Putting nature back into agriculture

Save and Grow farming model launched by FAO
13 June 2011, Rome - FAO today announced the launch of a major new initiative intended to produce more food for a growing world population in an environmentally sustainable way.

FAO's call for sustainable crop production intensification, more than half a century after the Green Revolution of the 1960s, is contained in a new book, Save and Grow published by FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division.

Smallholder farmers
The new approach calls for targeting mainly smallholder farmers in developing countries. Helping low-income farm families in developing countries – some 2.5 billion people – economize on cost of production and build healthy agro-ecosystems will enable them to maximize yields and invest the savings in their health and education.

Green Revolution technology saved an estimated one billion people from famine and produced more than enough food for a world population that doubled from three to six billion between 1960 and 2000.

Rural poverty in India

The number of poor people in India, according to the country’s Eleventh National Development Plan, amounts to more than 300 million. The country has been successful in reducing the proportion of poor people from about 55 per cent in 1973 to about 27 per cent in 2004.

But almost one third of the country’s population of more than 1.1 billion continues to live below the poverty line, and a large proportion of poor people live in rural areas. Poverty remains a chronic condition for almost 30 per cent of India’s rural population. The incidence of rural poverty has declined somewhat over the past three decades as a result of rural to urban migration.
Poverty is deepest among members of scheduled castes and tribes in the country's rural areas. In 2005 these groups accounted for 80 per cent of poor rural people, although their share in the total rural population is much smaller.
On the map of poverty in India, the poorest areas are in parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

Large numbers of India's poorest people live in the country's semi-arid tropical region. In this area shortages of water and recurrent droughts impede the transformation of agriculture that the Green Revolution has achieved elsewhere. There is also a high incidence of poverty in flood-prone areas such as those extending from eastern Uttar Pradesh to the Assam plains, and especially in northern Bihar.
Poverty affects tribal people in forest areas, where loss of entitlement to resources has made them even poorer. In coastal fishing communities people's living conditions are deteriorating because of environmental degradation, stock depletion and vulnerability to natural disasters.
A major cause of poverty among India’s rural people, both individuals and communities, is lack of access to productive assets and financial resources. High levels of illiteracy, inadequate health care and extremely limited access to social services are common among poor rural people. Microenterprise development, which could generate income and enable poor people to improve their living conditions, has only recently become a focus of the government.

Women in general are the most disadvantaged people in Indian society, though their status varies significantly according to their social and ethnic backgrounds. Women are particularly vulnerable to the spread of HIV/AIDS from urban to rural areas. In 2005 an estimated 5.7 million men, women and children in India were living with HIV/AIDS. Most of them are in the 15-49 age group and almost 40 per cent of them, or 2.4 million in 2008, are women (National AIDS Control Organisation).
Source: IFAD

International Agricultural Organizations

	FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization
	CGAIR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
	Africa Rice Center
	Bioversity International
	CIAT - Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical
	CIFOR - Center for International Forestry Research
	CIMMYT - Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo
	CIP - Centro Internacional de la Papa
	ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
	ICRISAT - International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
	IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute
	IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
	ILRI - International Livestock Research Institute
	IRRI - International Rice Research Institute
	IWMI - International Water Management Institute
	World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
	World Fish Centre

