Backgrounders
Backgrounders are brief introductions to important and technical topics and Answers to frequently asked questions share key information on a topic.
Use this information to plan an episode or series of episodes on the topic, to prepare for an interview, or to answer questions from callers.
- All
- Agriculture
- Aquaculture
- Children and youth
- Climate change
- Community development
- Crop production
- Energy
- Environment and climate change
- Gender equality
- Health
- Hygiene and sanitation
- Land issues
- Livestock and beekeeping
- Marketing and market information
- Nature-based Solutions
- Nutrition
- Post-harvest activities
- Social issues
- Soil health
- Trees and agroforestry
- Water management
Pesticides can Hurt Unborn Children
Today you are going to hear a sad story about a village where children were poisoned by pesticides. This story is different from many stories about pesticide poisoning. It is different because these children were poisoned before they were born. They were poisoned while they were still in their mothers’ bodies. And though it’s a…
Eat Garlic for Good Health
Did you know that every time you go to the garden, you may walk by a plant that can be used as a medicine? I’m talking about garlic. Garlic has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. And it’s helping cure illness today. One of the best things about garlic is that it’s…
A Fodder Hedge Provides Feed for Cattle in the Dry Season
The dry season can be hard on cattle – and their owners. Animals may lose weight because they don’t get enough good feed. If your cattle lose weight in the dry season, it will take much longer to raise them to market size. You lose both time and money. Some farmers have a way to…
A House to Keep Chickens Healthy
When you are building the house make sure that the birds will have enough space. You don’t want to crowd them. If you have 25 birds the chicken house should be about 15 metres long and 10 metres wide. So now you have a chicken house. But the birds can’t stay in the house all…
Alternative Feeds for Poultry and Pigs
If you keep chickens or ducks or pigs, getting enough feed can sometimes be a challenge. There may be a shortage of feed in your country. Or it may simply be that animal feed is too expensive to buy. So you have to find some different, cheaper feeds. Today we have suggestions for alternative feeds…
Treat Animal Diseases with Medicinal Plants
Many people know that plants can be used to treat human illnesses. But did you know that medicinal plants can also be used to cure animals? There may be plants growing in your own garden or by the roadside that can be used to care for sick livestock. Wounds, burns, stomach problems, and many other…
A Farmer Practices Zero Grazing
Which is better? One healthy cow or five skinny, sick cows? Many farmers think that it is better to put more work into keeping one animal well-fed and healthy than to keep a number of animals that fend for themselves. They are learning that allowing animals to graze together in a common area does not…
The Cow that Reunited a Family
Cheo Dora Neba is a farmer. She grows maize, corn, and beans. She lives in the village of Bambui in the country of Cameroon. The people in her village call her Dora. For many years Dora worked hard but it was a struggle to survive and feed her family. Her husband moved away to another…
Livestock and the Natural Environment
Is livestock good or bad for the land and the natural environment? Are there ways that livestock can benefit trees and soils? These are the questions I’d like to discuss with you today. Let’s start by considering the behaviour of goats. When I say the word “goat”, what comes into your mind? Of course your…
Stop Soil Erosion with Living Plant Barriers
Today we have an interesting idea about preventing soil erosion from fellow farmer Harvey Harman. Harvey lived in South Africa for many years where he worked on an agricultural development project. In many parts of the world, soil erosion is a problem. Often the soil washes down slopes. This causes gullies to form. Gullies are…