FAO Publications

Save and Grow: Cassava - A guide to sustainable production intensification - 2013-01-20

The adoption of “Save and Grow” agriculture will require significant improvements in the provision of extension, inputs and production credit to small-scale producers. Moreover, FAO recognizes that improved productivity may not bring about sustainable, long-term development outcomes: a major effort is needed to integrate smallholders into higher levels of value addition. Transforming cassava into a multipurpose subsector that generates income, diversifies economies and ensures food for all will require political commitment, investment, institutional support and a demand-driven approach to technology development.

This guide will be a valuable resource for policymakers in assessing how a dynamic cassava sector can help them to achieve their goals of poverty alleviation, economic development and food security, and of practical use to agricultural researchers, technicians and other professionals in preparing programmes for sustainable cassava production intensification.

Cassava - A Guide to Sustainable Production Intensification - 2013-01-20

Cassava is a tropical root crop, originally from Amazonia, that provides the staple food of an estimated 800 million people worldwide. Grown almost exclusively by low-income, smallholder farmers, it is one of the few staple crops that can be produced efficiently on a small scale, without the need for mechanization or purchased inputs, and in marginal areas with poor soils and unpredictable rainfall.

Since 2000, the world’s annual cassava production has increased by an estimated 100 million tonnes, driven in Asia by demand for dried cassava and starch for use in livestock feed and industrial applications, and in Africa by expanding urban markets for cassava food products. There is great potential for further production increases – under optimal conditions, cassava yields can reach 80 tonnes per hectare, compared to the current world average yield of just 12.8 tonnes.

Booming demand offers millions of cassava growers in tropical countries the opportunity to intensify production, earn higher incomes and boost the food supply where it is most needed. But how smallholder cassava growers choose to improve productivity should be of major concern to policymakers. The Green Revolution in cereal production, based on genetically uniform varieties and intensive use of irrigation and agrochemicals, has taken a heavy toll on agriculture’s natural resource base, jeopardizing future productivity. In moving from traditional, low-input to more intensive cultivation, small-scale cassava growers should not make the same mistakes.

Good Emergency Management Practice : The Essentials - 2011-01-20

A guide to preparing for animal health emergencies
Nick Honhold, Ian Douglas, William Geering,
Arnon Shimshoni, Juan Lubroth

An animal disease emergency, such as an outbreak of a transboundary animal disease (TAD), can have serious socio-economic consequences which, at their extreme, may affect the national economy. If a new disease can be recognized quickly while it is still localized, and if prompt action is taken to contain and then progressively eliminate it, the chances of eradication of the disease are markedly enhanced. Conversely, eradication may be extremely difficult and costly, or even impossible, if the disease is not recognized and appropriate control action is not taken until the disease is widespread or has become established in domestic animals or wildlife.

Planning for emergency disease eradication or control programmes cannot be left until a disease outbreak has occurred. At that point, there will be intense pressure from politicians and livestock farmer groups for immediate action. In such a climate, mistakes will be made, resources will be misused, deficiencies will be rapidly amplified and highlighted. Delays will result in further spread of the disease and higher costs. If there is inadequate advance planning, national animal health services will face a disease emergency with poor training and little or no previous experience. These severe problems can be avoided if there is adequate advance planning and preparation.

Make Money by Growing Mushrooms - 2009-01-20

There are hundreds of identified species of fungi which, since time immemorial, have made a significant global contribution to human food and medicine. Some estimate that the total number of useful fungi – defined as having edible and medicinal value – are over 2 300 species. Although this contribution has historically been made through the collection of wild edible fungi, there is a growing interest in cultivation to supplement, or replace, wild harvest. This is a result of the increased recognition of the nutritional value of many species, coupled with the realization of the income generating potential of fungi through trade. In addition, where knowledge about wild fungi is not passed on within families or throughout communities, people have become more reluctant to wild harvest and prefer to cultivate mushrooms instead.

Mushroom cultivation can help reduce vulnerability to poverty and strengthens livelihoods through the generation of a fast yielding and nutritious source of food and a reliable source of income. Since it does not require access to land, mushroom cultivation is a viable and attractive activity for both rural farmers and peri-urban dwellers.

Frost Protection: Fundamentals, Practice and Economics - Volume 1 - 2005-01-20

The book comes in two volumes. They describe the physics and biology of frost occurrence and damage, passive and active protection methods and how to assess the cost-effectiveness of active protection techniques. Nighttime energy balance is used to demonstrate how protection methods are used to reduce the likelihood of frost damage. Simple methods and programs are provided to help predict temperature trends and to help determine the timing for active methods. Plant physiology related to freeze d amage and critical damage temperatures for a wide range of crops and ornamentals are presented. Finally, an economic analysis program with examples is included to assist users to evaluate cost-effectiveness of various active methods. Although the book contains considerable technical information, it was specifically written for growers rather than scientists as a practical guide for frost protection. The volume 2 reviews concepts of probability and risk of frost damage and uses that informati on to help readers make economic decisions about frost protection. Computer application programs are included in the CD-ROM to help simplify complex calculations. The application programs are written in Microsoft Excel and sample calculations are presented in the text.

Frost Protection: Fundamentals, Practice, and Economics - Volume 2 - 2005-01-20

The book comes in two volumes. They describe the physics and biology of frost occurrence and damage, passive and active protection methods and how to assess the cost-effectiveness of active protection techniques. Nighttime energy balance is used to demonstrate how protection methods are used to reduce the likelihood of frost damage. Simple methods and programs are provided to help predict temperature trends and to help determine the timing for active methods. Plant physiology related to freeze d amage and critical damage temperatures for a wide range of crops and ornamentals are presented. Finally, an economic analysis program with examples is included to assist users to evaluate cost-effectiveness of various active methods. Although the book contains considerable technical information, it was specifically written for growers rather than scientists as a practical guide for frost protection. The volume 2 reviews concepts of probability and risk of frost damage and uses that inform ation to help readers make economic decisions about frost protection. Computer application programs are included in the CD-ROM to help simplify complex calculations. The application programs are written in Microsoft Excel and sample calculations are presented in the text.