Agroecology

Addressing agricultural labour issues is key to biodiversity-smart farming

There is an urgent need for agricultural development strategies that reconcile agricultural production and biodiversity conservation. This is especially true in the Global South where population growth is rapid and much of the world's remaining …

Forest proximity positively affects natural enemy mediated control of fall armyworm in Southern Africa

The fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major crop pest in southern Africa. It threatens the livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers in the region by negatively impacting maize yield. Although scientific evidence suggests …

Sparing or sharing land? Views from agricultural scientists

Increased agricultural production through both intensification and extensification is a major driver of the current biodiversity crisis. As a response, two contrasting approaches have been advocated; 'land sparing', which minimizes demand for …

More people, more trees: A reversal of deforestation trends in Southern Ethiopia

Despite global commitments to forest restoration, evidence of the pathways through which restoration creates social and ecological benefits remains limited. The objective of this paper is to provide empirical evidence to generate insights on the …

Agriculturally productive yet biodiverse: Human benefits and conservation values along a forest-agriculture gradient in Southern Ethiopia

Context- It remains unclear how agricultural landscapes can best serve multiple purposes such as simultaneously maintaining agricultural productivity and conserving biodiversity. Objectives - Our objective was to assess how important components of …

Agro-ecological options for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) management in sub-Saharan Africa: Providing low-cost, smallholder friendly solutions to an invasive pest

Fall armyworm (FAW), a voracious agricultural pest native to North and South America, was first detected on the African continent in 2016 and has subsequently spread throughout the continent and across Asia. It has been predicted that FAW could …

Low-Cost Management and Landscape Agronomic Practices Approaches to Control FAW

Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe

Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is an invasive lepidopteran pest established in most of sub-Saharan Africa since 2016. Although the immediate reaction of governments has been to invest in chemical pesticides, control methods …

Retaining forests within agricultural landscapes as a pathway to sustainable intensification: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia

There are increasing calls in Africa for 'sustainable intensification' of agriculture with the aim of increasing productivity whilst minimizing the negative environmental and social impacts. This paper questions whether adopting a landscape approach …

Soil organic matter underlies crop nutritional quality and productivity in smallholder agriculture

Global crop yield gains have not be associated with increases in the many macro- and micro-nutrients needed for a balanced human diet. There is thus growing interest in improving agricultural practices to increase nutrient availability to people. …