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

http://www.icar.org.in/en/krishi-vigyan-kendra.htm

ICAR Institutions, Deemed Universities, National Research Centres

http://www.icar.org.in/en/node/325

Agricultural Universities in India

S.No.	Name, email & website	Address	Telephone/Fax No.
1	Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University Website: http://www.angrau.net Email: angrau_vc@yahoo.com, raghuvardhanreddy_s@rediffmail.com	Adminstrative Office, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad-500030, Andhra Pradesh	040-24015035, 24013095 Fax: 040-24015031
2	Anand Agricultural University Website: http://www.aau.in Email: vc@aau.in, vc_aau@yahoo.com	Anand 388110, Gujarat	02692-261273 Fax: 02692-261520
3	Assam Agricultural University Website: http://www.aau.ac.in Email: vc@aau.ac.in, ssb@aau.ac.in	Jorhat 785013, Assam	0376-2340013 Fax: 0376-2340001
4	Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Website: http://www.bckv.edu.in Email: vcbckv@vsnl.net	Mohanpur, Nadia-741252, West Bengal	033-25879772, 03473-222666 Fax:03473-222275
5	Birsa Agricultural University Website: http://www.baujharkhand.org Email: vc_bau@rediffmail.com	Kanke, Ranchi-834006, Jharkhand	0651-2450500 Fax:0651-2450850
6	Central Agricultural University Website:http://www.cau.org.in Email: snpuri04@yahoo.co.in, snpuri@rediffmail.com	P.O. Box 23, Imphal-795004, Manipur	0385-2415933 Fax:0385-2410414
7	Chandra Shekar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology Website:http://www.csauk.ac.in Email: vc@csauk.ac.in, surivkgreatmaster@yahoo.com	Kanpur-208002, Uttar Pradesh	0512-2534155, 2533843 Fax:0512-2533808
8	Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University Website:http://www.hau.ernet.in Email: vc@hau.ernet.in	Hisar-125004, Haryana	01662-231640 Fax:01662-234952
9	CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya Website: http://www.hillagric.ernet.in Email: vc@hillagric.ernet.in	Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh	01894-230521 Fax:01894-230465
10	Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth Website: www.dbskkv.org Email: vcbskkv@yahoo.co.in	Dapoli Distt, Ratnagiri 415 712, Maharashtra	02358-282064 Fax:02358-282074
11	Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth Website: http://www.pdkv.ac.in Email: vc@pdkv.ac.in	Krishinagar,Akola-444104, Maharashtra	0724-2258365 Fax:0724-2258219
12	Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar Univ of Horticulture & Forestry Website: http://www.yspuniversity.ac.in Email: vc@yspuniversity.ac.in, vcuhf@yahoo.com	Solan, Nauni-173230, Himachal Pradesh	01792-252363 Fax:01792-252242
13	Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology Website: http://www.gbpuat.ac.in Email: pl_gautam@yahoo.com, vc@gbpuat.ernet.in	Pantnagar-263145,Distt Udham Singh , Nagar , Uttaranchal	05944-233333, 233663 Fax: 05944-233350,233833
14	Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University Website: http://www.gadvasu.in Email:	Ludhiana - 141004, Punjab	0161-255360 Fax:
15	Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Website: www.igau.edu.in Email: hazracr@yahoo.co.in	Krishak Nagar, Raipur-492012, Chhattisgarh	0771-2443419 Fax:0771-2442302
16	Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Viswavidyalaya Website: http://www.jnkvv.nic.in Email: dpsingh_jnkvv@yahoo.co.in	Jabalpur-482004, Madhya Pradesh	0761-2681706 Fax:0761-2681389
17	Junagadh Agricultural University Website: http://www.jau.in Email: vc@jau.in	Junagadg-362001, Gujarat	0285-2671784 Fax:0285-2672004
18	Kerala Agricultural University Website: http://www.kau.edu Email: vckau@sancharnet.in	Vellanikara, Trichur 680656, Kerala	0487-2371928, 2370034 Fax:0487-2370019
19	Maharana Pratap Univ. of Agriculture & Technology Website: http://www.mpuat.ac.in Email: vc@mpuat.ac.in, vcmpuat@yahoo.co.in	Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001	0294-2471101 Fax:0294-2470682
20	Maharashtra Animal Science & Fishery University Website: http://www.mafsu.in Email: atsherikar@hotmail.com, mafsul@hotmail.com	Seminary Hills, Nagpur-440006, Maharashtra	0712-2511282 Fax:0712-2511282
21	Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth Website: http://mpkv.mah.nic.in Email: vc.mpkv@nic.in	Rahuri-413722, Maharashtra	02426-243208 Fax:02426-243302
22	Marathwada Agricultural University Website: http://www.mkv2.mah.nic.in Email: vcmau@rediffmail.com, vc@mkv2.g8.net	Parbhani-431402, Maharashtra	02452-223002 Fax:02452-223582
23	Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology Website:http://www.nduat.ernet.in Email: nduat@up.nic.in, smilyas@sify.com	Kumarganj, Faizabad -224229, Uttar Pradesh	05270-262097, 262161 Fax:05270-262097
