal” era. Over the last few decades, a substantial amount of efforts have been made to improve our food safety systems in Asia and the Pacific. Consumers are more aware of food safety and quality, demanding better and safer food. Many governments have been introducing modernized food control systems and improving the practical implementation and enforcement measures. Industries are recognizing new trends in people’s food habits, and the importance of self-checking on food safety practices has become very important. Innovative technologies and techniques are researched and invented to make our food safer. Fake news is everywhere and provision of accurate information has become extremely important. Many stakeholders have spent many years and lots of money to improve food safety in countries in the region, but why do we still have many shortcomings? And what priority food safety issues should we tackle in the coming years? On the occasion of World Food Safety Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization […]
Cr: LaoFAB moderator Around 30 percent of Vientiane clean agriculture production has been impacted adversely by the COVID-19 outbreak as well as hotter weather conditions, an official in the sector said. Head of Vientiane Organic Agriculture Production Group, Mr. Khamphou Phanthaboun told the media recently the group has 288 families producing for markets, and 30 percent of their production has been affected by the more difficult growing and selling conditions. The local organic markets usually sold an average of eight to nine tonnes of produce every Saturday, but the coronavirus pandemic meant that fewer customers were attending, he said. source: VT Times Food security concerns mount as COVID-19, as well as hotter weather and Thunderstorm conditions disruption leaves Laos farmers unable to plant. We have a chance to visited the organic market Last Saturday, they usually open on Wednesday and Saturday at the ITECC but there are also many places in Vientiane and in other provincial. Many fresh and processed products are waiting for you to buy, if you have an opportunity please support local farmers’ markets, support farmers for food security. Some photos from the organic market in Vientiane, at LaoITECC. LaoFAB Facebook. There are many local farmers markets around […]
A new FAO partnership established with The United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (UNTB) supports the delivery of new online training activities to enhance the access and understanding of the knowledge platforms, AGORA and Research4Life. What is AGORA/Research4Life: Since 2003 FAO has led AGORA, a knowledge platform that provides free or low-cost access to major scientific journals and books on food and agriculture to public institutions in the lower-income countries. AGORA, through the five Research4Life programmes, provides access to almost 100,000 leading journals and books in the fields of health, agriculture, the environment, and applied sciences. More than 9,000 institutions in over 120 low- and middle-income countries are benefiting from free or low-cost online access from AGORA. Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): With the joint objective to enhance the access to recent scientific knowledge, UNTB and FAO will run two editions of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled: “Research4Life Online Training Tools to develop capacities in information use, scholarly communication and information management in least developed countries”. The MOOC follows a modular structure, which allows participants to study their area of interest throughout a five-week period. The course covers topics relevant across all Research4Life programmes, such as the scholarly communication landscape, […]
