BIODIVERSE FARMING PRODUCES MORE by GRAIN | 20 Oct 1997 Seedling - October 1997 A wealth of evidence demonstrates that biodiverse farming can compete with industrial agriculture in terms of system-wide productivity and that it offers the important advantages of sustainability and risk reduction. GRAIN examines the case that the formal sector can no longer ignore. A wealth of evidence demonstrates that biodiverse farming can compete with industrial agriculture in terms of system-wide productivity and that it offers the important advantages of sustainability and risk reduction. GRAIN examines the case that the formal sector can no longer ignore.
ANIMAL ALARM by GRAIN | 28 Mar 1994 Seedling - March 1994 The UN 's Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, has released a new and important alarm. Not only is the vital diversity of our crops and forests succumbing to erosion under the guise of “development” programmes, but one-third of the 4,000 or so breeds of animals used worldwide for food and farming are dangerously flirting with extinction. The issues surrounding animal genetic resources parallel in many ways the problems that have been plaguing plant genetic resources. However, we know a lot less about it. Animals — domesticated and wild — are extremely important components of people 's livelihoods systems. In this article we give a background overview of the status of animal genetic diversity and resource use, and what is being done to safeguard and improve the benefits people can derive through the riches of the animal world. The UN 's Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, has released a new and important alarm. Not only is the vital diversity of our crops and forests succumbing to erosion under the guise of “development” programmes, but one-third of the 4,000 or so breeds of animals used worldwide for food and farming are dangerously flirting with extinction. The issues surrounding animal genetic resources parallel in many ways the problems that have been plaguing plant genetic resources. However, we know a lot less about it. Animals — domesticated and wild — are extremely important components of people 's livelihoods systems. In this article we give a background overview of the status of animal genetic diversity and resource use, and what is being done to safeguard and improve the benefits people can derive through the riches of the animal world.