the Pacific

This systematic review aims to summarize current dietary intakes, patterns, and practices of adolescent girls (ages 10–19 years) in low- and middle-income countries. Adolescent girls in LMIC have poor nutrition profiles, including high risks for undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies. »

This paper reviews possibilities for, and experience with, credit-linked crop insurance, including different types of insurance and credit arrangements. The paper describes the main methods of linkage that are being tested or proposed, identifies the critical features of each method, and discusses the advantages and limitations for the three parties – farmers, financial service providers, and insurers. »

This practical handbook (PDF) published by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) provides a guide for young aspiring information and communication technologies (ICTs) entrepreneurs to help them set-up businesses that address challenges in the agricultural sector. Governments, private sector, non-governmental organisations, and especially young people, are increasingly viewing the intersection of ICTs and agriculture »

This series of Technical Guidance Documents by FAO and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) addresses the need for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into agriculture, at the national level. More specifically, it is aimed to assist countries in developing and implementing their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSA Ps), to consider ecosystem services – and opportunities for their management – in agricultural production systems. »

This book on Routledge by Ingrid Oborn, Bernard Vanlauwe, Michael Phillips, Richard Thomas, Willemien Brooijmans and Kwesi Atta-Krah, describes different aspects of systems research in agriculture in its broadest sense, where the focus is moved from farming systems to livelihoods systems and institutional innovation. Much of the work represents outputs of three CGIAR Research Programs on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics, Aquatic Agricultural Systems and Dryland Systems. »

Farming and agriculture may not seem cool to young people, but if they can learn the thrill of nurturing plants to produce food, and are provided with their favourite apps and communications software on agriculture, food insecurity will not be an issue, food and agriculture experts said during the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Food Security Forum from June 22 to 24 at the ADB headquarters here. »