Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
In The Independent, Nora Berrahmouni, a forestry officer for FAO and Michele Bozzano, forestry researcher at Bioversity International, point out that for the Green Wall project to succeed, "you need to plant the right [tree] species in the right place" and involve and benefit local communities and help change the belief that taking care of the environment is a luxury.
Genes are gems for food security
Risk management in the face of climate change is something we can all learn from smallholder farmers. As climate change stalks global agriculture, researchers should collaborate with smallholder farmers in enhancing the diversification of crops to ensure food security, says Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity International.
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Browse by Tag: Bananas
How bananas avoided a disease apocalypse
Dr. Gus Molina, Bioversity International scientist, speaks to ABC Rural news at the Australian Banana Congress. He explains how bananas avoided a 2003 prediction that the plant was doomed but that threats from disease remains. Listen to his interview. Photo: Brian Cassey
Global banana expert workshop with linked e-forum
Banana experts from advanced research institutes and leading banana-producing countries will gather to complete the information on production constraints and research options resulting from a recent survey. The workshop is scheduled for 8-11 April 2013 and will be co-hosted by NARO, Bioversity International and IITA in Kampala, Uganda. Photo: CIRAD
Bioversity International and Belgian university join efforts to support banana research
Bioversity International has signed an agreement with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven to support the world’s collection of banana and plantain germplasm. Per the agreement signed today, Bioversity will host its Musa germplasm collection at the new premises of KU Leuven, which will maintain the facilities to be called the Bioversity Musa Germplasm Transit Centre.
Bioversity International and Belgian university join efforts to support banana research
Bioversity International signed an agreement yesterday with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven to support the world’s collection of banana and plantain germplasm. As a result, Bioversity will host its Musa germplasm collection at the new premises of KU Leuven.
Commodity Systems and Genetic Resources
Bioversity International's Commodity Systems and Genetic Resources Programme contributes to the conservation and use of genetic resources, sustainable production, and value adding in the banana, cacao and coconut sectors.
Agustin B. Molina
Dr Agustin “Gus” B. Molina is a Philippine national who joined Bioversity International in 1998; Gus leads Bioversity International’s banana research efforts in the Asia Pacific region.
Chinese province honors senior scientist for work to combat banana disease
Dr Agustin B. Molina, Senior Scientist and Regional Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific at Bioversity International, was honored with a Guangdong International Friendship Award from Guangdong Province on 27 November for his work and partnership in helping to combat banana disease, an important crop for this region.
Climate Conversations - Can biodiversity cut the risks of crop losses?
AlertNet inquires about sustainable alternatives to preventing crop loss. The use of agricultural biodiversity to minimize the risk of crop pest and disease has been the focus of a 5-year Bioversity International project in China, Ecuador, Morocco and Uganda.
Report examines the many effects of climate change on agriculture, urges action now
A new report from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security calls for the need to “recalibrate” food production in the developing world. Bioversity International’s scientific research is helping to identify not only the challenges but also potential solutions.
Work to mitigate Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) reaps rewards
The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) has given its 2012 Award for Best KARI Implemented Project to a collaborative research effort, led by Bioversity International, to strengthen East-African food and income security. The project, funded by the McKnight Foundation, was given the award at the 13th KARI Biennial Scientific Conference.
Banana genome sequence significant step for scientists, producers and consumers
It’s been ten years of waiting, but the news that the banana genome has been sequenced has been worth it. The sequencing of one of the founding genomes of cultivated bananas, the wild species Musa acuminata, and its assembling into a high-quality reference sequence, carried out by CIRAD and Genoscope, has just been published in the journal Nature.
Diversity protects the bean harvests of poor farmers in Uganda
Poor farmers in Uganda use agricultural biodiversity to protect themselves against pests and diseases, according to a recent paper published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and the Environment (photo: CIAT/N. Palmer).
On the Road to Rio - Bioversity's Campaign Blog
Check out today's post on our Rio+20 campaign blog. Bioversity technical editor, Vincent Johnson, looks at three commodity crops that are of special importance for smallholder farmers - banana, cocoa and coconut. (Photo: Bioversity/A. Vezina)
Vincent Johnson
Vincent joined Bioversity in April 2008 since when he has been working as the Process Manager and Science Editor for Bioversity’s Commodity Genetic Resources, Productivity and Value-Chains program in Montpellier, France. The program focuses on three ‘commodities’ of special importance to poor smallholders- banana and plantain (Musa), cocoa and coconut.
The impact of organic bananas in Alto Beni, Bolivia
Poor farmers in the Alto Beni region of Bolivia continue to enjoy improved livelihoods thanks to a project on organic bananas implemented by Bioversity International. An impact assessment, using an asset-based livelihoods approach, found that 85% of farm families in the region said their incomes had increased since the end of the project.
The impact of organic bananas in Alto Beni, Bolivia
Poor farmers in the Alto Beni region of Bolivia continue to enjoy improved livelihoods thanks to a project on organic bananas implemented by Bioversity International.
It’s all in the name - conserving bananas in the Pacific region
Collecting banana diversity is more than just a matter of knowing which accessions (samples) to conserve. Ongoing work in French Polynesia is showing that diversity is not just found in genetic traits, but also the different names given to varieties.
Musapedia - for everything you ever wanted to know about bananas ...
Did you know that there may be 1000 different types of bananas? Did you know the banana genome is larger than that of rice? Visit Musapedia to get the latest banana know-how
The Musa International Transit Centre - Bioversity Impact Assessment
User feedback on the impact of Bioversity's International Transit Centre
Users assess the impact of Bioversity's Banana Transit Centre
How well does Bioversity's International Transit Centre (ITC) serve its users? A recent impact assessment study aimed to find out.
Musa International Transit Centre
Bioversity's International Transit Centre (ITC), hosted at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, is home to the world’s largest collection of banana and plantain germplasm.
Award for banana research
Collaboration between Honduras and Tanzania to improve banana production has been recognized by the UN’s Global South-South Development Expo
Bioversity Scientist Receives Honorary Award
Dr. Agustin B. Molina, one of Bioversity International's senior scientists has been honoured with a prestigious award from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA).
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This work by Bioversity International is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. |



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