Miguel Victor Durian

Drones transform rice farming in Asia-Pacific

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is utilizing drones to revolutionize rice farming in countries in the Asia-Pacific region like India and the Philippines, reports ComDev Asia. In recent years, drone technology has garnered significant attention in the agriculture sector due to its potential to boost efficiency and productivity amidst growing challenges and threats. Drones are now being used for various critical farming tasks, including automated seeding, real-time crop health

FONTAGRO in Latin America announces 2025 Call for Proposals

FONTAGRO announces the 2025 Call for Proposals to co-finance innovative projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative seeks to identify proposals that promote the efficiency and resilience of agri-food systems, while also promoting the development of innovative and sustainable agricultural products, according to a report by Onda Rural. Deadline of submission is on April 11, 2025, at 3:00 pm (Eastern Time in the United States, Washington DC). For

Call for papers: FAO, IAMCR announce 2025 Rural Communication Services research award

The Rural Communication (RUC) Working Group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of abstracts for its 2025 conference, which will be held in Singapore from 13 to 17 July 2025, hosted by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. As part of the conference, IAMCR, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Award-winning radio program champions gender equality in West Africa

Radio Jamana’s Kodon Yiriba, the 2024 Liz Hughes Award runner-up for Her Farm Radio, is a transformative program addressing gender equality and social issues in Mali’s Koutiala region, reports Yenkasa Africa.  Co-hosted by Ibrahim Dembele and Maïmouna Ouattara, the weekly show raises awareness about sexual harassment and family issues, empowering listeners to report incidents and fostering community dialogue.  Targeting a diverse audience, including parents, adolescents, and local leaders, it collaborates

FAO, ComDev Asia, and Yenkasa Africa team up for 5-day Participatory Video Training

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), ComDev Asia, and Yenkasa Africa organized back-to-back Virtual Participatory Video (PV) Training in Agri-Food Systems and Digital Environments for Asia-Pacific and Africa from Nov. 19- Dec. 2, 2024 via Zoom.  The training was based on FAO’s Participatory Video  guide and e-learning course and was done in partnership with Digital Green and the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of

Participatory video boosts adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Africa - study

In Upper West Ghana, Africa, farmer social groups play a crucial role in fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among local farmers. A 2024 paper by Kwapong and colleagues highlighted how these groups, coupled with participatory video (PV), serve as effective agents for raising awareness, facilitating learning, and promoting the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices. By integrating farmers’ perspectives on CSA innovations through PV and collective knowledge-sharing, the

New FAO-IAMCR book on Inclusive Rural Communication Services out now

The new book titled “Collaborative Change: Towards Inclusive Rural Communication Services” published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) in partnership with the International Association for Media and Communication Research- Rural Communication Working Group (IAMCR) is out now. It can be downloaded from the FAO Knowledge Repository here. This book addresses the demand for evidence-based approaches to rural communication services (RCS). It presents theoretical foundations of RCS and

Study uses participatory video and community cinema as novel tools to get farmer’s critical feedback

Participatory research approaches typically foster intrinsic motivation, but in four Tanzanian villages, innovative methods and facilitator reflexivity did not immediately yield active engagement. A study by Richardson and colleagues revealed that four years of transactional relations, where villagers were paid to participate in agricultural research for development (AR4D) projects, had created a deep-seated, problematic pattern. This pattern emerged from a setup where gatekeepers, often government workers, invited select villagers, offering

2024 Global Family Farming Forum held at FAO HQ

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) co-organized the Global Family Farming Forum on October 15-18, 2024, at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The event brought together global stakeholders to highlight the UN Decade of Family Farming’s (UNDFF) impact, showcase successes, and chart a course for innovative, equitable, and sustainable agrifood systems. During the opening program on October 15, the UNDFF

Rural Radio: Voices for Change

Join the Global Family Farming Forum (15-18 October 2024) and tune into the Rural Radio livestreaming here: https://www.fao.org/communication-for-development/events/events-detail/rural-radio–voices-for-change/en The Global Family Farming Forum (15-18 October 2024) gathers global food champions to mark the Mid-Term of the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF). A vital element of this event is a fully operational radio station streaming live from the FAO headquarters, reaching out to rural audiences. Experienced rural radio broadcasters from