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Agriculture & Environment: Farming practices

womanfarming_FAOJ-Cendon

Sustainable farming practices, such as zero tillage or integrated pest control, can reduce the need for agricultural inputs like chemicals or water, improve carbon sequestration and help prevent land degradation.

(Photo credit: FAO/J. Cendon)

Opinions and Analysis

In Perspective: Well-framed science can boost its social impact

How scientific knowledge is presented in public debate, by scientists or journalists, has a big influence on its impact, says David Dickson.

19 February 2013 | EN | ES

Farming, Mali Let's learn from past efforts to fight hunger

Campaigners for food security must include science in their goals — and in return scientists need to heed wider concerns around solutions.

10 January 2013 | EN | ES

Policy Briefs

Farmer, Rwanda Developing innovation systems for African agriculture

Developing innovation systems, rather than technology transfer, can benefit small farmers and promote agricultural development in Africa.

9 July 2012 | EN
Source: Future Agricultures Consortium

GM rice plants Overcoming obstacles to GM crop adoption

Careful assessment and policies on genetically modified crops could contribute to agricultural development and food security.

21 June 2012 | EN
Source: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)


News and Features

Rice farmers Benin starts feeling the cost of rice pests

The boom in rice growing in Benin has also led to more infestation of stored rice by pests, which is causing losses of hundreds of millions of francs.

15 May 2013 | EN

Agricultural intensification could run up high bills in the long-run

Increasing crop yields on existing farmland to curb deforestation may pay off in the short-term, but could lead to escalating costs in the future, say researchers.

3 May 2013 | EN