Growing coffee and bananas generates 50% more revenue for farmers

Coffee, a cash crop, and banana, a food crop, complement each other perfectly according to a case study in Uganda. Photo: Elizabeth Pohl

What do coffee and banana have in common? One is a cash crop and the other is a food crop.

According to scientists working at increasing food production to enhance food security to meet the growing population and adapt to climate change, the two crops make a perfect marriage.

A study by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partner organizations showed that farmers get more income from growing coffee and banana together than growing either crop alone.

The shop that potatoes built

Certified potato seed saves African farmers from ruin. Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT).

After a highly aggressive mystery maize disease crippled crops in 2011, Kenya’s number two crop – potato – could be a smart investment. Already there are 800,000 potato farmers in Kenya. Payoffs from potato can be high in terms of both income and nutrition. But only if farmers can get their hands on clean planting material.

Amon Mgendi, a potato farmer in the Taita district of Kenya, has been practicing potato farming for several decades. But his opportunity to make it a lucrative business only presented itself after a training course in 2009 with the International Potato Center. The course focused on methods to produce high-quality potato seed through conventional methods, but more quickly and at lower cost than traditional methods. Known as three-generation, or 3G, the strategy creates large numbers of minitubers (or seed) for planting through very rapid multiplication – in three field generations instead of the usual seven required to produce enough tubers for a cost-effective sale.

Capacity strengthening program strengthens passion for helping others, too

AWARD fellow Matsimbe.

Msekiwa Matsimbe is not afraid to get her feet wet, whether mingling with a crowd of international policy leaders and experts in agricultural research for development or netting fish specimens in the rivers and lakes of her native Malawi. At age 27, she may be one of the younger faces in the crowd, but she has an enthusiasm for her work that inspires far more seasoned colleagues.

“I want to increase women’s participation in aquaculture and fisheries to improve livelihoods in Malawi,” she says, adding, “Fish can supply the protein that women and children need to prevent diseases caused by protein-deficiency.” This is critical in a country like Malawi, which has one of the highest rates of mortality for children under age 5 in the world.

Un niño, una computadora

Uruguay tiene presencia mundial no solo por el fútbol. El Plan Ceibal hace que nuestro país tenga una presencia importante en varios eventos.

En diciembre del año 2006, el presidente Tabaré Vázquez anunció que se pondría en marcha el Plan Ceibal y que con él, cada alumno y cada maestro de las escuelas públicas de todo el país recibirían de forma gratuita una computadora portátil.

Los veterinarios y la seguridad alimentaria

La agricultura en la actualidad se enfrenta con dos problemas fundamentales: el desafío de alimentar a 9,000 millones de personas en los próximos cuarenta años y preservar los recursos del planeta. El aumento en la demanda de alimentos lleva consigo un importante cambio en las prácticas agrícolas.

La seguridad alimentaria no se limita unicamente al aspecto cuantitativo de la alimentación,  sino que ésta  existe solo cuando se  asegura el acceso a suficientes alimentos inocuos y nutritivos para satisfacer las necesidades alimenticias y las preferencias en cuanto a los alimentos a fin de llevar una vida activa y sana.