Walking on Water: Low-cost Treadle Pumps Help Indian Farmers

The Gates Foundation has provided this video to show how one of their grantees’ low-cost treadle pumps are helping Indian farmers access irrigated water for their crops.
These water pumps are supplied by International Development Enterprises (IDE).  They are designed to be cost-effective and low-maintenance, with only one part needed to be changed each year at

‘Science Gap’ Shrinks Globally, but Least Developed Countries Still Far Behind

Recent data released by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics(UIS) indicates that the global technology gap has been shrinking from 2002 to 2007, but the poorest countries still lag far behind.
According to a recent article on scidev.net by its director David Dickson, global trends indicate that emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil are accelerating

Innovative Research Could Save Indian Potato Farmers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Each Year

Potato blight is a disease caused by a fungus which targets potatoes both in the field and in storage.  It can destroy an entire crop of potatoes within one or two weeks, and it can survive year after year in the tubers of infected potatoes, which release millions of new spores when the next rainy

BBC Programme Looks at Global Food Security

The ‘Future of Food‘ is 3-part BBC television programme looking at how food production is going to have to evolve to adapt to increased global demand and less reliable access to key resources such as water and oil.
The programme host visits farmers in India, Cuba, the UK to look at how key issues such as

World Water Facts from a Newly Updated WBCSD Report

A newly updated report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) highlights many key facts and trends on how the world uses and manages its freshwater supply.
Agriculture-related activity is responsible for around 70% of freshwater use.  Here are some other interesting facts from the report:

Less than 3% of the world’s water is freshwater. 

Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar: Developing Rural Businesses in India

Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar (HKB) is an innovative chain of rural agricultural supermarkets set up in India since 2002 by DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd. (DSCL).
HKB is an innovative effort aimed at empowering farmers and meeting the needs of rural households by providing access to agricultural products, services and retail. Established in the countryside, the stores offer:
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