Food and agriculture news
1 - 25 of 35 news posts
IIED webinar: How to support small-scale farmers in negotiations with agribusiness
26 March 2018Join our webinar on 16 April 2018 to discuss how small-scale farmers can be supported when negotiating with companies.
IIED and Hivos film calls for life beyond maize in Zambia
10 October 2017A new film launched ahead of World Food Day highlights the importance of diversifying agricultural production in Zambia, from farm to fork, in order to improve the nation's diet
Mountain indigenous peoples call for support for biocultural landscapes to achieve the SDGs
28 June 2017The International Network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples has called for support and legal protection for biocultural heritage landscapes and community conserved areas following an event in Peru
Biocultural heritage territories film now in Spanish
30 August 2016 A visually stunning photofilm that profiles three biocultural heritage terriritories and their role in biodiversity conservation and locally determined development is now available in Spanish. Biocultural heritage territories protect indigenous and traditional land tenure and use land management to preserve fragile ecosystems and promote locally determined patterns of developmentIIED webinar: using web platforms to promote transparency and strengthen land rights
9 June 2016 Join us for a webinar on 6 July, 2016 to discuss how web platforms can be used by civil society organisations to support communities whose land rights and livelihoods are affected by agricultural projectsMountain communities being devastated by extreme climate impacts
18 November 2015For those mountain communities living at the extreme edges of the world, climate change is already a very real threat. Researchers are calling for vulnerable communities to be given special consideration in the Paris negotiations next month
Mountain communities rebuild diverse, climate-resilient crops
6 October 2015 The Sustainable Development Goals have been agreed, but for mountain communities around the world this action can't come quickly enough. Climate change is already here, threatening their food security, nutrition and livelihoodsUnmissable opportunity to build food security and reduce GHGs at Paris COP
12 February 2015 International research organisations are stressing the need for climate agreements to support traditional farming, given its role in both adaptation and mitigationToulmin: "Soil is the foundation for a prosperous society"
10 December 2014IIED director Camilla Toulmin tells the BBC's Science in Action that much of the soil across sub-Saharan Africa needs urgent attention if it is to feed the continent
Return of potatoes from CIP to Andean farmers proves critical for climate adaptation
27 November 2014 Peru's farmers are able to access a greater diversity of potato varieties for climate adaptation, thanks to the continued work of a ground-breaking agreement between CIP, ANDES and the Association of the Potato Park communitiesIndigenous mountain communities call on governments to support traditional knowledge-based adaptation
18 June 2014 An International network of Mountain Indigenous Peoples has been formed to advocate for community biocultural heritage rights and help achieve food sovereignty and climate change adaptationLarge scale irrigated rice farming: the state must take farmers' perspectives into account
3 June 2014New report by the Global Water Initiative stresses importance of considering views of farmers in agricultural policies
Indigenous farmers from Peru, China and Bhutan agree to share seeds for climate adaptation
8 May 2014 In the spirit of the International Year of Family and Peasant Farming, indigenous mountain farmers from China, Bhutan and Peru have agreed to share seeds in an effort to cope with global climate changeIndigenous spiritual values guide climate change adaptation in mountain communities
25 April 2014 Cultural and spiritual values of indigenous peoples and climate change will be the focus of an international event in the Potato Park, Cusco, PeruStudy reports double-digit growth in market performance of 'eco-labels'
31 January 2014 Private sector sourcing commitments are driving major market growth for sustainable commodities, according to the State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) Review 2014 published today by an alliance of international organisations.IIED and Hivos set up 'Change Labs' on food and energy
22 January 2014 IIED and development organisation Hivos have today launched a two-year strategic partnership to provide research-based policy advice to improve sustainable food systems and access to energy in developing and emerging countries.First international gathering of forest producer organisations underway
25 November 2013The representatives of farmer and forest producer organizations from around the world are gathering today at an international conference held in Guilin, China
IIED strengthens policy and research links with China
13 November 2013 IIED will share some of its research on key issues in global agriculture with an audience of Chinese academics, government agencies, policy researchers and nongovernmental organisations at a meeting in Beijing on 15 November.Feeding the World: Why we must do more than just increase yields
5 July 2013 A new paper published today by the journal Science argues that to ensure sustainable food supplies for the Earth’s growing population, policymakers must focus on more than just food production.New paradigm for African agriculture sees sustainable intensification in a new light
18 April 2013 The new report from the Montpellier Panel – a panel of international experts led by Professor Sir Gordon Conway of Agriculture for Impact – provides innovative thinking and examples into the way in which the techniques of sustainable intensification are being used by smallholder farmers in Africa to address the continent’s food and nutrition crisis.Book urges new development agenda for small-scale farming
29 November 2012 A three-year study of the ways small-scale farmers operate in Africa, Asia and Latin America has prompted calls for a major rethink of development and business interventions.New business models can spell success for African farmers
19 November 2012 A major international project has provided insights into how small-scale farmers in Africa can improve their livelihoods by building sustainable trading relations with international businesses in the food industry.Seven Rio+20 briefing papers from IIED
25 May 2012 The International Institute for Environment and Development has published seven briefing papers on topics that will feature in the Rio+20 summit and IIED’s Fair ideas conference, also in Rio, on 16-17 June.Food and cotton certification schemes are no panacea for poorer producers
26 March 2012 Study raises questions about pro-poor impact of popular certification schemes.5-step guide to help farmers evaluate agriculture’s hidden heroes
6 March 2012Smallholder farmers will soon be better able to weigh up the cost and benefits of adopting new practices that support some of the most overlooked contributors to global food security — the insects and other animals that pollinate their crops and boost yields.