Dadamac

Learning Twitter Lessons in a Chat Room Read now

Hi Pam, I don't hate technology, but I also don't have a craving fascination for it.

Social media, of course, is a different arena. I love the idea of connecting to people and exhanging ideas and thoughts--and as you would say, rubbing minds with those who would like to share their wisdom with me on a range of topics of interest to me.

But here too, I am not a person who plunges headlong into anything new unless I am truly convinced that I need it for 'building bridges' with the community around the world. I take my time to explore, play and understand the technology and its bigger impact.

Pushing up Farm Productivity Read now

Dear Pam,

Here is an interesting piece on the role that pulses and oilseeds play in nutritional security. Though the article talks about the state of Indian agriculture, it has some interesting points on increasing agricultural productivity.

The Way Out of Undernutrition Read now

Hi Pam,

When I began discussing about a learning group on food security, I was only thinking of agriculture and farmers. But over this week, I began to realise that food security is a far bigger area than that: it also encompasses issues like availability and access, and most importantly, nutrition.

Now, I don't how many people will agree with me that nutrition also forms a part of food security. But to me, the circle of food security is incomplete if a huge chunk of a country's population continues to wallow in hunger, despite high agricultural productivity and foodgrain output.

Climate Change Solutions for Poor Farmers Read now

Hi Pam, Nikki, John and others in the dadamac team and community,

Here is something that all of you would find interesting and useful.

I just read an interesting story on agricultural solutions for farmers to tackle the multiple challenges of climate change, desertification, high energy demand and an exploding population.

Dr William Dar, Director General of the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) says, "The world is facing a perfect storm, with a number of huge problems converging around us. At the centre of this storm are the poor people, who depend on agriculture for survival."

The Future of Farmers and Food Read now

Hi Pam,

I enjoyed the chat that we had on the way ahead for Dadamac.net. I think it is a good starting point to take the discussions further about the evolution of the site.

Now to get on with my post for the Open Letter section, I have been looking at some interesting articles on the farm sector. The more I read about it, the sadder I feel about the farm community across the world--more so in developing countries.

Nobel Victory for the Commons Read now

It has been a record haul for women at the Nobel prizes this year. But more heartening for me was the Nobel for economics going to a political scientist, who has worked painstakingly to show that privatising natural resources is not the answer for stemming environmental degradation.