AsiaDHRRA Online

FrankenThursday brings this worrying article from NPR which says that “A survey of North Dakota has turned up hundreds of genetically modified canola plants growing along roads across the state.” Aint that scary? Apart from safety, health and ecological concerns this has legal ramifications as well, as GMO purveyors like Monsanto has  been known to [...]

The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)is proud to announce the launching of their first bi-annual e-newsletter in 2010 containing recent events, news and stories about their projects and activities.
Click here to read the newsletter…
Or better yet pay their website a visit here…

Here’s an interesting article we picked up over at IPS.

Franz Chávez interviews Bolivian expert in natural resource management WILFREDO QUIROZ
Wilfredo Quiroz / Credit:Franz Chávez/IPS
LA PAZ, Apr 3 , 2010 (IPS) – The gradual loss of traditional farming practices that preserve the land has pushed into extreme poverty small farmers in Bolivia who 20 years [...]

Here’s an interesting approach taken by IFAD in facilitating environmental protection.
Poor rural people manage vast areas of land and forest. They have the potential to be important players in protecting natural resources and providing important environmental services. An IFAD-supported project has helped build momentum and public interest in rewards for environmental services and has developed [...]

HungerWednesday shares this interesting article from Resurgence about how  the globalization of the food market has made food cheap but ironically has also caused hunger. Chanced upon this in our Facebook as shared by FB friend Imam Cahyono.

Cheap food causes hunger.
On its face, the statement makes no sense. If food is cheaper it’s more affordable [...]

HungerWednesday shares this disturbing news at Asia Sentinel we picked up from Manuel Quezon’s FB updates about the yet another rice crisis looming just up ahead.
“This year, I will not have enough rice to eat for the whole year,” says Kong Chanthorn, a rice farmer in Srayov Kharng Tbong village in Cambodia’s Kompong Thom province. [...]

WRF has released the latest brochure of the Campaign for an International Year of Family Farming. Click to download

Thanks again to our friend Jose Osaba for sharing this interesting book from TWN.
“THE world is now facing a new era of climate change and the impacts of climate change are already being felt everywhere, particularly in the developing countries and small islands. The local knowledge systems and agricultural practices and techniques adopted by local [...]

High Quality Products at Higher Prices: the Experience of TWADA which was presented by Dr. Wen Chi Hwang, General Secretary of the said organization during the 3rd LSFM RTW, explained about the experience of marketing based on product strength, quality, and competitive advantage. She narrated the history of TWADA as already having started with not [...]

Enhancing the Competitiveness of Small Farmers was presented by Mr. Jing Pacturan, Executive Director Philippines Development Assistance Program during the 3rd LSFM RTW. He started the session with a competitive game which simulated the dynamics of market in the real world. Based on the experience of the game, he drew the participants’ insights about [...]

Experiences of Small Cassava Farmers in Bukidnon, a presentation by Ms. Agnes Bolaños, Executive Director, Agri-Aqua Coalition for Development- Mindanao during the 3rd LSFM RTW, related about the case of Balugo farmers’ Multi-purpose Cooperative in supplying cassava chips and by-products to San Miguel Corporation, one of the biggest food and beverage processing company in the [...]

Well,  hens actually. Roosters are not welcome because of their crowing and they don’t lay eggs and don’t have good meat hehe. Farmfriday brings this interesting article from MSNBC about raising chickens in the city. While this may seem novel in modern western cities, this may not be so in most asian cities. Still its an [...]

Here’s an interesting bit we stumbled upon on MSNBC about urban farming in New York City, USA. As the worldwide trend towards urbanization continues to roll on, the prospects of urban farming becomes more and more evident, if not, a practical necessity.  I like this quote from the rooftop farmer “Food comes from not only [...]

A good read we stumbled upon. HungerWednesday thinks this is good to reflect on…
This is the award-winning article John Robbins originally wrote for the best-selling 2001 book Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century.
It’s the year 2030. A meal is served. It was quick to prepare, just a few seconds in the food [...]

Okay, i kid you not, now you can actually construct your house using cow dung bricks! 
FarmFriday brings this cool technology developed by the cool guys and gals of  EcoFaeBrick, an Indonesian organization set up to tackle the problem of excessive waste in farming areas.