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
Women Know About Food from Trees
Content: People everywhere eat food from trees. Women farmers know about tree crops, and how to harvest and process them. If you were asked for a list of all the foods that you and your family eat which ones would you list? Probably, you would name crops such as rice, maize, sorghum, beans or potatoes.…
Neem Seed Spray Protects Crops
Content: Make a spray from neem seeds to protect crops from insect pests. Dry the seeds, crush them to a powder, soak overnight in water, and then apply to plants. Today it’s no-cost pest control! We’re going to talk about how you can use neem seeds to control some of the insects that attack your…
Eucalyptus Leaves Control Grain Moth
A Guatemalan farmer uses crushed eucalyptus leaves to control grain moths in stored maize. José Elias is a farmer in Guatemala in Central America. For many years he had a problem with grain moths (Sitotroga cerealella) eating his stored maize. The moths would eat the centre of the kernels and leave the outside part. He…
Local Plants Help Control Pests
Content: Save money. Control pests using local plants. Experiment with different plants, especially ones that have a strong smell and don’t suffer from insect damage. Save money. Control pests using local plants. It may take extra time and effort, but there are advantages. Because they cost less than commercial insecticides you will have money to…
Save Your Own Seeds Part Two: Seed Storage
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 they are good at resisting common local pests. But…
Save Your Own Seeds Part One: Seed Selection
Saving seeds from your own crops saves money. And it also helps save the traditional crop varieties which grow in your region. Farmers have always saved seed from their crops to plant the next season. But many farmers now buy seeds from stores in town or directly from seed companies instead. The problem is that…
The Parracana Cooperative : Farmers and Teachers Working Together
The farmers in a small community in Sololá, Guatemala, had a problem. Middlemen were offering low, often unfair prices for farmers’ produce. Farmers would often accept these prices without really knowing what was fair. Later, they might learn that farmers in the next village were getting a higher price for the same produce. The problem…
Putting Worms to Work for You
Farmers have always known that the earthworms in their fields improve the soil. But you can also grow earthworms in containers where they turn farm and kitchen waste into rich compost to feed your plants. Growing earthworms is called vermiculture. It is a fast and simple way to get free fertilizer for your crops and…
Grow Oil Palm Mushrooms the Ghanaian Way
Tropical farmers in many parts of the world are learning about the benefits of growing mushrooms. Mushrooms do not take up much space, they taste good, and they are a good source of protein. Here is a way to grow one type of mushroom: Oil palm mushrooms, also known as paddy straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacium)…
Trees reduce damage from droughts and floods
Droughts and floods are a regular part of life for many farmers. You cannot stop such disasters by yourself. But you can reduce the damage they cause if you plant and protect trees. In many parts of the world, trees are being cut down faster than they are being replanted. People cut down trees to…