24	Navsari Agricultural University Website: http://www.nau.in Email: vc_2004@yahoo.co.in	Navsari-396450 Gujarat	02673-283869 Fax:02673-284254
25	Orissa Univ. of Agriculture & Technology Website: http://www.ouat.ac.in Email: vcouat@indiatimes.com, bsenapati1942@yahoo.com	Bhubaneshwar-751003, Orissa	0674-2392677 Fax:0674-2391780
26	Punjab Agricultural University Website: http://www.pau.edu Email: vcpau@pau.edu	Ludhiana-141004, Punjab	0161-2401794 Fax:0161-2402483
27	Rajasthan Agricultural University Website: http://www.raubikaner.org Email: vcrau@raubikaner.org	Bikaner-334006,Rajasthan	0151-2250443, 2250488 Fax:0151-2250336
28	Rajendra Agricultural University Website: http://www.pusavarsity.org.in Email: : vcrau@sify.com	Pusa, Samastipur 848125, Bihar	06274-240226 Fax:06274-240255
29	Sardarkrushinagar-Dantiwada Agricultural University Website: http://www.sdau.edu.in Email: vc@sdau.edu.in	Sardar Krushinagar, Distt Banaskantha, Gujarat-385506	02748-278222, 278444 Fax:02748-,278261
30	Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel Univ. of Agriculture & Technology Website: http://www.svbpuniversitymerut.org Email: yadav_mp@hotmail.com	Modipuram, Meerut - 250110 Uttar Pradesh	0121-2411522, 2411503 Fax:0121-2411505
31	Sher-E-Kashmir Univ of Agricultural Sciences & Technology Website: http://www.skuast.org Email:	Railway Road, Jammu 180012, J&K	0191-2473883, 2471745, 2473417 Fax:0191-2473883
32	Sher-E-Kashmir Univ of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir Website: http://www.skuastkashmir.ac.in Email: anwar_alam@jk.nic.in, vcskuastk@jk.nic.in	Shalimar Campus, Shrinagar-191121, Jammu & Kashmir	0194-2462160, 2462159 Fax:0194-2462160, 2461543
33	Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University Website:http://www.vetversitytirupati.gov.in Email:	Admn office, Regional Library Building, Tirupati-517502	0877-2248986 Fax:0877-2248986
34	Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Website: http://www.tnau.ac.in Email: vc@tnau.ac.in	Coimbatore-641003, Tamil Nadu	0422-2431788, 2431672 Fax:0422-2431672
35	Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Science University Website: http://www.tanuvas.tn.nic.in Email: vctanuvas@vsnl.com	Chennai-600051, Tamilnadu	044-25551574 Fax:0444-225551576
36	University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore Website: http://uasbng.kar.nic.in Email: mnsheelavantar@yahoo.co.in, uas-vc@uasblr.kar.nic.in	GKVK,Bangalore-560065, Karnataka	080-23332442 Fax:080-23330277
37	University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad Website: http://www.uasd.edu Email: jhkulkarni@yahoo.co.in	Dharwad-580005, Karnataka	0836-2447783, 9448495300 Fax:0836-2448349
38	UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwa Vidhyalaya evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan Website: http://www.upvetuniv.edu.in Email: mlmadan@hotmail.com	Mathura-281001 , Uttar Pradesh	0565-2503499 Fax:0565-2404819
39	Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya Website:http://www.ubkv.ac.in Email:	P.O. Pundibari, Dist. Coach Bihar-736165,West Bengal	03582-270141 Fax:03582-270249
40	West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences Website:http://www.wbuafscl.ac.in Email: wbuafs@wb.nic.in	68 KB Sarani, Kolkata-700037, West Bengal	033-25563450 Fax:033-25571986
41	Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University Website: http://www.kvafsu.kar.nic.in http://www.kvafsu.edu.in Email: vckvafsu@yahoo.co.in dekvafsub@yahoo.com	Nandinagar, PB No 6, BIDAR 585401, Karnataka	08482-245264, 245313 Fax:08482- 245241, 245313
42	University of Agricultural Sciences Website: http://www.uasraichur.edu.in Email: souasr09@redifffmail.com vcuasraichur10@rediffmail.com	Lingasugur Road, Raichur – 584101 Karnataka	08532-221444 Fax: 08532- 220444
43	University of Horticultural Sciences Website: http://uhsbagalkot.edu.in/ Email:	Sector No 60 Navanagar Bagalkot 587102 Karnataka	08354 201354 Fax: 08354 235154
44	Andhra Pradesh Horticultural University Website: http://www.aphu.edu.in Email: vcaphu@gmail.com	DCC Bank Buildings, PB No 7 Tadepalligudem 534101 West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh	08818-222191 Fax: 08818-222190
45	Rajmata Vijayraje Sciendia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya Website: http://www.rvskvv.nic.in Email: vcrvskvv@gmail.com	Race Cource Road, Gwalior 474002 Madhya Pradesh	0751-2467673 Fax: 0751-2467673
46	Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Website: http://rajuvas.org Email: vcrajuvas@gmail.com	Bikaner, Rajasthan	0151-2543419
47	Bihar Agricultural College Website: http://www.bausabour.org.in Email: vcbausabour@gmail.com	Sabour, Bhagalpur 813210, Bihar	0641-2452606

