There is increasing demand for institutional reform in the agricultural sciences. This paper presents lessons from the content and directions in soil science research in India, to make a case for institutional reform in the agricultural sciences. It demonstrates how existing institutional and organizational contexts shape the research content of the soil sciences and its sub-disciplines. These contexts also shape the capacity of the soil sciences to understand and partner with other components of the wider natural resource management (NRM) innovation systems.

There are divergent views on what capacity development might mean in relation to agricultural biotechnology. The core of this debate is whether this should involve the development of human capital and research infrastructure, or whether it should encompass a wider range of activities which also include developing the capacity to use knowledge productively. This paper uses the innovation systems concept to shed light on this discussion, arguing that it is innovation capacity rather than science and technology capacity that has to be developed.

Iron deficiency is a widespread nutritional problem in developing countries, causing impaired physical activity and cognitive development, as well as maternal mortality. Although food fortification and supplementation programmes have been effective in some countries, their overall success remains limited. Biofortification, that is, breeding crops for higher micronutrient content, is a relatively new approach. We propose a methodology for ex-ante impact assessment of iron biofortification, which builds on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and a large household data set.

This presentation is from the Global FFS webinar series on Climate Change, “Session 2: Equipping Farmers for Climate Action: Key Concepts and Tools for FFS.” The document presents a case study on the Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS) approach and illustrates how it can be used as an “innovative curriculum responding to climate change.”

This present and explain key concepts related to climate change.

The first presentation, “Overview of Climate Change” by W. Pieter Pauw (Eindhoven University of Technology), explains what the greenhouse effect is, its causes, and its consequences for the environment.
The second presentation, “What Do Farmers Need to Know About Climate Change to Take Action?” by Brent M. Simpson (FAO Consultant), explains the impacts of climate change on agriculture and outlines the different adaptation and mitigation measures and tools available to farmers.

This is a case study conducted in Senegal, designed to address one key question: What do farmers already understand about climate change?

This is a learning modules and exercises that Farmer Field School practitioners can use with farming communities for community-based adaptation planning.