Title of document: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook, Improving livelihoods in the Uplands of Lao PDR, Vol 2, Lao Authors: Bandith Ramangkoun, Michael Victor Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: NAFRI, NAFES, NUoL Year of publication: 2004 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Summary: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook was developed in order to provide field level extension workers, educators and students better access to the wealth of information and experiences in Uplands resource management in Lao PDR. The sourcebook includes 68 articles of best practices, lessons learned, and experiences gained by those working in the uplands. It is intended to provide field workers (provincial and district level staff ) with practical, easy to understand ways to solve problems facing upland development. The compilation can serve as a rich source of ideas and reference materials for trainers. It might also be useful to educators, policy makers, local officials and administrators. While the articles within the sourcebook can be further adapted to create community-based materials, the sourcebook as such is not meant for direct use with farmers or community groups.   Read More

Title of document: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook, Improving livelihoods in the Uplands of Lao PDR, Vol 1, Lao Authors: Bandith Ramangkoun, Michael Victor Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: NAFRI, NAFES, NUoL Year of publication: 2004 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Summary: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook was developed in order to provide field level extension workers, educators and students better access to the wealth of information and experiences in Uplands resource management in Lao PDR. The sourcebook includes 68 articles of best practices, lessons learned, and experiences gained by those working in the uplands. It is intended to provide field workers (provincial and district level staff ) with practical, easy to understand ways to solve problems facing upland development. The compilation can serve as a rich source of ideas and reference materials for trainers. It might also be useful to educators, policy makers, local officials and administrators. While the articles within the sourcebook can be further adapted to create community-based materials, the sourcebook as such is not meant for direct use with farmers or community groups.   Read More

Title of document: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook, Improving livelihoods in the Uplands of Lao PDR, Vol 2, ENG Authors: Bandith Ramangkoun, Michael Victor Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: NAFRI, NAFES, NUoL Year of publication: 2004 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Summary: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook was developed in order to provide field level extension workers, educators and students better access to the wealth of information and experiences in Uplands resource management in Lao PDR. The sourcebook includes 68 articles of best practices, lessons learned, and experiences gained by those working in the uplands. It is intended to provide field workers (provincial and district level staff ) with practical, easy to understand ways to solve problems facing upland development. The compilation can serve as a rich source of ideas and reference materials for trainers. It might also be useful to educators, policy makers, local officials and administrators. While the articles within the sourcebook can be further adapted to create community-based materials, the sourcebook as such is not meant for direct use with farmers or community groups.   Read More

Title of document: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook, Improving livelihoods in the Uplands of Lao PDR Authors: Bandith Ramangkoun, Michael Victor Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: NAFRI, NAFES, NUoL Year of publication: 2004 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Summary: The Lao Uplands Sourcebook was developed in order to provide field level extension workers, educators and students better access to the wealth of information and experiences in Uplands resource management in Lao PDR. The sourcebook includes 68 articles of best practices, lessons learned, and experiences gained by those working in the uplands. It is intended to provide field workers (provincial and district level staff ) with practical, easy to understand ways to solve problems facing upland development. The compilation can serve as a rich source of ideas and reference materials for trainers. It might also be useful to educators, policy makers, local officials and administrators. While the articles within the sourcebook can be further adapted to create community-based materials, the sourcebook as such is not meant for direct use with farmers or community groups.   Read More

Title of document: Journal de l'Agro-écologie, n°0 Authors: Mireille RAZAKA, Joachin RASOLOMANJAKA, Tahina RAHARISON, RAKOTONDRAMANANA Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: GSDM, Professionnels de l'Agroecologie Year of publication: Janvier à Mars 2017 Geographic focus: France, worldwide Summary: Ce bulletin d’information, intitulé « Journal de l’Agro-écologie » est un outil de communication, édité trimestriellement par le GSDM. Uniquement diffusé en version électronique, il s’adresse à toutes entités, acteurs de développement ou individus oeuvrant dans le développement durable, en particulier lié au secteur agricole. Le «Journal de l’Agro-écologie » propose aux lecteurs plusieurs rubriques, et parle essentiellement des dernières actualités, des problématiques, des solutions adaptées, ainsi que de la recherche en termes d’Agro-écologie au niveau national et international. Il offre également une large latitude de réflexion à travers les capitalisations, leçons apprises ou encore par les témoignages paysans issus de divers projets. Dans cette première édition, «numéro N°0», période janvier à mars 2017, le GSDM vous invite chaleureusement à découvrir le «Journal de l’Agro-écologie» et les rubriques qu’il propose.   Read More

