Curated Content

Overview of Integrated Manure Management Integrated Manure Management is the optimal handling of livestock manure from collection, through storage and treatment up to application (crops and aquaculture). Through this process it is possible to prevent nutrient losses to a large extent under the site-specific circumstances. Healthy soils produce more food and are more resilient to climate change. Manure contains nutrients and organic matter essential for good soil fertility and soil health. Manure is a valuable resource of crop fertilizer, soil amendment and renewable energy. Manure is not a waste; not properly using manure is a waste.

Genetics makes use of natural variation among animals. Selecting preferred animals as parents can yield permanent and cumulative improvements in the population. More efficient animals can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and feed costs. Breeding, including cross-breeding between indigenous and imported species, can also improve resilience to diseases and heat stress and increase reproductive performance.

Improving milk production in East Africa faces multiple constraints, however lack of farmer understandingof the productive cows’ nutritional needs – and how to satisfy them – are frequently a “ rst-limiting”consideration. In recognition of this an intensive, four week training has been developed to improve farmer understanding and ability in this critical area. This manual forms the underlying learning material for this course and is also designed as a reference resource for all course participants.

This manual is primarily a working guide (Part I) for diagnosing, treating and preventing common food animal diseases, for proper feeding of food animals and for useful husbandry practices for raising healthy and productive food animals. It also contains guidelines (Part II) addressed to primary animal health care worker's trainers and supervisors and Part III contains guidelines for adapting the manual to different conditions in various countries.

Quick and easy to read, the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) country profiles give an overview of the agricultural challenges in countries around the world, and how CSA can help them adapt to and mitigate climate change. Developed by CIAT and CCAFS, in partnership with the World Bank, Costa Rica’s CATIE, and USAID’s Bureau for Food Security, the majority cover Latin America, as well as part of Africa and South Asia.

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to address the interlinked challenges of food
security and climate change, and has three objectives: (1) sustainably increasing agricultural
productivity, to support equitable increases in farm incomes, food security and development;
(2) adapting and building resilience of agricultural and food security systems to climate
change at multiple levels; and (3) reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
(including crops, livestock and fisheries). This paper examines 19 CSA case studies, to assess
their effectiveness in achieving the stated objectives of CSA, while also assessing other cobenefits,
economic costs and benefits, barriers to adoption, success factors, and gender and
social inclusion issues. The analysis concludes that CSA interventions can be highly effective,
achieving the three CSA objectives, while also generating additional benefits in a costeffective
and inclusive manner. However, this depends on context specific project design and
implementation, for which institutional capacity is key. The paper also identifies serious gaps
in data availability and comparability, which restricts further analysis.

This brief focuses on the challenges in making climate-smart agricultural production work for the poor, who will be the most vulnerable to climate impacts. It offers recommendations to overcome constraints, as even small management changes can have significant income and livelihood benefits.

This edition of The State of Food and Agriculture addresses Women in agriculture: closing the gender gap for development. The agriculture sector is underperforming in many developing countries, and one of the key reasons is that women do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. This report clearly confirms that the Millennium Development Goals on gender equality (MDG3) and poverty and food security (MDG1) are mutually reinforcing. We must promote gender equality and empower women in agriculture to win, sustainably, the fight against hunger and extreme poverty. I firmly believe that achieving MDG 3 canhelp us achieve MDG 1.

Climate finance fundamentals present short introductory briefings on various aspects of international climate finance, designed for readers new to this critical area. In light of the fast pace of developments in climate finance, the briefs allow the reader to gain a better understanding of the quantity and quality of financial flows going to developing countries. 

Climate finance remains central to achieving low-carbon, climate resilient development. The global climate finance architecture is complex and always evolving. Funds flow through multilateral channels – both within and outside of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Financial Mechanism – and increasingly through bilateral, as well as through regional and national climate change channels and funds. Monitoring the flows of climate finance is difficult, as there is no agreed definition of what constitutes climate finance or consistent accounting rules. The wide range of climate finance mechanisms continues to challenge coordination. But efforts to increase inclusiveness and complementarity as well as to simplify access continue.

Faced with the triple challenges of achieving food security, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and reducing emissions, agriculture has been prioritized by countries as a sector for climate action. The national process of formulating and implementing National Adaptation Plans, which gives effect to the ambitions set out in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions of countries, is a key instrument that will not only facilitate access to resources, but also advance best practice and implementation of proven and effective adaptation actions. In order to support countries in the elaboration of their National Adaptation Plans, this paper aims to tap into agricultural research for development conducted by CGIAR Centers and research programs, to identify best bet innovations for adaptation in agriculture, which can help achieve food security under a changing climate, while also delivering co-benefits for environmental sustainability, nutrition and livelihoods.