Blogs

Humanity may be on the verge of a scary new world where antibiotics no longer work. An infected wound, for example from a scratch on a rusty nail, could be potentially fatal. Surgery would become much riskier. Common diseases such as tuberculosis would once more threaten the lives of millions.

The problem is that some disease-causing bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. The more antibiotics are used, the sooner these resistant bacteria are selected and the quicker they multiply. Over-prescription and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics are the main causes of the current...

Farmers need new ideas, and researchers need data. When these two professional groups meet in the framework of collaborative or participatory research, it is often not clear who has to evolve in what direction: do farmers need to learn about research protocols, systematically collecting and analysing data, or do researchers need new ideas from farmers to guide their research agenda?

When grantees of the McKnight Foundation from West Africa recently met in Montpellier, France, at a Community of Practice (COP) meeting to share experiences, it was refreshing to see how this...

We are pleased to announce that a virtual workshop will be held on 6 April 2022, 09.00 a.m. - 11.00 a.m. GMT (14.30 – 16.30 IST) under the theme “Learn & Earn from Natural Farming Videos — Access Agriculture: Expanding Opportunities for Farmers, Women & Youth”.

The Workshop is organised jointly by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), the National Coalition for Natural Farming (NF Coalition), and...

In Ecuador, community organiser, Ing. Guadalupe Padilla, has told me that belonging to a group can help women gain leadership experience. Women become leaders as they work in a group, not in isolation. Guadalupe has helped to organise several such groups. Like a story, the group has to be about something. It has to have a purpose. And that purpose can easily be related to agriculture.

In Cotopaxi, Ecuador recently, while working with Paul and Marcella to film a video on women’s organisations, we met Juan Chillagana, vice-president of the parish (town) council. As an...