Humidtropics, a CGIAR Research Program led by IITA

The Golden Apple that Offers New Livelihoods Options to Vietnamese Smallholders

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Son tra, the miracle fruit behind the tea that will simultaneously save forests, raise the income of smallholder farmers in Northwestern Vietnam, transform their landscapes, and be healthy for you. Son tra, aka the H’mong apple, taorung, maccam, or macsamcha depending on whether you are in Vietnam, India, Myanmar, or some southern provinces of China, is an indigenous fruit tree species growing naturally in forests around the Himalayas. It is especially abundant in areas populated by the H’mong people in Northwestern Vietnam, hence the local name "H'mong apple" (Docynia Indica). Listed as … [Read more...]

Lights, Camera, Action: Participatory Video in Nicaragua

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Participatory Video (PV) is a participatory research tool that involves the alternative application of video technology in research for development projects to include members of a community in the process of creating their own video, while considering elements of their livelihoods and the necessary approaches to bring about desired changes. Aside from being an accessible way to bring people together to explore issues and voice concerns, PV is an effective tool to engage and mobilize marginalized communities, allowing them to share knowledge and learning experiences, and helping them to … [Read more...]

Developing Farmers’ Capacity More Effectively and Inclusively

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Developing farmers’ capacity is a key component of Humidtropics to support innovation and expansion. Monitoring results in the Central Mekong Flagship Project has suggested ways of increasing its effectiveness. The saying goes that ‘It is better to give someone a fishing rod rather than a fish’. While this principle is the basis of sustainable development, it’s also true that the woman or man with the rod still needs to learn how to fish. Capacity development in Central Mekong is monitored not only by counting the number of participants but also through participatory evaluation … [Read more...]

Humidtropics’ Innovative Agricultural Practices Change Lives and Bring Hope to DRC Farmers

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Like many other rural areas in Walungu sub-district and beyond, across the South Kivu Province in Eastern DRC, Mushinga has been wrecked by various disasters, both natural and human. The most adverse factors that afflict the area is soil impoverishment and inadequate agricultural practices, as deprived populations can hardly count on the small land they own for their livelihood. Research-based approaches and processes were obviously lacking, making it almost impossible to reverse the trends, until Humidtropics and its Innovation Platform partners, notably the International Fertilizer … [Read more...]

The Hills Are Coming to Life in Vietnam

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For agroforesters, there is nothing more refreshing than seeing a hill covered with trees interplanted with crops. For agroforesters concerned with livelihoods, health and nutrition, there is nothing sweeter than seeing a hill covered with fruit trees and nutritious vegetables. Both these cases applied to me when I recently visited Humidtropics' sites in Son La Province of Northwest Vietnam. The primary purpose of my visit on June 15–17, 2015, was to represent the East and Central Asia Region, and the Thailand and Vietnam country programs of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at … [Read more...]