Better Cotton Initiative: biocontrol training in India

Cotton ready to harvest
India is the world’s largest producer of cotton. It is one of the country’s major cash crops with nearly 6 million farmers making a living from growing cotton. The Better Cotton Initiative helps make cotton farming a more climate-resilient, environmentally friendly and responsible business. Working with smallholders, farm workers and communities, the Better Cotton Initiative…
Read Further

Assessing gender and rural advisory services in Ghana

women's farmer group meeting in rural Ghana
In Ghana, as in many other developing countries, women face challenges in accessing extension advisory services. Most services are geared to the needs of male farmers. On top of other challenges faced by women farmers, this lack of access only extends the gender gap in agricultural productivity in the global South.
Read Further

Mass rearing training strengthens papaya mealybug biocontrol programme in Kenya

Farmer field in Kwale County, during Biocontrol training in Kenya
PlantwisePlus has been working in collaboration with partners in Kenya to implement a classical biological control strategy to manage papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus). The invasive pest has been devastating papaya crops in Kenya. A CABI study in 2019 found it caused an estimated 57% yield losses across five counties.
Read Further

Plantwise: helping female farmers in Nepal access advisory services 

Female tomato farmer in Nepal
In almost all regions of Nepal, women have a greater involvement than men in farming activities. The World Bank estimates that 74% of Nepalese women work in agriculture, yet they struggle to have equal access to agricultural resources.  A new study highlights gender integration in the Plantwise programme and identifies the strengths and limitations in Nepal. It focuses…
Read Further

Apply now for an online course on Integrated Crop Management

Applications for two new Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Integrated Crop Management (ICM) are now open. CAS 2: ICM – Aspects of Implementation and CAS 3: ICM –  Biological Control and Ecosystem Services, are the latest courses launched as part of a set of online programmes developed and run by CABI and the University…
Read Further

CABI Academy and Accessibility

CABI Academy
The CABI Academy team continues to make improvements to ensure the CABI Academy is accessible to as many people as possible. We have nearly 12,000 registered users from all over the world. Through a programme of continuous user research and ongoing improvements, we aim to minimise the barriers to those users accessing high-quality educational resources…
Read Further

Free CABI Academy eLearning courses for extension providers available in Rwanda 

CABI Academy
CABI’s new digital learning platform, the CABI Academy, is now available for free for users in Rwanda.   The digital courses are designed for agricultural extension and advisory service providers. They provide important practical advice and resources to participants to grow their knowledge and provide the best possible advice to farmers.
Read Further

How Plantwise plant clinics supported a women-led cottage industry in India

Women preparing biopesticides at a cottage industry.
In 2003, twelve women in Chokkalingam Puddur village started a local biocontrol agent production unit. The Ellya Thendral women self-help group produced and marketed five different types of fungal biopesticides. Their cottage industry received a boost when a Plantwise plant clinic was established in their village. CABI’s Plantwise programme partnered with M S Swaminathan Research…
Read Further

Digital advisory tools in the hands of women agricultural service providers

female extension worker
Smallholder farmers across the world need access to advisory services to support them in managing pest and disease issues on their crops. As part of its PlantwisePlus programme, CABI is developing and promoting digital advisory tools to increase access to the information that farmers need to adopt safe and effective agricultural practices. One of the…
Read Further

Digital learning courses available for free in Bangladesh

digital learning courses CABI Academy
CABI’s new digital learning platform, the CABI Academy, is now available free for users in Bangladesh. The digital learning courses are designed for agricultural extension and advisory service providers. They provide interactive exercises and resources to help participants grow their knowledge, so they can deliver the best possible advice to farmers.
Read Further