2022

International Year of Millets 2023: Unleashing the potential of millets for the well-being of people and the environment

As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millets provide an affordable and nutritious option, and efforts must be scaled to promote their cultivation. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the Year in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders. Millets can grow on arid lands with minimal inputs and

Social Capital proves critical to success of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) farming in Tanzania

Social capital is defined as the enduring connections of networks, reciprocity and social norms that exist among a group of people. In farming, social capital has various benefits such as facilitating farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, increasing access to information, and connecting farmers to different sources of support. In Tanzania, social capital was a key contributor to the success of the implementation of System of Rice Intensification (SRI), as part of the

BLENDED PUBLIC-PRIVATE EXTENSION PROVISION INCREASES FARMER REVENUE IN UGANDA

This good practice fact sheet aims to share the experience behind an initiative to test and compare different models of extension provision in Uganda. The document highlights the scope for using a mix of private and public service providers to advise and support small-scale producers engaged in Uganda’s vegetable oil sector, and the lessons learned regarding what methods are most effective. It also sets out to explore how this blended

Digital Agriculture: An online mentoring service for small-scale livestock farmers in Benin

An online advisory and problem-solving service is helping livestock farmers to overcome challenges and increase production in Benin and other parts of West Africa. The private service grew out of a blog written by Louis Agbokou, who works as livestock advisor at a government agricultural agency in Benin. During on- site visits to farms in the districts that he covered, the livestock engineer became increasingly convinced of the need for

Book your agenda  - Friday 16 December 2022, 19:00 to 21:00 Manila time - 12:00 to 14:00 Rome time - International Webinar on Advancing Rural Communication Services for Family Farming

The Collaborative Change Communication for Rural Development (CCComDev) initiative invites you to the International Webinar on Advancing Rural Communication Services (RCS) for Family Farming. Language: English You can register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtdOuuqjgjH9N3nyvQ9Nq4mUVHAJHZGUu8 The webinar is co-convened by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)  – College of Development Communication and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) – Rural Communication Working Group. The webinar features speakers and panel

Are your radio programmes gender inclusive?

Often, broadcasts are designed on the premise that listenership is uniform. However, the audience is diverse, and programmes, therefore, should be responsive to the different expectations of listeners. Gender inequalities can arise  in the professional practices with radio stations, whether during production process, programming, management, or in the choice of content and people interviewed. Media should put in place mechanisms to ensure that the opinions of women and men, regardless

A manifesto to ensure a voice for farmers in Uganda

This good practice fact sheet describes an initiative to canvas the views and demands of Uganda’s smallholder farmers on measures required to boost the country’s agricultural performance as a driver of both the national economy and for raising incomes among agricultural value chain players. The creation of a Farmers’ Manifesto, and its presentation to political parties in the run-up to a general election, may be an experience relevant to other

How to create a radio campaign

A campaign is an organized, time-bound effort to convince institutions or individuals to take specific types of actions, or change their attitudes toward a specific topic in a specific way. Campaigns have specific objectives and usually focus on one major change or action. They can be in the form of radio jingles and interviews, door to door or community gatherings to discuss issues, a series of ads in printed form

An innovative agricultural competition inspired by football

In the village of Mudjoga, in North Kivu, DRC, farmers have devised an innovative agricultural competition inspired by football. The competition is called “agricultural match” and it consists of farmers demonstrating the application of certain cultivation practices. The exercise itself is inspired by football, or “soccer”. It pits farmers against each other in a friendly competition where each demonstrates an agricultural technique. They are supervised by a jury of judges

Listening to rural people 2022: A Farm Radio International and IFAD initiative

Over the course of October 2022, Farm Radio International worked with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and 7 African radio stations to facilitate three “On Air Dialogues” with rural people in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso about climate change adaptation. The response was remarkable, with over 14,000 people giving over 122,000 answers to questions and leaving over 9,000 voice messages about climate change adaptation experiences and needs. These dialogues