Title of document: Innovative approaches: to linking sustainable and agroecological production with markets in developing countries Authors: Marcello Vicovaro, Allison Loconto, Emilie Vandecandelaere and Pilar Santacoloma Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Worldwide   Summary: This document is the final report of a serie of workshops. This workshop is the result of two research projects: the first, on “Sustainable practices, sustainable markets? Exploring the institutional changes that link sustainable agricultural practices with markets in developing countries” and the second, on “An analysis of the marketing channels of agroecological produce.” Both projects attempted specifically to understand the ways in which sustainable agroecological production was linked to markets in developing countries. The workshop brought together specialists and researchers who shared innovative experiences about more productive and sustainable agricultural practices in the context of market integration. It is hoped that the experiences documented in the present workshop report will facilitate the spread of new experiences and create new awareness about the linkages between sustainable production and markets, contributing to the development of sustainable and fficient food systems.   Read More

Title of document: Landscapes for Agrobiodiversity. Agrobiodiversity perspectives in land-use decisions. Authors: Team of researchers Alberto Tarraza Rodríguez; Alejandro González Álvarez; Dunja Mijatovic; Epsha Palikhey; Ghanimat Azhdari; Helga Gruberg Cazón; Lal Kumara Wakkumbure; Maede Salimi; Natalia Estrada Carmona; Reuben Mendakor Shabong; Sajal Stapit; Sonthana Maneerattanachaiyong; Stanley Zira and Toby Hodgkin. Language editors: Loredana Maria and Kate Ferguson. Photo credits: Epsha Palikhey, Helga Gruberg Cazón, Maede Salimi and Dunja Mijatovic. Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Platform for agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) Year of publication: August 2016 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: The importance of agrobiodiversity and its custodians has been ignored in both conservation and agricultural development, as reflected in the debate about whether land “sparing” or land “sharing” is better for biodiversity and meeting future food needs.1 This debate has largely ignored the ways in which decisions on land use, cultivation practices, and crop and animal production choices affect the amount and distribution of agrobiodiversity in any production system and hence, ecosystem services, agro-ecosystem health and livelihoods. In this booklet, we present the results of an interdisciplinary research project in eight biocultural landscapes undertaken by the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) in collaboration with local partners and communities from around the world. The aim of the project was to illustrate the importance of including agrobiodiversity in land-use decisions. The project brought together young researchers with different backgrounds, including sociologists, biologists and geographers, with expertise in various areas that were of relevance to this study such as participatory mapping, animal and crop diversity, agroecology and resilience. The tables presented over the following pages describe the eight landscapes in which the project team worked and summarise the findings.   Read More

Title of document: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food Authors: Special Rapporteur on the right to food Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: United Nations General Assembly Year of publication: 24 January 2017 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: The report was written in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. In the report, a clearer account is provided of global pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human rights; the negative consequences that pesticide practices have had on human health, the environment and society, which are underreported and monitored in the shadow of a prevailing and narrow focus on “food security”, are described; and the environmental and human rights regimes are examined to determine whether the constituent rules are sufficient to protect farm workers, consumers and vulnerable groups, as well as the natural resources that are necessary to support sustainable food systems.   Read More

Title of document: The Future od Feed: Seeds of Resilience. A compendium of Perspectives on Agricultural Biodiversity from around the world. Authors: Emile Frison and Toby Hodgkin Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Global Alliance for the Future of Food Year of publication: September 2016 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: "Because of the centrality of resilient seed systems to our collective future of food, and because of the urgency to attend to the threats currently placed upon them, the Global Alliance commissioned an opportunities report, written by Emile Frison and Toby Hodgkin, and a dozen associated commentaries written by diverse leaders in the field from across the globe. The opportunities report and commentaries constitute The Future of Food: Seeds of Resilience, which we are excited to release to a broad array of stakeholders, from private enterprise to policy makers to farmers and funders. This compendium captures a rich diversity of perspectives related to seed systems and agricultural biodiversity, reflecting current research and firsthand experience in the field. This includes plant breeders, seed companies, farmers, academics, foundation staff, and many others with the associated disparities of opinion. Seed systems are a vast area of exploration and are dusted with strong beliefs and sometimes firmly held philosophies. We have encouraged— and look forward to further exploring—this diversity."   Read More

Title of document: Building, Defending and Strengthening Agroecology. A Global Struggle for Food Sovereignty Authors: Colin Anderson, Michel Pimbert and Csilla Kiss Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ILEIA, Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture, the Netherlands & Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience. Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Worldwide Summary: “Agroecology is the answer to how to transform and repair our material reality in a food system and rural world that has been devastated by industrial food production and its so-called Green and Blue Revolutions. We see Agroecology as a key form of resistance to an economic system that puts profit before life. […] Our diverse forms of smallholder food production based on Agroecology generate local knowledge, promote social justice, nurture identity and culture, and strengthen the economic viability of rural areas. As smallholders, we defend our dignity when we choose to produce in an agroecological way.” – Declaration of the International Forum for Agroecology, 2015 This article is based on research about the meaning and politics of agroecology from social movement perspectives.   Read More