The area around Wum in the Northwest Province of Cameroon is notorious as a conflict hotspot. As pressure increases on available land, conflicts occur more frequently between sedentary family farmers and pastoral communities. Farmer-pastoralist alliances are helping to resolve the conflicts by transforming the relationships between these families.

Family farmers and the many ways in which they contribute to food security, healthy landscapes and thriving rural communities can be supported in a number of ways. These are some initiatives from around the world.

Even in the International Year of Family Farming there is confusion about family farming. What is it, and what distinguishes it from entrepreneurial farming or family agribusiness? Read more

A great variety of rural development initiatives are taking place in the Republic of Sudan. In this book, the outcome of a documentation and communication training in Khartoum in 2013, practitioners describe and analyse some of the most promising experiences. Read more

In addition to severe losses in the mountain soil’s fertility, climate change is easily visible in the Peruvian Andes: the glaciers which feed all the rivers, and the snow on the mountaintops, are noticeably getting smaller, less and less water is flowing down into the valleys. The water harvesting approach is proving susccessful to cope with this problem and strenghthen local organizations.

Generate scientific knowledge to allow for the use of leguminous trees into degraded grass pastures for a sustainable animal production in the North-Central region of Yucatan.

A joint effort of local communities, NGOs and donors to redefine participation. Readers can find in the successful examples of participatory methods presented, a source of motivation and inspiration.