The objectives of the training were as follows:

Objectives:
To provide the progress and achievement of BARI-IRRI collaborative research and scaling activities from the SI-MFS initiative in 2023.

This paper explores the relationship between agriculture, dietary diversity, and market access in Nepal, testing the complex causal chains involved, and the nuanced connections between production diversity and dietary diversity among smallholder farmers. While diversifying farm production could enhance dietary diversity, the case of Nepal indicates a varied and context specific relationship. Market access emerges as a crucial factor, often exerting a more significant impact on smallholder farm households than production diversity.

This issue brief introduces a conceptual framework to describe the factors that inform farmers’ varietal uptake choices, by integrating choice behavior alongside more contextual and technical aspects of seed uptake. The framework was developed to support qualitative data analysis for generating behavioral intelligence about farmers’ decision-making about crop varieties, which may be of use to government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and companies that operate in the seed sector.

This policy brief provides empirical evidence on the profitability of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices and forage mixtures, implemented to mitigate soil erosion and land degradation in Northern and Central West Tunisia.

Agriculture is the main activity employing up to 70% of the working population in Benin. It contributes an average of 32.5% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75% to export earnings, and 15% to government revenue (PSRSA, 2016). Benin's agriculture comprises a set of crops, among which vegetable crops constitute one of the strategic sectors and an important agricultural industry that employs thousands of people across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas (ACED, 2020). Vegetable production is crucial to the region's food security and poverty alleviation.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a tropical fruit with a unique flavor and high nutritional benefits. It is considered the most important fruit crop in the country based on its high export volume and value, next to banana and pineapple (Department of Agriculture, 2013). The 'Carabao' mango, also known as the 'Super Manila' mango, is a popular variety in the international market. Over the years, there has been an increase in demand for mangoes. However, the Philippines is facing challenges in consistently delivering high quality mangoes to major markets.

Freshwater systems are disproportionately adversely affected by the ongoing, global environmental crisis. The effective and efficient water resource conservation and management necessary to mitigate the crisis requires monitoring data, especially on water quality. This is recognized by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, particularly indicator 6.3.2., which requires all UN member states to measure and report the ‘proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality’.

The Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) district agrifood systems assessments aim to provide a reliable, accessible, and integrated evidence base that links farm production, market access, dietary patterns, climate risk responses, and natural resource management with gender as a cross-cutting issue in rural areas of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. They are designed to be a district-level multi-year assessments.

Bangladesh’s aquaculture and fisheries sector are highly vulnerable to climate change, variabilities and extremes. It is imperative to identify climate risks, sensitive operations and management decisions for each value chain and, accordingly, to develop contextualized advisory services using timely and reliable climate information for managing associated climate risks. Furthermore, the government’s digital Bangladesh portfolio directs the country’s vision 2041 to consider the whole of society approach in digital form.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic has experienced significant changes in agricultural development and commercialization over the past few decades. Approximately 80% of its population relies heavily on subsistence agriculture. These farmers have witnessed a remarkable decrease in the poverty rate, dropping from 46% to 18% between 1993 and 2019. This positive transformation can be attributed to enhanced infrastructure, enabling farmers to access markets in neighboring countries.