- Ethiopian farmer communities – from citizen scientists to published authors
- Harnessing traditional knowledge to wheat breeding in Ethiopia
- Small trials provide big data
- Making citizen scientists out of citizen farmers in India
- Seeds for Needs – India: a pathway to diversification
- Partnering with Costa Rica to help farmers adapt to climate change
- Giving farmers choices: Seeds for Needs
- ClimMob – a software for crowdsourcing climate-smart agriculture
- From the fields of Bihar, India
- Fiat panis award for thesis research on citizen science for climate change adaptation in Honduras
Mancini, C. et al (2017) Joining smallholder farmers’ traditional knowledge with metric traits to select better varieties of Ethiopian wheat. Nature's Scientific Reports.
Steinke, J., van Etten, J., Zelan, P.M. (2017) The accuracy of farmer-generated data in an agricultural citizen science methodology. Agronomy for Sustainable Development.
Kidane, Y.G., et al (2017) Genome wide association study to identify the genetic base of smallholder farmer preferences of Durum wheat traits. Frontiers in Plant Science
Beza E, et al. (2017) What are the prospects for citizen science in agriculture? Evidence from three continents on motivation and mobile telephone use of resource-poor farmers. PLOS ONE 12(5): e0175700
Steinke, J., van Etten, J. (2017) Gamification of farmer-participatory priority setting in plant breeding: Design and validation of “AgroDuos”. Journal of Crop Improvement. 356-378.
Mengistu D, et al. (2016) High-density molecular characterization and association mapping in Ethiopian durum wheat landraces reveals high diversity and potential for wheat breeding. Plant Biotechnol J, 14: 1800–1812
Van Etten J, et al. (2016) First experiences with a novel farmer citizen science approach: crowdsourcing participatory variety selection through on-farm triadic comparisons of technologies (tricot). Experimental Agriculture, 1-22
Forgotten crop strains can rescue drought-stricken economies (Financial Times)
An opinion piece authored by Dr. Carlo Fadda. This article is behind a paywall.
Farming Matters (BBC Radio 4)
Dr. Carlo Fadda reports from the field in Ethiopia
Traditional knowledge from the past could drive molecular plant breeding of the future (Anthropocene Magazine)
Focusing on Ethiopia, a group of Italian and Ethiopian researchers have discovered that farmers’ traditional crop knowledge can help plant breeders to pinpoint beneficial genetic traits in wheat plants. In turn, that could enable them to breed resilient and productive varieties that are tailored to farmers’ specific needs.
Can ancient Ethiopian wheat varieties provide resistance to stem rust? (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Bioversity International scientist Carlo Fadda explains how Ethiopian durum wheat offers a unique and not fully explored source of genetic diversity that can provide resistance to diseases and climatic stresses. Interview in German and French
La ricerca più bella del decennio (La Repubblica)
Genome Wide Association Study to Identify the Genetic Base of Smallholder Farmer Preferences of Durum Wheat Traits è un capolavoro. Dall'introduzione ai ringraziamenti finali, riflette esattamente le intenzioni della ricerca, rispetta la dignità e l'intelligenza dei volontari/partecipanti, è attento alle piccole e grandi differenze culturali e sociali, al senso di giustizia che dovrebbe sottendere gli Scopi per lo sviluppo sostenibile, alla sicurezza alimentare dei più poveri in tempo di cambiamenti climatici, al contesto locale e globale.
SEEDversity, un viaggio nella biodiversità (Formicablu)
In Europa, Africa e Medio Oriente reti di contadini e agronomi utilizzano semi di varietà locali per migliorare le produzioni e garantirsi la sovranità alimentare
Farmer’s Notebook: Group Farming Project in Tamil Nadu Aims to Preserve Native Seeds (The Wire)
Bioversity International, through its ‘Seeds for Needs’ initiative, is actively involved in reviving, protecting and nurturing lost varieties of crops in south India and encouraging farmers to grow and preserve them and distribute these varieties of seeds to other farmers. Preserving varieties and creating seedbanks is vital for maintaining healthy soils and improving the handling of pests and diseases and erratic climates.
Integrating farmer and scientist knowledge
A participatory approach for landrace evaulation
The crowdsourcing approach
Strengthening the informal seed system through community seedbanks
Diversity in durum wheat landraces to tackle drought
Molecular techniques to map farmer and breeder preferences
Improving Ethiopian durum wheat landraces through breeding
Overview: Satna and Chitrakoot: an overview of agriculture
Factsheet 1: Science-led agriculture at farmers’ doorstep - collaborating with Krishi Vigyan Kendras
Factsheet 2: Nutritional security through horticultural diversity: an integrated component of Seeds for Needs
Factsheet 3: Strengthening the seed system through community seedbanks
Factsheet 4: Broadening the genetic base of cultivated crops for climate change adaptation: a citizen science approach
Factsheet 5: Crop diversification through horticultural nurseries - initiative for economic empowerment of women farmers
Factsheet 6: A genetic garden to safeguard minor fruits: a Bioversity International initiative
Factsheet 7: Nutritionally-rich minor fruits: conservation, evaluation and sustainable utilization
Factsheet 8: Crop diversity and farming practices for soil health: a citizen science approach