Uganda’s rural women find beans to beat climate

by Georgina Smith | Oct 13, 2016

Sunny Mbeeta Abwooli knows how to whip up a delicious meal, especially when it involves one of her favorite ingredients: beans. “We have many varieties of beans,” says Sunny, pointing to a colorful basket of different bean types. “They are different in color, taste;...

First solar-powered “bubble” driers promise more nutritious bean flour – and better prices for farmers

by Georgina Smith | Oct 11, 2016

Kenya’s first solar-powered “bubble” drier, which improves bean quality and commercial value, retaining nutritious qualities before they are turned into a porridge flour, is here. It has been installed as part of a project to fight malnutrition among vulnerable urban...

Livestock: climate menace or opportunity for change?

by Georgina Smith | Sep 20, 2016

This will be among topics presented by a team of CIAT’s researchers at the Tropentag 2016 conference in Vienna, Austria, themed: “Solidarity in a competing world – fair use of resources,” from September 18 – 21. Cattle production – which has a considerable...

Trees on agricultural land sink four times more carbon

by Georgina Smith | Aug 10, 2016

Trees grown on agricultural land significantly contribute to global carbon budgets, say authors in this recent study. If carbon from trees grown on agricultural land was well accounted for, total carbon estimates for agricultural land would be more than four times...

Bean power: Finger on the pulse of a drought-resilient future

by Georgina Smith | Aug 8, 2016

Against a hilly backdrop, Daud Bukuku and his wife Neema Obeti examine a handful of red specked beans from a large basket. The open fields behind them have just been harvested. But they’re lucky to have had a harvest at all – the beans they proudly shows us...