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
Save your Own Seeds, Part Two: Seed Storage
Save and edit this resource as a Word document. Saving your own seeds saves money. It is also the best way to make sure that traditional crop varieties do not disappear. The traditional crops that have grown in your region since before your grandparents’ time are well adapted to the local climate and soil. And…
Save your Own Seeds, Part One: Seed Selection
Save and edit this resource as a Word document. Saving seeds from your own crops saves money. And it also helps to preserve the traditional crop varieties which grow in your region. Farmers always used to save seed from their crops to plant the next season. But many farmers now buy seeds from stores in…
Live Fences Protect Crops and Plants
In Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, deforestation and soil erosion are having a disastrous impact on the environment. Reforestation programs have been introduced to reverse the damage. But many of these programs are expensive and the newly planted trees are often destroyed in the first year by village cattle. It is estimated that…
Anemia, A Sickness of the Blood
Have you felt weak or dizzy lately? Does even a little bit of work make you tired or breathless? These are just a few of the symptoms of a sickness called anemia. But feeling fatigued does not have to be a normal part of your life. You get anemia mainly from not having enough of…
AIDS Part 3 : You Can Stop the Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Do you want to have a sexual experience that is wonderful, satisfying and, more importantly, SAFE? Please listen for the next few minutes. We want to share information with you that will make it easier for you to have a healthy and safe sexual relationship! Have you heard of sexually transmitted diseases? These diseases are…
New Skills Help Women Earn Extra Money
In many places, women are the ones who grow food, shop for food, cook, and feed the family. They also nurse family members who are sick. So when women spend their money, it is for the benefit of the whole family, not just themselves. But when the growing season is over, many women agricultural workers…
Gardening in Tires
We all need fresh vegetables in our diet to be healthy. And sometimes, growing them ourselves is the only way we can afford to eat them regularly. “But,” you say, “I live in the city. I don’t have space to grow vegetables.” Well, just because you live in a city doesn’t mean you can’t have…
The Ceramic Jiko Stove
In Kenya, many households, especially in urban areas, use a metal charcoal stove for cooking which is called a jiko stove. Recently researchers at KENGO (Kenya Energy and Environment Organizations) developed a new ceramic model of the jiko stove that uses less fuel and therefore helps to reduce deforestation. The new stove, called the ceramic…
Hints for the Small Farmer
How to Prepare Green Vegetables for the Dry Season By Sarah Massengo, Tanzania In many tropical climates, there is a wet season followed by a long, hot, dry season. In the wet season wild and cultivated vegetable crops grow well. People need the vitamins and minerals that come from these green vegetables to stay healthy.…
Reduce Lead in City Gardens
Many substances pollute the air around us, particularly in cities. Some chemicals even get into our garden soil and plants, and these can affect our health. One is of these is lead. We may not see or taste it, but some crops grown in cities may contain dangerous amounts of lead. So we need to…