Improving market access for peppercorn farmers in South East Asia
For many years, Vietnam has been the world’s main exporter of pepper. In 2018, exports of pepper from Vietnam accounted for 25% of the global market. In the same year, Vietnam’s total pepper production was nearly 40% of the world’s total pepper output. Vietnam’s pepper is exported to 109 countries and territories including the United…
As a diamond cuts a diamond, ‘good fungus’ will reduce ‘bad fungus’ in maize crop
CABI, along with its partners Rafhan Maize Products Co. Ltd and with the support of the National Agricultural Research Centre (CDRI, ASI), are busy evaluating the efficacy of AflaPak™ in Pakistan – a biological control agent/product for outcompeting the strains of aflatoxin producing Aspergillus flavus in maize.
A lesson in ‘resilience’: realities and misconceptions
Resilience is trending. Touted as the answer to virtually every problem it is used, and too often misused, in all sorts of ways. “Bouncing back” from some disturbance is probably the most common. And that is NOT resilience. Bouncing back to just like before means that nothing was learned. Resilience is about changing in response…
Onion value chain interventions increase incomes for growers in Sindh province, Pakistan
Mr Quraish and Mr Babar are both members of the Strengthening Vegetable Value Chains in Pakistan (SVVCP) onion farmer’s group, from the village Ibrahim Shah in district Tando Allahyar Sindh, who are keen on increasing their yields and sales of their produce.
Working in partnership to increase safe and efficient trade of agriculture in East Africa
CABI, together with a law firm KO and Associates, have been contracted by Land O Lakes Venture 37 (V37) TRASE (Trade in Agriculture Safely and Efficiently) project, funded by the United States Department for Agriculture (USDA), to conduct a comprehensive assessment of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems implemented in the East African Community (EAC).
The Climate Battleground: Grassland or Forest
Nostalgia The title of Tom Jones’ album, ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’ released in 1967, still rouses powerful nostalgia for the rural landscape of Britain. Similar sentiments are experienced by other nationalities, but grass is particularly relevant in Britain. It ranges in type from lush lowland meadows through upland pastures and heath to open…
Strengthening mycology research through coordinated access to microbial culture collection strains
CABI scientists have outlined a series of recommendations in a new paper published in the CABI Agriculture & Bioscience journal which serve, as the research title suggests, to help strengthen mycology research through coordinated access to microbial culture collection strains.
‘Banana and I’: Sharing the ‘appeal’ of better banana management in Uganda through drama
CABI has worked with farmers to develop a video drama on the subject with five episodes translated into two languages. Created for small scale banana farmers in Uganda with contributions from farmers, the dramas are also performed by farmers themselves to increase their local appeal, encourage more efficient farming practices and ultimately increase productivity for banana growers.
From too many to too few: the impact of COVID-19 on overtourism
A few months ago 2020 was predicted to be a record-breaking year for tourism, continuing the apparently unending pattern of annual growth recorded since the tourism industry began collecting data on numbers of people travelling. Even allowing for the fact that the figures included almost everyone crossing an international border for an overnight visit and…
Safeguarding poultry and livestock feed from harmful aflatoxins/mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by molds and fungi in fields and during the storage of grains, feeds and forages. Exposure of mycotoxins occurs more frequently in tropical countries because of high temperature, moisture, and unseasonal rains. Mycotoxins are considered to be soil-borne pathogens. The problems caused by mycotoxicosis tend to fall into three general…