Pepper grows in a field surrounded by and filled with bamboo poles to act as a trelis

Pepper plantation in Myanmar

Photo: Dominique Guenat
BFH-HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute
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A SWISSAID partner project in Karnataka has won the UNDP Equator Prize 2025. Since 2018, the Bibi Fatima Self-Help Group has revived millet cultivation, created community seed banks preserving 250+ indigenous varieties, and promoted agroecological practices across 30 villages. The initiative improves food security, nutrition, and women’s empowerment while reducing slash-and-burn farming.

SWISSAID Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

FiBL-led EU project SustainSahel (2020–2025) supported over 5000 smallholder farmers in Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso with agroecological practices such as mulching, composting, and integrating local trees. Results show yield gains of up to 40 percent and improved resilience under climate stress. The “lead farmer” model created strong peer-to-peer learning effects. Final recommendations urge policymakers to integrate agroecology into national strategies and secure farmers’ rights to trees.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

Biovision reports on a project in Kenya where three MSc students from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe, Nairobi) test push–pull strategies against the tomato pest Tuta absoluta. By examining plants such as rosemary and wild chili that can repel pests or attract natural enemies, and by analyzing social and economic aspects in local farming communities, the project links scientific innovation with practical benefits for smallholder farmers in a developing-country context.

Biovision Foundation

A new SCNAT publication compiles perspectives from the Global South to inform the revision of the KFPE Guide on transboundary research partnerships. The study highlights priorities and expectations from partner institutions, aiming to strengthen equitable and impactful collaboration in international agricultural and development research.

KFPE

FiBL highlights the importance of wetlands for agriculture and climate regulation. Protecting and restoring wetlands not only preserves biodiversity but also supports sustainable food systems and contributes to climate mitigation.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

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