ComDev News

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

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

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) announced the winner and finalists of the Innovations for and by Family Farmer Video Contest, which are from Latin America and Asia, on its website on September 30, 2024. Titled “Between beehives and roots, the story of a farming family in northern Chile,” the winning entry was about a beekeeper and fruit farmer named Aroldo Gaete, who is passionate and dedicated about

In 2024, the UNDFF is at its halfway point. To mark this important milestone, a Global Family Farming Forum will be held at FAO Headquarters between 15 and 18 October 2024. Co-organized by FAO and IFAD, the event will celebrate family farming as the backbone of diverse, innovative and dynamic agrifood systems; identify policy innovations that support family farming and showcase examples of successful experiences from all over the world.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) has recently released five publications on rural communication services. Rural Communication Services (RCS) include a wide range of communication processes, activities, media applications, and institutional arrangements to respond to the communication needs of family farmers and the rural population. In collaboration with CCComDev and regional Communication for Development initiatives such as ComDev Asia, YenKasa Africa, and Onda Rural, multiple efforts are being

In an interview with Radio Central Ferroviaria in Argentina on August 24, Gissela Dávila, the general director of the International Center for Advanced Studies in Communication for Latin America (CIESPAL), discussed the work of Onda Rural and its advocacies addressing development issues such as food sovereignty and family farming. Dávila emphasized the significance of establishing communication networks among community media in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also highlighted the

Yenkasa Africa celebrated International Youth Day 2024 on August 12, which had the theme “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” This was aligned with the platform’s mission of achieving food security through innovative digital solutions. Yenkasa Africa also recognizes how young people, as digital natives, can become catalysts of change in the current digital age. Three of its ComDev programs that engage the youth sector to

The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) held its inaugural Young Farmers Camp and Agrilympics (YFCA) in the Philippines on August 12-16, 2024, at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna.  The event was organized in collaboration with the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) and the Pacific Farmer Organization (PFO) and supported by various government and non-government agencies, such as ComDev Asia. It aimed to

If you missed this year’s IAMCR conference, here is your chance to watch the presentations of the recipients of the IAMCR (International Association for Media and Communication Research)/FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Rural Communication Services (RCS) Research Awards during the 2024 IAMCR Conference held in Christchurch, New Zealand on July 4, 2024. The RCS awardees Ibnu Budiman of Bogor Agriculture University, Indonesia was recognized for his

Over 20 abstract papers exploring decolonizing communication as a theme were lined up for presentation during the Rural Communication (RUC) panel sessions at the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Conference 2024 at Christchurch, New Zealand last June 30 to July 4, 2024. The abstracts presented by the RUC Working Group emphasized the intersection between technology, culture, and communication in addressing the unique needs and challenges of different