Knowledge Portal

This YPARD report provides one of the first comprehensive explorations of the impact mentoring can have both on young and senior agricultural professionals. A diversity of mentoring models were studied and in early 2015, YPARD decided that to understand how mentoring can best benefit its diverse global network, a number of different approaches to mentoring should be piloted – namely face to face, virtual, blended and group/peer mentoring. This report explores the outcomes, strengths and limitations of each approach. »

This book provides a detailed explanation on optimizing fertilizer use within an Integrated Soil Fertility Management Framework in 13 African countries. The book shares the findings of the Optimizing Fertilizer Recommendations in Africa (OFRA) project. The last chapter elaborates on enabling fertilizer use optimization, and how to maximize potential profits of fertilizer use while taking the farmer’s context into account and keeping risks low. At the farm level enabling fertilizer use optimization is in early stages for most countries but considerable experience has been gained from Uganda, as well as Kenya and Tanzania. »

This report by CSIS reviews the prospects for increasing food security and links this to the polictical instability and conflict situations that comes with it.The experiences of post-conflict countries highlight some critical issues that need to be prioritized in order to regain sustainable food security. Averting future storms will require the recognition that food security challenges will extend long beyond 2030, political leadership must be visibly committed to these issues, and actions to reduce fragmentation of effort will be critical. »

This discussion paper studies the factors contributing to the effectiveness of policy systems. In this paper, a conceptual framework is developed to understand the policy and institutional architecture of food and agriculture policy systems, aiming to improve the coordination and harmonization of the roles of policy actors and players. »

This article addresses the inconsistencies in definitions and target issues of food losses and waste. In recent years, the question of food losses and waste (FLW) has been the subject of much debate. When it comes to food security, the preservation of natural resources and potential economic benefits, the general public, scientists and politicians all agree that FLW needs to be reduced. »

This report analyzes a wealth of country data on dietary energy supply, undernourishment indicators and consumption patterns in Europe and Central Asia. The report points to a pattern whereby countries progress from dealing predominantly with undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, to coping with degenerative diseases associated with increased dietary fat, sugar, meat and dairy, and processed foods, linked to overnutrition. Today, 13 percent of the population of the region lives in countries suffering from a “triple burden”. »