For centuries, farmers have cultivated sugarcane to produce sugar. This remarkable crop is of big importance as a cash crop for families and smallholders in developing countries. Sugarcane is mostly cultivated warm climates, therefore top producers are Brazil, India, China, Thailand, and Pakistan. The main purpose of its cultivation today is also sugar production. However, the use of sugarcane is expanding into the products such as ethanol and biofuel, biomass used for electricity, and bioplastics. While the average yield of sugarcane worldwide is close to 60 t/ha, some countries manage to pro ..read more

Outdoor farming and the growing of crops in soil has been practiced since the dawn of agriculture. Generations of farmers have used farming practices and available technology to grow crops that feed their families. Since it was announced by scientists that the global population has risen and will continue to do so rapidly, the need to develop a solution has become a matter of urgency and vital importance. Providing a food source for the escalating world population is not an easy job for farmers. Climate changes have led to unpredictable weather conditions. And to make their jobs more difficult ..read more

Millet is one of the oldest human foods and is believed to be the first domesticated cereal grain. Although is difficult to determine its exact origin, it’s believed that millet was domesticated in Africa and India. As one of the oldest cultivated crops, millet has been a staple food of semi-arid tropic areas for thousands of years. Millet as a Remarkable Crop The benefits of farming millet has been and will continue to be recognized throughout the years, as one of the a few crops that is able to, and currently does, support the world’s food supply. The millet is the most nutritious crop of al ..read more

Farming for Profit or Loss - Know Your Profitability At the end of a farming season, every farmer should be fully aware of the profitability and productivity of his agricultural production. Aiming to be productive, farmers are faced with many factors limiting a farm's productivity. Available land, cost of agricultural commodities, challenging weather conditions, problems with market access, poor knowledge and lack of new technologies all affect the performance of a farm. Farm productivity is important for many reasons; from providing more food, better competitiveness on the agricultural market ..read more

The Dirty Dozen - Food You Should Always Buy Organic Intensive farming is a common practice among farmers aiming to produce more food for the growing population. Intensive farming maximizes yields through various means such as heavy use of pesticides which tend to be used untimely, in too many applications and in too high of a dosage. Although the use of pesticides has its benefits, such as controlling or killing potential disease-causing organisms and insects, weeds and other pests which are directly reducing yield and increasing cost for the end consumers there are many drawbacks too: Gradu ..read more

Sustainable Farm Practice Closely Connected with Nature: Biodynamic Farming Intensive farm practices resulted in numerous negative environmental consequences affecting the most important farming resources—soil and water. Finding the right balance between the food production and the environment protection allowed sustainable farm practices to develop. The Origins of Biodynamic Farming In the 1920s, practicing farmers were concerned about the decline in seed fertility, crop vitality and animal health, all critical for sustainable farm practices. The search for these sustainable farm practices le ..read more

Sustainable Farm Practices for Rice Farming Rice is the third-largest crop production, after sugarcane and maize. The main producers of rice are the nations of China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Rice is a staple crop. More than half the people in the world, about 3.5 billion people, rely on its production. Not only is rice a key source of food but it is also good source of income for many smallholder farmers. The Challenges of Rice Production After the decades of remarkable production, the rice yield has slowed down. The rice yield potential is 10 t/ha, however, farmers manage ..read more

Corn, a Vital Staple Food in Africa Africa contributes the least to global warming than any other continent. However, it suffers greatly from some of the more serious impacts of climate changes. The statistics are shocking: Africa emits roughly 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, while the United States emits 23% of the total global greenhouse gasses. Unfortunately, along with Asia, Africa is the region where crop production is the most affected by climate change. Higher temperatures, reduced water supplies, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation all affect African farming significantly. Agr ..read more

Agroforestry Mitigates Climate Change Climate changes, as one of the biggest threats to a global food security, highly influence natural resources that are essential for crop production. Farming is not only affected by the impact of climate changes, but it's also a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Intensive farm practices that include both farm production and change of land use, directly affect the global carbon, water, and nutrient cycles. Farming, as a direct driver for 80% of global deforestation, also releases significant amounts of greenhouse gasses. Furthermore ..read more

Keyhole Gardens; Positive Impact on Food Security World hunger is a constant problem. It has been one of the most widely discussed topics in recent years. Rapidly increasing global population, limited natural resources, and climatic changes, has resulted in the need for a sustainable increase in food production. Scientists, governments, and organizations across the world are working together to bring innovations and good farming practices which will improve food production and farming, thus feeding the world. Unfortunately, despite all of those efforts, we are still faced with feeding 795 mill ..read more