Social Protection and Agriculture: Safety Nets or Safety Traps?
Earlier this year there were riots in … Continued
Frank van Steenbergen & Femke van Woesik Language matters a lot. It is not only the words themselves but who controls their usage, who decides how to communicate, and whether to do this on equal terms. This control shapes the conversation, often leading to an uneven playing field where some voices are amplified while others are silenced. Those who steer language influence how ideas are framed and perceived, making certain concepts seem universally accepted or unavoidable. Nearly 30 years ago, Robert Chambers, in his work ‘Whose Reality Counts?’ highlighted this power dynamic and his insights remain powerful today. He argued that language plays a crucial role in shaping development outcomes. He contends that those in positions of power often dictate the terms and concepts used in development discourse. Imposed standards, such as "income poverty" or "employment," frequently fail to capture the complex realities on the ground. Chambers emphasized that this control over language often leads to policies that miss the… Continued
Earlier this year there were riots in … Continued
Importance of Rice Rice is a very important food crop, 50% of the total world population consumes rice. 90% of … Continued
by Dr. Helmut Eigenmann, Thin Waters/ Laboratory and Design My experiments with thin water layers and light are the base for … Continued
Securing the Future of a Culture of Resilience by Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock development (LPP) Nature’s … Continued
Who are pastoralists? Pastoralists are people who depend for their living primarily on livestock. They inhabit those parts of the … Continued
The use of video in agriculture and rural development is not new. Anyone with any interest in the sector would … Continued
Production of chemical fertilizers used in agricuture is highly energy-intensive. The lowest estimate is that at least 1% of all … Continued
This is a mousetrap (and a mouse in it, if you look closely) being used in Tigray, Ethiopia. The trap … Continued
posted by Abraham Abhishek June 20, 2012 Food aid is crucial for countries still working their way up the poverty … Continued
posted by Abraham Abhishek June 10, 2012 This shallow well in Woukro, Ethiopia seems to be shaped like the African … Continued
COP 17 is quietly underway in Durban, South Africa. Compared to previous rounds of global climate negotiations, there has been … Continued
posted by Lenneke Knoop May 25, 2012 This stone is used by the community in Witu, Kenya to clean their … Continued
Water-wise, Yemen is most commonly identified with scarce resources and arid landscapes. Less known are its longstanding, users-led groundwater management … Continued
Groundwater depletion has been a major cause of concern worldwide, most recently as a contributor to rising sea levels. According … Continued
Even as you read this, more than 12 million people struggle to cope with the worst effects of the famine … Continued
Imagine one big foreign company owning half the arable land in a country. This almost happened a couple of years … Continued
The 1977 UN Conference on Water, Mar del Plata, launched the era of collective action to address water-related issues. 33 … Continued