For five years, Pakistan has been impacted by large-scale natural disasters. The worst in the country’s history occurred in 2010, when a series of floods covered one-fifth of its territory, affecting 20 million people.
Small millets, despite being rich in micronutrients and dietary fibre and known for their low glycemic index and tolerance of water stress, are in decline in South Asia. Existing varieties suffer from low yield and farmers lack access to improved varieties.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (the FAO) estimates that there are roughly a quarter million plant varieties available for agriculture, but less than 3 percent of these are in use today.
Rosario, Argentina, embraced vegetable gardens as a way to pull through an economic crisis. It now leads the way among cities in the promotion of urban agriculture.