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Are Mobile Phones Helping Farmers?

Mobile phones are increasingly cited as a game changing tool in rural development and agricultural extension. A survey by CIMMYT, however, finds that information provided via mobile is often generic and limited. Experts say dynamic databases of individualized data are needed to make the information useful and effective. http://blog.cimmyt.org/?p=11074  

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Focus On: Building Infrastructure in Africa

This Farming First blog post highlights the urgent need to improve infrastructure in Africa, where less than 50% of the rural population live close to adequate roads. Authors point to better infrastructure as a key means to reducing postharvest losses. http://www.farmingfirst.org/2013/08/focus-on-building-infrastructure-in-africa/

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Food Security Strategies Need to Focus on Demand

Public debate over the future of food security has spiked as comments made by Tesco CEO Philip Clarke and UK Global Food Security programme Professor Tim Benton raise concerns over availability and affordability of food in coming decades. This post echoes the message of Benton and others that food waste and food loss must be […]

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How to Prevent Hunger in Upcoming Decades? Try Precision Agriculture

IBM Chief Scientist says precision agriculture can help change the future of farming to feed a population of 9.2 billion in 2050. An IBM technology, Deep Thunder, can forecast future weather conditions and help farmers decide the best time to plant, irrigate, and harvest. Precise and predictive information can prevent losses in ways such as […]

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Global Crop Yields Fail to Keep Pace with Demand

According to a study by researchers at the Institute on the Environment from the University of Minnesota, it is very likely the world will experience famine without an increase in agricultural research. Experts believe yields of major crops are not keeping pace with the food demands of a growing population. http://www.scidev.net/global/food-security/news/global-crop-yields-fail-to-keep-pace-with-demand.html

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Curbing Maize Postharvest Losses Key to Attaining Food Security in Kenya

The International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) paired with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) to organize a training course on postharvest management. Kenya experiences an estimated 40% loss of staple grains, which poses great challenges to the country’s food security and economic development. http://blog.cimmyt.org/?p=10681

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When Food Storage Can Become Food Security

A social reporter for the African Agriculture Science Week blogs on the importance of storage for smallholder farmers to increase food security. The post describes the role of technologies such as silos and solar dryers, and describes ways to make low-cost storage options to fit farmers’ needs. http://aasw6.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/when-food-storage-can-become-food-security/#more-879

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Once Upon A Village Value Chain in Africa

The Deputy Director for Agriculture for Impact, Michael Hoevel, writes about rural transformations he witnesses during a visit to a Kenyan village. Hoevel stresses the impact of value chain activities on productivity, income generation, and food security in describing the work of several organizations focused on this type of intervention. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-hoevel/once-upon-a-village-value_b_3585450.html

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Commentary – Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: Promoting a New Era of Innovation for Agricultural Development

Michael Howevel, Deputy Director for Agriculture for Impact, remarks on the presence of a ‘quiet revolution’ in the agricultural sector, with the ‘science-technology-innovation nexus’ that will be the future of agricultural development. His graphic shows the two-sided nature of innovation, which includes development and education, access and feedback. http://globalfoodforthought.typepad.com/global-food-for-thought/2013/06/commentary-let-a-hundred-flowers-bloom-promoting-a-new-era-of-innovation-for-agricultural-developmen.html

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Waste Not Want Not: A Weapon for Food Security

Betty Bugusu, Ph.D., Managing Director of the International Food Technology Center at Purdue University, gave a TED talk focused around food security and reducing loss. The talk featured Purdue’s dissemination of ‘Incubation Centers’. http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2013/06/29/waste-not-want-not-a-weapon-for-food-security/  

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