This paper provides an overview of first- and second- generation biofuels. First-generation biofuels are ethanol-derived from food crops such as grains and sugar cane, and biodiesel, which use feedstocks of vegetable oils and animal fats. The technologies for manufacturing first-generation...

Millions of small farmers are reached commercially every day as they buy seeds and crop protection products, fertiliser, cell phones, machinery and tools, taking advantage of the science and research embodied in these products. The market for agricultural inputs is large, and the role of the...

Poor farmers in developing countries need access to affordable high-quality seed of improved crop varieties to improve their incomes and reduce malnutrition. Vegetables are vital for balanced nutrition, particularly in Africa, where production has been almost static for decades, per capita...

So far, world food supply has managed to stay ahead of rising population due to increasing productivity and a modest expansion of cultivated area. However, finite resource reserves, the increasing cost of energy and the increasing environmental cost of opening new land pose new challenges....

A key to securing global food security, conserving biodiversity and achieving climate change objectives as well as other concerns of international importance will be to sustain if not enhance productivity gains in agriculture. However, there are indications that productivity growth is slowing in...

The contributions of livestock to food security and poverty alleviation are coming under increasing international scrutiny, particularly as livestock producers are also challenged to respond to global warming and the emergence of new diseases. Research is vital to increase efficiency of...