Investigating technological risks in development and food security
Food insecurity, caused by increases in the global population and the loss of arable land due to climate change and conflicts, pose a major risk to human lives and well-being, especially in the Global South. While technologies have been introduced to tackle food insecurity, it is understood that unintended risks, such as loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution, have surfaced for local communities as a result. To maintain and improve food security, it is necessary to ensure that agricultural production is effective, efficient and sustainable. This project seeks to investigate how technologies that have been introduced as solutions to food insecurity have contributed to the creation of new technological risks, and how these technologies should be governed.
Joint crop and livestock services for smallholder farmers
Crop and livestock health is crucial to agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods. However, in low-income countries, smallholders are often left without sufficient support to deal with crop and animal problems due to existing agricultural extension services being understaffed and underfunded. CABI’s work in plant health and plant clinics over the last 15 years has revealed potential ‘One Health’ (OH) benefits of broadening the scope of plant clinics to better meet farmers’ need for advice. This project will develop integrated crop-livestock health advisory services that will enable male and female smallholder farmers in Uganda to address major health and production problems affecting crops, livestock, and food safety.