122418 research outputs found
Sort by
Uncertain times require new thinking for agri-food science to ensure food security and nutrition for all
Get PDFFor over six decades, international policy has enabled agricultural products to move relatively easily across national borders. Currently, however, the landscape is changing. Deglobalization and the erosion of multilateral principles threaten international food supply chains while climate change is increasingly undermining production. In addition, today's food systems contribute to major environmental and human health problems. The global agri-food research agenda must adapt quickly to these realities. Here we propose that a new research agenda be established based on three principles to help respond to challenging times, promote human rights, sustain gains made in the past, and support greater positive impacts in the future. Principle one – a strengthened commitment to community engagement. Principle two – better supporting interdisciplinary systems thinking. Principles three – combatting misinformation by enabling enhanced public communication. We believe that today's crises present an opportunity to establish the foundations of a food system transformation that is more equitable, transparent, sustainable, and democratic
A field-applicable low-tech method for extracting capsaicinoids from red chili pepper
Get PDFRed chili pepper is a common crop found in southern countries often extracted to be use as animal repellent. It contributes managing human-wildlife conflicts in countries where this subject has become a major concern. Previous studies have highlighted the operating conditions which optimize the diffusion of capsaicinoids. However, they did not allow the precise identification of the realistic low-tech operating conditions which should be employed in the field. By the means of two Doehlert experimental designs, this work explored the impact of temperature, ratio solid/liquid and proportion of hydroalcoholic solution and soybean oil as extraction solvents on capsaicinoid content and yield, measured by HPLC and taken as an indicators of the repellent's strength. Kinetics was used to establish that 15 min was sufficient to obtain the best extract for both type of solvents, with a limited number of operation units. Surface response showed that on one hand hydroalcoholic extraction with a 1/10 ratio led to total yields < 50 % and capsaicinoid concentrations to 400 mg·L-1, which is 6-fold lower in capsaicinoids that conventional unleaded petroleum extract and so less efficient. However, the operation units are easier to deploy as lengthy evaporation times or filtration of a viscous extract are unnecessary. Moreover, the residue re-employable. On the other hand, oil extraction achieved yields between 40 % and 70 % and capsaicinoid concentrations between 600 and 3600 mg·L-1, although the extraction process involves viscous filtration which is a more time consuming. However, capsaicinoid content was 1.5 times higher than in conventional petrol extract. Schematized low-tech procedures have been proposed to farmers
Soil acidity remediation in sub-Saharan Africa requires targeted investments
No full textAcid soils are widespread across sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural lime can be used to alleviate production constraints associated with soil acidity, but lime is not widely available in the region, and it is unclear if applying it would be profitable. Using lime requirement models and crop yield responses to soil acidity modelled as plateau–linear decay functions, we estimated the profitability of acid soil remediation through liming. Crop yield loss to soil acidity occurs on 32.7 Mha, or 23% of sub-Saharan Africa's cropland. The burden of acid soils is US278 ha−1) and on 8.8 Mha when lime's long-term effect is considered. Intensification of crop production and lower relative lime/output prices could make liming profitable on more cropland
La banane ruban 1er prix : moins de plastique, plus de déchets !
No full textLa banane d'exportation, ultra standardisée et presque exclusivement issue de la variété Cavendish, fait face à un paradoxe environnemental et logistique. En France, en remplaçant les emballages plastiques par des rubans pour répondre à la loi AGEC, la filière a généré de nouveaux défis : complexité logistique, pertes en mûrisserie et pression accrue sur les producteurs. Derrière une apparente réduction du plastique, les coûts invisibles se multiplient. À l'heure où la diversité variétale et la durabilité deviennent cruciales, la banane ruban interroge : est-ce une vraie solution ou une fausse bonne idée qui fragilise toute une chaîne déjà sous tension
The circular economy, a driver of more sustainable food systems
Get PDFTo address the environmental, social and economic challenges facing today's food systems, CIRAD is using the circular economy as a strategic lever to boost their sustainability. Drawing on context-specific research in tropical and Mediterranean countries, it identifies and co-constructs solutions with its partners to reduce losses, make the most of resources and boost local self-sufficiency. This note outlines its research in this field
Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses from the Plant Viruses Subcommittee, 2025
