Celebrating success: Zambian smallholders combat cassava brown streak disease
Cassava is a critical crop to Zambia’s economy and food security. According to a 2019 paper, cassava (Manihot esculenta) is one of the most important root staple crops in Zambia. An estimated 30% of Zambians – over four million people – consume cassava as part of their daily diet. Indeed, this crop is so important…
Training workshops held to help strengthen capacity of PlantwisePlus plant clinics in Namibia
Two training workshops have been held to help strengthen the capacity of 10 PlantwisePlus plant clinics recently launched in Namibia in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Writeshop to draft National Pesticide Residue Monitoring Framework for Kenya
A writeshop has led to the creation of a draft National Pesticide Residue Monitoring Framework for Kenya aimed at coordinating pesticides residue monitoring for domestic and export value chains. This writeshop follows a series of virtual meetings held in the months of May and July 2024 that aimed at examining the situation on pesticide monitoring…
PlantwisePlus – supporting countries with pest preparedness for food security
On World Food Day, CABI’s Global Lead for Pest Preparedness, Dr Ivan Rwomushana, considers how pest preparedness can safeguard ‘foods for a better life and a better future’ helping smallholder farmers to access the knowledge they need to prepare for and address the spread of pests. When it comes to addressing food security, pest preparedness…
Gender equality and youth inclusion: ten focus areas for impact
UN Women recently published The Gender Snapshot 2024. While the report highlighted some positive developments, no indicator under SDG Goal 5, Gender Equality, has been achieved. Women comprise around 43% of the agricultural workforce in low- and middle-income countries. However, their responsibilities and capacity are too often diluted by gender inequalities. Breaking down the barriers to women…
How PlantwisePlus and Grameen Foundation are driving change for women farmers in India
In India, women farmers play a crucial role in agriculture, contributing significantly to activities like seed production, sowing, weeding, transplanting, threshing, and harvesting. Despite making up a substantial portion of the agricultural workforce, their access to advisory services is limited. Many agricultural services do not cater to their specific needs, resulting in a gap between…
Human-centred design workshop in India helps shape PlantwisePlus digital tools
Smallholder farmers rely on extension services and other agricultural service providers for effective advisory information. To serve the broad needs of farmers, advisors need access to decision-support information. Digital tools can offer many advantages to advisors, such as providing easy access to relevant information and improving decision-making.
What are Natural Enemies Field Reservoirs, and how do they help farmers control crop pests?
Classical biological control (CBC) is a widely used type of biological control that is proven to be effective in managing invasive pests. This method involves releasing natural enemies like parasitoids or fungi that can keep pest populations under control. However, additional technology, such as natural enemies field reservoirs – or NEFRs – can improve CBC…
Advancing pest management in Grenada through PlantwisePlus biological control training
In a remarkable effort to enhance agricultural practices, Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture recently hosted a pivotal training course on biological control organized and co-funded by CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme in collaboration with Sandals Foundation*. The course provided participants with a comprehensive overview of biological control strategies tailored specifically to Grenada’s agricultural context.
Instructors in Bangladesh receive training to use CABI digital tools in agricultural diploma curricula
Bangladesh is enhancing its agricultural diploma education by incorporating PlantwisePlus learning and decision-making resources to improve farmer advisory services nationwide. Instructors at the country’s Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) will now have access to digital tools from CABI Academy and PlantwisePlus, which are being integrated into the ATI curriculum. Bangladesh Technical Education Board and CABI recently…