Changing lives and landscapes
Chris Mesiku is a science communicator volunteering at the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. In the last 5 years, he has worked as a communicator for various scientific institutions. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Science Communication (ANU) and a Masters in Philosophy of Science (UQ).
Co-author: Judith Olang-Intern at Research Methods Group. As a leading research institution, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) produces hundreds of publications annually. Each publication synthesizes data from a number of sources mostly from other publications from the Centre. Till now, many researchers have had to manually hunt for important data or use a number of [...]
By Mike McGahuey The question is not, “should farmers use inorganic or organic fertilizer?” but rather, “How can farmers increase soil organic matter in a cost-effective way in order to recycle nutrients, increase fertilizer-use efficiency and establish the foundation for building and sustaining soil productivity in Africa?” Many agricultural developmental agencies either support the idea [...]
Many sustainable agricultural practices can complement land regeneration techniques such as FMNR. This was the conclusion by experts at a parallel discussion session that was held during the Beating Famine conference. I had the pleasure of attending a group whose theme was carbon sequestration, water and energy for land regeneration. Chairing the discussion was Stephen [...]
When the pioneer of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), Tony Rinaudo held a workshop in Kijabe, Kenya, the invited participants from the Beating Famine conference were baffled by the simplicity of what they heard and saw. During the FMNR tour, the message was clear and simple.
By Chris Mesiku and Yvonne Otieno The question that was on everyone’s mind as soon as the Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre announced the phrase was how can anyone be a profit to their own land? He was speaking at the opening of the Beating Famine Conference which aimed at addressing food security [...]
Written by Paul Stapleton Paradoxically, a group of scientists packed into a meeting room at the Planet under Pressure conference to discuss how to communicate climate change and improve the public’s consideration of the issue.
Today Tuesday 27 March 2012, the CGIAR has taken a bold step towards addressing the global issue of food security. It has launched a 10-year research program on water, land and ecosystems. The project, led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), will seek to radically transform the way land, water and natural systems are [...]
A recent article by environmental writer David Njagi addresses a welcome trend happening in parts of rural Kenya, especially around the Mt Kenya area. The female farmers who in many cases are part of women farmer groups are “increasingly adopting of agroforestry” claims David. Studies carried out at the World Agroforestry Centre show that adopting [...]
The key to poverty alleviation and food security is integrated land management says Kwesi Atta-Krah from Bioversity International. Kwesi and around 150 other experts have gathered in Kenya for the first international conference of Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative taking place at the World Agroforestry Centre 6-9 March 2012. The conference has been [...]
Climate Change will have an impact on every person in the world. It is well documented that it will impact smallholder farmers the most because of the effect on their crops. On the other hand, the effects of climatic change on trees within landscapes are often not considered. However, a recently released book by World [...]
