Food and agriculture blogs
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Putting informal food systems at the centre of sustainable diets
16 October 2020A new report from IIED and Hivos calls for a rethink about how sustainable diets can be achieved in low-income countries, with informal food systems central to that goal
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To address food insecurity in Uganda post COVID-19 the government must act now
24 September 2020In the wake of COVID-19, food insecurity in Uganda is drastically increasing. Food Rights Alliance and Twaweza East Africa call on the government to take specific and urgent action
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The politics at play in Vietnam’s food system
16 September 2020Guest blogger Christophe Béné discusses how perception, personal beliefs and values can overrule science and evidence in policymaking – and how this is influencing policies and crisis narratives around food safety in Vietnam
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Loss and damage in Rwanda: a young climate activist reports
3 September 2020On 9 September 2020, IIED and ICCCAD are hosting a webinar on climate-related loss and damage in the least developed countries. Ineza Umuhoza Grace reports on how climate change is impacting Rwanda
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Food insecurity: an appetite for change
12 August 2020On International Youth Day, Facebook guest blogger Naomi Gammon discusses the role of young people in reshaping unhealthy patterns of food consumption
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Lima's community-organised soup kitchens are a lifeline during COVID-19
7 August 2020In Lima’s informal settlements, ollas comunes – community-led soup kitchens – are reviving strong traditions of self-organised crisis response and resilience among the urban poor.
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Exploring why people eat wild meat – and designing better alternatives
29 July 2020New research from Cameroon investigating drivers for wild meat consumption will help find sustainable alternatives that work for rural people
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Three pillars for food system change: inclusivity, joint vision and long-term commitment
16 July 2020A new paper identifies three key ingredients multi-actor initiatives need to drive change in the food system
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How can farmers in Ethiopia work safe and smart during COVID-19 lockdown?
3 July 2020What does farming under lockdown look like – and what are the options for keeping farmers safe while work goes on?
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How Dhaka's urban poor are dealing with COVID-19
1 July 2020COVID-19 presents not only a health crisis, but a food crisis for Dhaka’s poorest. Guest blogger John Taylor describes how urban poor communities have risen to the challenge
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Truly transformative change is key to combating the biodiversity crisis
30 June 2020For the Convention on Biological Diversity’s new post-2020 framework to be effective – and not more empty rhetoric – governance needs more attention
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Working with nature to build back better from COVID-19: inspirations from farmers in China
23 June 2020Yufen Chuang and Xiaoting Hou Jones reflect on why working with nature to adapt to climate change can offer valuable lessons on how to build back better from COVID-19
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Common cause with people in the food systems of the majority
22 June 2020Bill Vorley discusses why we need a much deeper understanding of and partnership with people in the food systems that feed and provide livelihoods for low-income women and men
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Uganda’s hungry food vendors: counting the cost of COVID-19
11 June 2020Interviews as part of a new study show how lockdown restrictions are leaving Uganda’s food vendors hungry and vulnerable
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Using technology to overcome challenges for farmers in value chains
27 May 2020Value chains are structured in ways that are unfavourable to smallholder farmers who often struggle to access finance, inputs and markets. An IIED webinar discussed how smallholders in East Africa can use technology to overcome those challenges and negotiate with buyers and input and finance providers from a position of strength
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Protecting indigenous foods, preserving biodiversity – the solutions are in nature
22 May 2020On this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, Natalie Lartey and Immaculate Yossa Daisy discuss how advocacy to protect Uganda’s indigenous food is simultaneously preserving the nation’s biodiversity
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Resilient food systems and COVID-19: lessons for a Just Transition
22 May 2020The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed huge vulnerabilities and inequalities in food systems. They are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: to droughts, floods, typhoons, sea-level rise – the current locust outbreak in East Africa. But they are also part of the problem, contributing about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and being highly inequitable too. Krystyna Swiderska spells out what needs to change
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Curbing the impacts of COVID-19 on Nepal’s small-scale farmers and seizing opportunities for food system reform
11 May 2020Guest blogger Jagat Deuja puts forward practical measures for minimising damage to Nepal’s small-scale farming sector and ways to build resilient food systems in the longer term
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Citizen-led research serves up answers on what Bolivian food vendors want
7 May 2020Guest blogger Jorge Vladimir Garcia describes the outcomes and challenges of research, led by traditional food vendors themselves, on what might help keep market eateries in La Paz popular in the face of rising competition.
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The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the diets of Hanoi’s urban poor
8 April 2020The urban poor in Vietnam depend heavily on informal food systems. How will COVID-19 lockdown measures impact their food security and what will be the knock-on effects for daily life?
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Harnessing the power of bees to benefit forest and people
26 March 2020To mark the International Day of Forests earlier this week, we’re sharing a story about a beekeeping project that’s helping to conserve Kenya’s Loitokitok forest and support the surrounding community
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Urban poor community voices take to the stage at the World Urban Forum
19 February 2020Stories from urban poor communities inspired international audiences at the 10th World Urban Forum
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Protecting indigenous cultures is crucial for saving the world’s biodiversity
18 February 20202020 is being hailed as a ‘super year’ for nature, with a series of major international events looking at how we can stop the decline of wildlife and natural ecosystems. Krystyna Swiderska argues that saving biodiversity can’t succeed without working to save indigenous cultures
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Tapioca tech in Togo – how producers are organising to transform lives and land
5 February 2020Togo’s expanding populations need both food and means of generating income. After a recent visit, Duncan Macqueen reflects on how multi-tiered self-organisation is supporting sustainable solutions among tapioca producers
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The champions helping communities make better food choices
8 January 2020In Jember, Indonesia, children and young people are bearing the brunt of unhealthy eating habits. Isnatul Mu'allifin explains how this new generation is using data – gathered with and by the community – to drive tangible, positive change in people’s diets