Get PDFIn March 2025, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote, newly proposed taxa were added to those under the mandate of the Plant Viruses Subcommittee. In brief, 1 new order, 3 new families, 6 new genera, 2 new subgenera and 206 new species were created. Some taxa were reorganized. Genus Cytorhabdovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae was abolished and its taxa were redistributed into three new genera Alphacytorhabdovirus, Betacytorhabdovirus and Gammacytorhabdovirus. Genus Waikavirus in the family Secoviridae was reorganized into two subgenera (Actinidivirus and Ritunrivirus). One family and four previously unaffiliated genera were moved to the newly established order Tombendovirales. Twelve species not assigned to a genus were abolished. To comply with the ICTV mandate of a binomial format for virus species, eight species were renamed. Demarcation criteria in the absence of biological information were defined in the genus Ilarvirus (family Bromoviridae). This article presents the updated taxonomy put forth by the Plant Viruses Subcommittee and ratified by the ICTV
Entre terre et solidarité : la jachère collective comme lien social à Diohine, Sénégal
Get PDFL'étude menée dans le village de Diohine, situé au coeur du bassin arachidier du Sénégal, explore les pratiques de gestion collective de la jachère, une tradition qui perdure dans cette communauté malgré son abandon dans les villages environnants. Nous nous sommes particulièrement intéressés à la manière dont ces pratiques traditionnelles, profondément ancrées dans les structures sociales locales, ont résisté aux pressions modernes, telles que l'augmentation démographique et la dégradation des sols. La jachère collective, qui consiste à laisser des terres en repos pour en restaurer la fertilité, est présentée comme un symbole de solidarité et de cohésion sociale par les habitants. En mettant en commun une sole de la rotation en pâturage, les habitants de Diohine maintiennent un équilibre entre production agricole et conservation des ressources, tout en renforçant les liens communautaires. En combinant des méthodes de modélisation d'accompagnement (ComMod) et des ateliers de co-construction avec les habitants, nous illustrons comment la jachère collective fonctionne comme un mécanisme de résilience face aux défis environnementaux et sociaux contemporains, garantissant stabilité territoriale, fertilité des sols et paix sociale. Ce travail invite à repenser la jachère, non plus seulement comme une pratique agricole, mais comme un espace de négociation et de partage, où s'entrelacent modernité et tradition dans le contexte rural sénégalais
Impacts of cattle farming practices and associated livestock systems on energy balances and greenhouse gas emissions in the municipality of Paragominas - State of Pará - Amazonia
Get PDFGreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use are important parameters in the development of sustainable livestock systems. On-farm management practices can maximise energy efficiency and reduce gas emissions, however, these practices have yet to be identified and characterized. This study evaluated the eco-efficiency of cattle farming, considering a combination of the energy balance and GHG emissions from 33 farms in the Brazilian Amazon (Paragominas - Pará), using a diagnostic tool adapted to the region. The farms represented the diverse production systems operating in the area, distinguished by their activity (dairy, breeder, breeder-fattener and fattener), degree of intensification, and agrarian situation (corresponding to the farm's geographical location and social and economic inclusion in the municipality). Energy efficiency on beef cattle farms is on average 16.29 GJ/t live weight (min = 1.74 GJ/t, max = 43.01 GJ/t), and on dairy farms 2.74 GJ/1000 L (min = 0.17, max = 6.48), i.e., respectively 46% and 40% lower than the figures reported by studies conducted in metropolitan France. Improved grazing enhances natural resources by optimising the use of forage biomass, which has a positive impact on energy efficiencies. The purchase of young animals and fertilisation account for a high percentage of energy consumption, with fuel constituting the major part of the direct energy consumed. GHG emissions are on average 17.40 teqCO2/t live weight (min = 6.13, max = 40.85), similar to those of metropolitan France (14 teqCO2/t). When emissions from livestock and storage by forests and pastures over 20 years of age are taken into account, farms have a positive carbon balance. The deforestation levels of each farm over the past 20 years have a strong impact on this balance sheet, which can make it negative. This study highlights the effectiveness of the method in identifying systems and practices that could help farms achieve greater sustainability in terms of energy use and GHG emissions
Le travail décent en agriculture : L'appréhender au prisme de l'organisation familiale du travail et des modèles productifs en Afrique
Get PDFLa notion de travail décent, qui figure dans le huitième Objectif de développement durable (ODD) des Nations unies, doit prendre en considération les spécificités de l'organisation du travail agricole qui est majoritairement familial en Afrique, comme dans de nombreuses géographies. Tout changement de modèle de production induit des changements dans la division du travail et le volume des tâches. Il doit donc être évalué au regard de ses implications sur le partage de la richesse créée, et le respect des droits et de la santé de tous les travailleurs et travailleuses. En conséquence, le législateur soucieux de garantir l'attractivité de l'emploi dans le secteur agricole afin d'absorber la main-d'oeuvre de millions de jeunes arrivant sur le marché du travail en Afrique doit à la fois s'assurer de réguler les conditions de l'emploi et tenir compte de l'incidence des modèles agricoles et manières de produire qu'il promeut sur les conditions du travail et la rémunération de ces travailleurs