FAO Food Price Index

http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/en/

International prices of agricultural commodities drop

But high prices of non-cereal products still keep food import bills high, especially in developing countries

3 June 2010, Rome - International prices of key food staples have dropped during the first five months of 2010 according to the latest edition of FAO's biannual Food Outlook report, released today.


The FAO Food Price Index averaged 164 points in May 2010, down from 174 points in January and substantially less than its peak of 214 in the spring of 2008, the report notes.

A fall in international prices of cereals and sugar were among the main drivers behind this decline. Sugar prices have tumbled by half from their peak at the beginning of the year under prospects of significant production increases.

Personal and household hygiene

FACT                                                                                       

Good hygiene prevents diseases

Many illnesses, especially diarrhoea, come from germs found in human and animal faeces. These germs are very small and are not visible to our eyes.

Germs cause illness when they get into the mouth through food, water, dirty hands, dirty utensils or dirty surfaces used for preparing and serving food.

Just rinsing fingers with water is not enough. To kill germs, both hands need to be rubbed with water and soap or ash.

A dirty environment attracts flies, cockroaches, rats and mice which spread germs. A household needs to be kept clean to stop the spread of germs and protect all the family from illness.

Good hygiene practices that prevent the spread of germs include:
o disposing safely of all faeces, ideally using a toilet or latrine
o washing hands with soap (or ash) and clean water
o using clean water from a safe source
o disposing safely of household refuse, e.g. burning, burying, recycling,
composting etc.
o keeping animal faeces away from the house, paths, wells, streams and
children’s play areas.

ACT                                                                       

Follow good hygiene practices to prevent illness

 Only use water from a safe source. Safe water sources are water pipes, tubewells,
protected dug-wells and springs. Use clean, covered containers to collect
and store water. Wash your hands before collecting water.

 Build handwashing habits in the family. Make sure that all the family, including
children, wash their hands with clean water and soap (or ashes):

o after using the toilet

o after cleaning a child’s bottom (or any other contact with human excreta)

o before handling and eating food

o before feeding children (make sure they wash their hands too)

o after contact with sick people (e.g. feeding, washing)

o after touching or handling animals.

FACT SHEET 1                          

 Dry hands by shaking and rubbing them together or using a clean towel that is kept only for this purpose.

 All the family should keep their bodies clean through regular bathing and laundering. In particular, children’s faces should be washed regularly and thoroughly with clean water to prevent eye infections.

Keep your house and yard clean to stop the spread of germs that carry illness

Dispose of all faeces safely:

o Use a toilet or latrine and keep it clean and free of flies.
o Teach small children to use a potty. Put children’s faeces in the latrine.
o If it is not possible to use a toilet or latrine, the faeces should be buried
immediately. Everyone should always defecate well away from houses, paths,water sources and places where children play.
Keep the surrounding area of the house free from animal faeces and other rubbish.
Put rubbish in a covered bin, bury it or burn it, so it does not attract flies and other pests.

OTHER IMPORTANT TIPS    

BE CAREFUL! Make sure there is no water where mosquitoes can breed (e.g.ponds, containers). Outside the house, cover water barrels and turn empty containers upside down so they do not collect water.

PASS IT ON! Train your children to practise good hygiene. For instance, show them how and when to wash hands and how to keep the environment clean. Build daily habits.

CHECK that your children’s school has proper handwashing facilities and latrines.

Family Nutrition Guide

This guide is for everyone who wants to improve the feeding and nutrition of families in developing countries. It is for you if you are a health worker, nutritionist, agricultural extension worker or any other kind of development worker. It is for you if you are a member of a community group or a mother or other caregiver who wants to know more about family feeding. It might also be useful to anyone training health staff and community workers.
If you do not have a basic knowledge of nutrition and feel uncomfortable dealing with some technical parts of the guide, we suggest that you team up with local professionals so they can give you help when you need it.

The purpose of the guide is to:

•provide the information needed to prepare good, nutritious and safe meals and feed each member of the family well;

•motivate people to adopt healthy eating habits.

The guide is divided into 11 topics that cover basic nutrition, family food security, meal planning, food hygiene and the special feeding needs of children, women and men, and of old, sick and malnourished people. Each Topic is set out in the same way and has two parts: Nutrition notes and Sharing this information.

The Nutrition notes summarizes up-to-date knowledge on each topic. These can be used to prepare:

•face-to-face education sessions with families and other community-level groups (including teachers, care workers, traditional health workers, etc.);

•nutrition education print materials (such as booklets, brochures, flyers, posters) or material for other media (such as radio talks);

•training materials for different levels of staff in different sectors who deal with family nutrition.


14 Fact Sheets                     


•Personal and household hygiene

•Keeping food safe and clean

•Functions of foods

•A healthy diet

•Iron makes our bodies strong

•Vitamin A keeps our bodies healthy

•Iodine makes our bodies function properly

•Food for pregnant and breastfeeding women

•Feeding babies aged 0-6 months

•Feeding young children aged over 6 months

•Feeding school-age children and youth

•Food and care for older people

•Feeding sick people

•Preventing and managing malnutrition