Monthly Archives: July 2011

It might take you seconds to turn on a tap and get running water or it might take you four hours to and from a pond to fetch muddy water (IRIN News)

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93265 ETHIOPIA: Great trek for water in the south Slideshow : http://www.irinnews.org/photo/?id=26 (Ethiopia: A journey for water) BORENA (OROMIYA REGION), 19 July 2011 (IRIN) – For many people, access to water is a mere turn of the … Continue reading →

Posted in boreholes / wells, drinking water, Water

‘Water gel’ promises bumper harvest in dry spell (African Agriculture / Business Daily Africa)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/kenya-newly-introduced-water-gel.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29 Kenya: Newly-introduced ‘water gel’ promises bumper harvest in dry spell by Bob Koigi Business Daily Africa Agropreneurs are halving irrigation and getting better results during dry spells, thanks to a new product that is creating water … Continue reading →

Posted in soil conditioning

Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa (African Agriculture)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/book-biofuels-land-grabbing-and-food.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29 Book: Biofuels, Land Grabbing and Food Security in Africa Editors: Prosper B. Matondi, Kjell Havnevik and Atakilte Beyene About: The issue of biofuels has already been much debated, but the focus to date has largely been … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate / climate change, energy/bioenergy/biofuels, food / food security, land grab

Less water, more biomass with the Buried Diffuser-drip irrigation technology (African Agriculture)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/buried-diffuser-improved-drip.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29 The Buried Diffuser, an improved drip irrigation technique by Chahbani Bellachheb Drip irrigation is today worldwide known as a good irrigation water saving technique. But there is a new worldwide patented technology tested in farmers fields … Continue reading →

Posted in drip irrigation, water conservation / harvesting

Vertical farms in Suwon, South Korea (Treehugger)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/lettuce-look-at-a-working-vertical-farm-korea.php?campaign=daily_nl Real Live Vertical Farm Built In South Korea, Churning Out Lettuce by Lloyd Alter, Toronto We have been showing conceptual vertical farms for years, but in Suwon, South Korea they have one working and producing vegetables. … Continue reading →

Posted in vertical gardening

China’s practice of buying up land contributing to the devastating drought (African Agriculture)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/german-official-blames-chinese-land.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29 German official blames Chinese land buys for Africa drought Germany’s Africa policy coordinator on Thursday blamed China’s practice of buying up land in the Horn of Africa for contributing to the devastating drought ravaging the region. … Continue reading →

Posted in Desertification, drought, land / land degradation, land grab

Kenya : villagers are killing the animals, rather than see them die in the extreme drought (African Agriculture)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/07/kenyan-herders-kill-animals-as-drought.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29 Kenyan herders kill animals as drought worsens Butchered sheep and goats are strung up in a thorn tree ready for cooking in this remote north Kenyan village, as though the people are preparing a giant celebration … Continue reading →

Posted in drought, livestock, Pastoralism / animal husbandry

Harvesting flushed nutrients (allAfrica / AfricaFiles)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=25492 South Africa: Harvesting nutrients that are flushed away Summary & Comment: Intensive agriculture requires fertilizer, much of which often ends up flushed into rivers. And with an estimated 30 per cent of household water in Durban … Continue reading →

Posted in fertilizer - nutrients

Burkina Faso : “Operation 100,000 Ploughs” (AfricaFiles / IPS)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=25494 Burkina Faso: Big boost for small agricultural producers Summary & Comment: A project called “Operation 100,000 Ploughs” has been created in Burkina Faso in response to demands for support from small family farms in the country. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, family farming, small-scale farming

Struggle : women profiting from their land, othen through the use of eco-friendly methods (AfricaFiles / IPS)

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

Read at : http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=25505 Africa: The struggle for women to own land Summary & Comment: Corruption, gender-insensitive laws and cultural impediments bar women from owning land in many countries in Africa. And the situation is far from ideal in countries … Continue reading →

Posted in gender, land management, land tenure