Food and agriculture documents
An index of Practical Action documents on food and agriculture.
Case studies
Evaporative Cooling in Gambia
This story of change explains the introduction of the pot in pot cooler in Gambia.
Evaporative Cooling in India
A case study from Indicorp describing the introduction of a domestic cooler.
Food Processing in Parcona, Peru
A few handbooks on making jams, yoghurt and fruit nectars were used help the Women's Association of Parcona develop their business.
Resilience in Practice
Briefing Paper on how Practical Action is working across the V2R framework, taking into account hazards and stresses, livelihoods, governance and future uncertainty. The paper uses six case studies from Practical Action's projects in Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sudan and Kenya.
Solar Drying in Peru
Bruno Caracchini has followed up on his idea of producing and marketing dehydrated fruit. His business is in the pilot stage.
The Development of an Improved Churner for Butter Extraction
A PID Gender Analysis Case Study
Policy documents
Agricultural biodiversity: farmers sustaining the web of life
Practical Action-Farmers World Network Briefing paper on agricultural biodiversity - an input into the CBDC/SEARICE Farmers Technical Workshop, 10th to 13th February 2004 at the Seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur.
Biodiverse agriculture for a changing climate
This paper explores biodiverse agriculture as a realistic and proven alternative to industrial methods of production. Practiced by millions of small-scale food producers and organic growers, biodiverse agriculture can limit and adjust to climate change while replenishing the natural resources on...
Food Sovereignty, Fair Trade and Diversity: challenging corporate control
Flyer for a seminar for World Food Day, October 2004. This seminar champions smallholder farmers’ organisations’ and CSOs’ demands for international recognition of the right to Food Sovereignty.
Food Sovereignty: towards democracy in localized food systems
A Practical Action working paper by Michael Windfuhr and Jennie Jonsén, points a way forward and invites a more focused consideration of the principles behind what is fast becoming recognised as the most important food and agriculture policy consensus for the 21st century.
Practical Action policy narrative on food and agriculture 2011
Applying Practical Action's values to analyse the current state of the global food system, this policy narrative suggests that there is a fundamental choice facing food and agriculture policy and practice: between continuing with a food system that is degrading natural resources and failing to...
Prioritizing marginalized producers: Practical Action's approach to food and livelihood security
Practical Action's approach to addressing the food and livelihood insecurity of such marginalized small-scale producers is to work with the people to build their capabilities for innovation and adaptation; improve their access to a wide range of technologies and skills; and enable them to find...
Resilience in Practice
Briefing Paper on how Practical Action is working across the V2R framework, taking into account hazards and stresses, livelihoods, governance and future uncertainty. The paper uses six case studies from Practical Action's projects in Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sudan and Kenya.
Statement of solidarity with Southern African nations over GM food and crops
Practical Action has signed the petition against GM Food Aid, released at the Earth Summit (WSSD) in Johannesburg on 27 August 2002.
Technology as if people mattered
Practical Action policy adviser Patrick Mulvany presented this speech at the UN Poverty Forum in New York on 16 November 2006.
What Works for Women
Briefing paper on proven approaches for empowering women smallholder farmers. Report by Practical Action and eight other NGOs to share lessons learnt based on their experiences of promoting gender equality and working with women smallholders over many decades.
Why the GM route won’t feed a hungry Africa
This paper argues that GM crop technology is not a solution to a hungry Kenya and Africa in general. Building on Practical Action’s work experiences with small-scale farmers in Kenya and Zimbabwe and drawing lessons from the failed “green revolution” in Africa the authors call into question the...
