-FAO FAO publishes first global study of forest genetic resources Rome - FAO today urged countries to improve data gathering and research to promote the conservation and sustainable management of the world's forest genetic resources, which are coming under increasing pressure. According to the first-ever edition of The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources report, half of the forest species reported as regularly utilized by countries are threatened by the conversion of...

-The Hindu   Farmers take this initiative to bypass middlemen PITHAPURAM (Andhra Pradesh): At a time when drones are being used to deliver pizzas, enthusiastic farmers from B. Prattipadu and Tatiparthi villages near here have launched the sale of farm fresh vegetables at the doorstep. ‘Green Van' is the concept launched in unison by 21 farmers from the two villages, who own one hectare land each and have converted it to cultivate vegetables such...

-The Times of India   Terrace gardens are the next big thing in Nashik. With people aiming to not only beautify their place but also spread the message of organic farming, this has caught the fancy of most Nashikiites. Thirty-four-year-old Sandeep Chavan has made a 150 sq feet terrace garden at his place and focuses on organic farming. He even gets visitors who take his advice on farming. "One can easily grow the...

-The New York Times     Small-scale farmers in the developing world, using low-tech sustainable agricultural techniques, may just hold the key to ensuring global food security, writes Andrea Stone The challenge is huge but the solution may be small, very small. Faced with global warming and a population that will swell to 9 billion by 2050, a growing number of experts say that the way to feed the masses as climate change makes...

-The United Nations   Urgent action to better manage the genetic diversity of forests - under pressure from climate change, exploitation and conversion for other uses - is needed to ensure that the benefits they provide will survive, the United Nations said in a first-of-its-kind report released today. "Forests provide food, goods and services which are essential to the survival and well-being of all humanity," Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General for Forestry at...