ladybirdabroad
Disclaimer
This is a personal weblog. All the views expressed in blog posts are my own, and do not reflect those of my volunteer organisation, or anyone else for that matter. My thoughts and expressions change from time to time - a consequence of having an open mind, and of being able to ask and seek answers to the critical questions raised by my daily lived experiences. The writing is spontaneous, but the thinking is gestational. Please see my 'About' page for more information.-
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Tag Archives: Agriculture
Great blog ‘Evolution in a Toxic World: How life responds to chemical threats’
“We are chemical addicts. Returning to Nature is like going back to the future, with an opportunity to change the timeline. Adjust our course. In the near future perhaps we can rely less on our synthetic chemistry and more on Nature’s capacity to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Agriculture, agroecology, biosciences, environment, health, Public Health, toxicology
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Will the new G8 alliance end food insecurity in Ghana – unlikely, but it will facilitate land grabs
“Ghana’s current pattern of agricultural investment and growth is clearly not succeeding in addressing food and nutrition insecurity … The New Alliance document manifestly emphasises private investment, but there is little corporate profit to be made in the type of … Continue reading
Posted in Good stuff from other people
Tagged Africa, agricultural investment, Agriculture, agroecology, economic empowerment, food insecurity, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, rural development, smallholder agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods
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Notes from the field – conserving forests and creating livelihoods with cacao
Here’s another really interesting cocoa growing project in Honduras, this time encouraging organic cultivation and forest conservation. In 2013, the project distributed over 230,000 cacao seeds to 261 farmers and planted trees on 536 acres. They look forward to working … Continue reading
Posted in Good stuff from other people
Tagged Agriculture, agroecology, cacao, cocoa, economic empowerment, forest conservation, Honduras, international development, international volunteering, organic agriculture, rural development, smallholder agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods
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The rise of the superweeds – how long did that take?
I am not a scientist, but I did listen in my science classes at school and then as a farmer I watched and asked questions and paid attention and learned, and even I could work out that this would be … Continue reading
G8 New Alliance condemned as new wave of colonialism in Africa
G8 New Alliance condemned as new wave of colonialism in Africa – critics say landmark initiative to boost agriculture and relieve poverty favours big business to the detriment of small farmers. Olivier de Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on the … Continue reading
Posted in Good stuff from other people
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, agroecology, economic empowerment, Food security, G8, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, smallholder agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, UN special rapporteur on the right to food
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Poverty on the stage, hunger in the wings
There’s been a lot of news and commentary in the UK press and social media over the last couple of weeks or so – a debate fairly raging – about the impact of UK government minister Ian Duncan Smith’s (IDS’s) … Continue reading
Posted in Diary
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, agroecology, cocoa, Community development, Department for Work and Pensions, economic empowerment, Food bank, Food security, food sovereignty, Ghana, Hunger, international development, international volunteering, Poverty, rural development, smallholder agriculture, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, volunteering
3 Comments
Getting down to business with poor farming communities
It’s only a few days since I uploaded these pictures. But things are moving so fast now that if I don’t catch up with them, it will all start to turn into a blur of activity. Things have gone from … Continue reading
Posted in Diary
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, agroecology, cocoa, Culture, economic empowerment, farming communities, Food security, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, rural development, smallholder agriculture, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, travel, volunteering, West Africa
4 Comments
On volunteering, and bearing witness
I am a slow burn thinker sometimes. I make observations, and store them away, mentally checking and rechecking against other similar observations and experiences over time. A couple of days ago, Michelle Booth of Gateshead Council posted a question on … Continue reading
Posted in Diary
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, agroecology, Charity UK Group, economic empowerment, Food security, Gateshead Council, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, Olivier De Schutter, rural development, smallholder agriculture, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, travel, United Nations, volunteering, West Africa
1 Comment
A bit of a low point
It’s easy to write when things are going well, when everything is new and exciting, and so, so different from the apparently never ending winter that preceded my departure time in May this year. It’s a different challenge to write … Continue reading
Posted in Diary
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, coping, economic empowerment, Fibromyalgia, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, Long term conditions, rural development, smallholder agriculture, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, travel, volunteering, West Africa
12 Comments
Agroecology and the ‘modernisation’ of smallholder agricultures
It’s quite amazing how things come around and go around in your life at particular moments. Many years ago I was a practising organic grower, and deeply involved in the organic farming movement. As part of this, I was an … Continue reading
Posted in Diary
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, agroecology, economic empowerment, Ghana, international development, international volunteering, organic agriculture, organic growing, rural development, smallholder agriculture, soil conservation, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, travel, volunteering, West Africa
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ladybirdabroad - worldview from a tiny island 