Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research Program led by IITA

Nutrition in Kenya: Malezi Bora Week – Food Biodiversity for Improved Nutrition

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This is Part 3 of three special reports from Vihiga County, Kenya, where a Humidtropics research project is empowering the community to better use available agricultural biodiversity to improve nutrition all year round. Esther Odera, Nutrition Coordinator of Vihiga County, and local partner in this research initiative, reports on the upcoming Malezi Bora Week. Malezi Bora is a Swahili phrase meaning “good upbringing”. Malezi Bora weeks are observed bi-annually in the health calendar of Kenya, in May and November. The national theme for the next Malezi Bora Week is Improving the Life … [Read more...]

International Day of Rural Women – Empowered Agents of Change for Rural Transformation in Nicaragua

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Today is the International Day of Rural Women, an invitation to celebrate women and a reminder about the importance of rural feminism. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 58 million women live in the rural areas of Latin America. They play crucial roles ensuring food and nutrition security, eradicating rural poverty and improving the well-being of their families, yet they continue to face serious challenges as a result of gender-based stereotypes and discrimination that deny them equitable access to opportunities, resources, assets and services. It is … [Read more...]

Creating Socially Inclusive Agricultural R4D in Central Mekong

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The six countries that compose Humidtropics' Central Mekong Action Area are characterized by considerable ethnic diversity. They include southwestern China, northern Thailand, Laos, northeast Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Ethnic minorities in Central Mekong have been marginalized socially, culturally, economically, politically, and geographically, although the extent of such marginalization varies among the six countries. Such realities are also reflected in agricultural development: in northwest Vietnam, ethnic minority farmers predominantly occupy agricultural production, and play a … [Read more...]

Youth, an Engine of Growth for Sustainable Development in DRC

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As part of the integration of their research for development (R4D) activities, IITA-Kalambo and the Catholic Archdiocese of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have initiated a joint program to pursue agricultural R4D to improve the livelihoods of farmers. Implemented under the framework of Humidtropics, the program involves women and youth in agricultural research, capacity development and Farmer Field Schools. The Archdiocese has made land available to establish R4D farm trials, using them as a basis for training women farmers and youth in different agricultural enterprises with … [Read more...]

Boosting Plantain Production and Improving Access to Markets in Nigeria

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Plantain is one of the major crops of smallholder farmers in Nigeria. It is produced both for food consumption in the households and for cash through its transformation into various products that are marketed. Using Humidtropics' integrated systems approach, a team of researchers from FARA and IITA is working with key actors in the Nigeria Action Site to improve the plantain value chain (i.e. to effectively deliver valuable plantain products to the market, and to customers). Using the Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems (RAAIS) diagnostic tool, the four Innovation Platforms … [Read more...]