Title of document: The Farming Systems Trial   Authors: Rodale Institute   Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Rodale Institute Year of publication: Geographic focus: Global Url original document: www.rodaleinstitute.org Summary: The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to generate itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy soil, since it is a foundation for present and future growth. Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it comes to building, maintaining and replenishing the health of soil. For soil health alone, organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional. When one also considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health, it is clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional practices are not.   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology: A global Paradigm to Challenges Mainstreams Industrial Agriculture   Authors: Hector Valenzuela Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Horticulturae Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Global Url original document: www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae Summary: Considerable controversy continues to exist in scientific and policy circles about how to tackle issues of global hunger, malnutrition, and rural economic decline, as well as environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation. On the one hand, powerful vested interests, with close ties to government, media, and academic institutions, propose high input technology-based solutions, speculative and neoliberal « market-based » solutions, and export-oriented agricultural models. On the other hand, an international scientific and grassroots Food Movement has emerged, calling for a redesign of Global Food System in support of small-scale agroecological farming systems.   Read More

Title of document: Farmer Field School Guidance Document: Planning for quality programmes   Authors: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Global Url original document: https://www.google.la/?gws_rd=cr&ei=wzpZV9G3Cp6UvQTSr6CwAQ#q=Farmer+Field+School+Guidance+Document:+Planning+for+quality+programmes+ Summary: Every day we learn more about the global challenges facing food production : global warming, extreme weather, intercontinental invasions by pests and diseases, land degradation and water loss from over-exploitation, and price volatility. Farming, fishing and agroforestry systems are becoming more complex, but we are also learning how local agro-ecosystems provide the underlying services - soil nutrient cycling, pest and dideases regulation, water capture and storage, pollination, genetic resources conservation, coastal protection for aquatic species and from storms that enable farmers to adapt to those challenges.   Read More

Title of document: Multiple pathways: Case studies of sustainable agriculture in china   Authors: Qiao Yuhui, Qi Gubo, Seth Cook, Lila Buckley, Song Yiching, Zhang Yanyan, Zhang Li, He Xueqing, Friederike Martin, Yue Shizong and Wang Zhen. Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: IIED Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: China Url original document: http://pubs.iied.org/17579IIED Summary: Chinese agriculture currently faces major environmental challenges. China’s applications of fertilizers and pesticides are among the highest in the world, which in turn has negative impacts on human health and environment. Soil erosion and soil pollution are widespread, as is the loss of agricultural biodiversity as high-yielding hybrid crop varieties replace traditional landraces. Water scarcity affects many parts of the country, as evidenced by plummeting water tables in northern China. Meanwhile, food safety risks – exemplified by a series of well-publicized incidents such as the 2008 milk-melamine scandal are a source of great public anxiety.   Read More

Title of document: Food and Nutrition Security ATLAS of Lao PDR Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: World Food Programme (WFP); Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Year of publication: 2013 Geographic focus: Lao PDR The Atlas on Food and Nutrition Security in Lao PDR is based on a conceptual framework developed by WFP/VAM. The framework allows for a comprehensive analysis of food and nutrition security by taking into account household livelihood assets and strategies, contextual factors, shocks and hazards.   Read More

Title of document: Lessons from Nature - A guide to Ecological Agriculture in the tropics Authors: Shimpei Murakami Year of publication: 1991 Over millions of years, nature has built up an intricate system of relationship of exchange and mutual dependence among its elements - land, water, air, forest, sunlight and living things - to create what we call the ecosystem. It is the life support system of all living things on this planet and provides not oniy the daily needs but also saves resources for future generations. But this very life support system is endangered by man's aggression against nature. In the last few decades, the aggression has reached unprecedented levels. Blinded by his so-called 'scientific and technological achievements' he believes in 'conquering' nature and that it can be exploited endlessly. This is nothing but arrogance and an excuse for rapacious greed. With all his bragging about science and technology he fails to understand the superior science of nature. Based on this false understanding, man's relationship with nature has turned into one of enmity. But in this war of aggression, man is certainly going to be the loser; he and other living species will face extinction. Already, the signs are foreboding - global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, massive deforestation, advancing deserts, prolonged drought, marauding flooc and apocalyptical cyclones are ravaging many parts of the earth. However, the destruction of the environment is not only the result of man's arrogance of science, but also a result of the way he has organized his society - its economic, social and cultural systems. The economic system encourages monopolization of resources by a few, the social system promotes the acquisition of power by a small minority at the cost of disenfranchising many, and the cultural system advocates greed and reckless consumption in the name of individualism. If sanity does not prevail upon man, then he will soon destroy the environment and with it himself and other living things. For survival, he has to build a society which is based on equitable and sustainable sharing of resources which decentralizes social power and promotes consumption based on need, not on the greed of a few. His technology and science should try to understand the principles and laws of nature and derive sustenance in a sustainable manner by harmoniously blending technology and science with the superior technology and science of nature.   Read More

Title of document: A quantitative and qualitative historical analysis of the scientific discipline of agroecology Authors: A. Wezel; V. Soldat Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Department of Agroecosystems, Environment and Production, ISARA, Lyon, France Year of publication: 2009 Main issues / topics addressed: agroecology, agroecosystem, agronomy, biodiversity, organic farming, rural development, sustainability In general, agroecology deals with different topics and questions related to agricultural production. In the last two decades, the term agroecology has been increasingly used with different meanings (Wezel et al., in press). On the one hand it is used for the scientific discipline of agroecology, that will be the topic of this paper; but, on the other hand the term agroecology is also used in the sense of a movement or as an agricultural practice (Wezel, 2007; Wezel, et al., in press). Environmental movements in the 1960s often emerged in opposition to industrialized agriculture, when public policies did not consider the environmental impact of agriculture, in particular pesticides, or the social aspects of rural development. Initially, the term agroecology was not used explicitly to describe a movement. It was only in the 1990s when the word started to be used in this sense, especially in the USA and in Latin America, to express a new way of considering agriculture and its relationship to society, and its place within it.   Read More

Title of document: Profiles of People’s Organizations In Rural Asia Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ASIADHRRA; AGRITERRA Year of publication: 2002 Geographic focus: Asia This study entitled Profiles of People’s Organizations in Asia under the auspices of AsiaDHRRA and Agriterra covered seven countries: Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. It attempted to do the following: 1. generate a reliable and updated individual profile of selected farmers’ organizations (FOs); 2. identify the issues, problems and needs of these FOs; and 3. consolidate the results of the individual profile and draw a regional sketch of farmers’ organizations and their development needs. Through the study, AsiaDHRRA hopes to provide a guide to rural development stakeholders in their direction setting, program planning, and provision of services to their constituents.   Read More

Title of document: PGS Guidelines – How participatory guarantee systems can develop and function Authors: Christopher May Organism: IFOAM Year of parution: 2008 Link to the original website: http://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/page/files/pgs_guidelines_en_web.pdf Objectives of the document: To give the guidelines of Participatory guarantee systems This document made by IFOAM is the guidelines of participatory guarantee systems. It gives all the elements with concern this system: the basics principles of the PGS, how this system operates, the key features…   Read More

Title of document: Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS): overview and reflections Authors: Flavia Castro Organism: IFOAM Organics International Year of parution: 2015 Objectives of the document: To present the PGS, its historic, its operation, its strengths and challenges. Geographical region: in part Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) This document brings informations about PGS: definition, history, repartition around the world, how this guarantee system works, his strengths and challenges. After this general presentation about this system, this presentation gives details about PGS in the GMS.   Read More