Farming First

Farming First is the leading source for the latest insights, news and case studies on agricultural innovation for development.

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

One teaspoon of healthy soil contains more living organisms than there are people on Earth.

Anna Goodwin and Vinay Menon from @IFDC explain why soil is one of our most powerful tools for food security, climate resilience and biodiversity: https://t.co/ffg0zCkLSV

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

The digital tools that helped farms navigate pandemic disruption are just as relevant when supply chains are under pressure today.

Matija Zulj of @AGRIVI on what sugarcane farmers in Barbados can teach us about resilience via digital tools 👇
https://t.co/OpWTeeAP3v

[African Seed Trade Association (AfSTA) @AFSTA_Seed]

SAVE THE DATE 📆

Join us for our joint webinar with the @ISTAseedtesting on: "The Importance of ISTA in Strengthening Seed Systems Africa"

📅 Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2026
🔗 Register: https://t.co/DIuu8XLeSl

Moderators: Dr @andreas_wais of ISTSA and Dr @YacoubaDIALLO1 of AfSTA.

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

In a US study testing nine biostimulants across 100 environments, none consistently outperformed control groups.

@ClimEat's Bruce Campbell on why plant nutrition innovation needs stronger oversight to deliver for farmers 👇
https://t.co/rq2OO6fMxc

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Good agricultural decisions depend on transparent, timely and easily accessible information. So the @IFDC's new Agrimarket is bringing real-time market intelligence to farmers and stakeholders across Togo.
Learn more: https://t.co/NJX3rPWLuv

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

What could farmers grow to meet the world's nutritional needs?

@GAINalliance's new Nutritional Value Score ranks foods by micronutrient density, protein quality and bioavailability.

Read the full report: https://t.co/aXWICh735j

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

At @ClimEat's recent Just Rural Transition panel, @FANRPAN CEO Dr. Madzivhandila made a case for localised seed systems. With fertiliser supply chains under pressure, regional resilience is becoming a priority.
Read the highlights on @Devex by @taniakaras: https://t.co/ZEuhMoYnMs

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

As fertiliser supply chains come under pressure, diversifying nutrient sources is as much a financial decision as an environmental one.

Patrick Kpai and Mark Lefsrud on how Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) helps farmers stay resilient:
https://t.co/ByFpc5gFZ3

@mcgillu

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Knowing the history of crops might be one of the simplest ways to stay connected to the farmers who grow them.

Oscar Castañeda of @Heifer and Eduardo Somarriba from CATIE explain why knowing the story of your meals fosters equitable food systems: https://t.co/gx0iccZMGk

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

PPR kills up to 70% of infected sheep. For farming families across Africa, a single outbreak can destroy their livelihood overnight.

Learn from @GALVmed's Stephen Wilson and Camilla Benfield on what the next wave of vaccinations must get right: https://t.co/A7WBXbehTW

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

For small-scale farmers, traditional supply chains can be costly and unreliable due to counterfeit inputs, poor bargaining power and information gaps.

Sanjeev Reddy sets out 4 ways digital tools are changing this for farmers in India: https://t.co/PRglyYsHJK

📸: @CGIAR

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

According to @FAO Chief Economist @MaximoTorero, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are already reshaping planting decisions for farmers from India to East Africa.

Read how on @UN News 👇
https://t.co/5sZYozaDNe

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Martha grows crops on Cuba's eastern coastline. When nationwide power outages hit in 2024, she couldn't irrigate.

Now, solar panels from the @IFAD-supported Gibara Verde X Ciento project are keeping her farm going — through outages, droughts and all: https://t.co/CuPsaoZD4S

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Irrigation alone won't solve smallholder food security.

But good governance, crop choices and circular systems can transform rural economies.

6 lessons from Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe on Farming First:
https://t.co/YyYui6i0pN

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

10 tonnes of empty pesticide containers were processed in Zambia in 2024. For farmers like Makoza Tembo, who spent decades with no safe disposal option, it's a quiet but significant shift.

@CropLifeAME’s Fasil Tadesse explains on Farming First 👇
https://t.co/3srwazQBRE

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

The answer is… fewer than 20!

Of 200,000+ plant species fit for human consumption, fewer than 20 provide 90% of what we eat.

Isik Ozturk explores on Farming First why that matters for the ecosystems keeping our crops productive.

https://t.co/dHedSuNR2S

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

🐝 🌱 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: Biodiversity Quiz!

Over 200,000 plant species are fit for human consumption — but how many do you think provide 90% of the food we eat?

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

📣 Last call! The Women in Agricultural Leadership Programme applications close on Sunday, 26 April at 23:59 EAT.

Open to women researchers from 6 African countries (🇪🇬 🇬🇭 🇲🇦 🇳🇬 🇸🇱 🇸🇳) – don't miss your chance!

Apply now 👉 https://t.co/NIk8Mc508W @awardfellowship @dfat

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

"Where stronger leadership exists, policies become impactful programmes, finance flows and innovations scale."
Say experts @aruhweza, @DebisiAraba & @PascalMurasira on Africa's missing food systems infrastructure.
👇
https://t.co/Y7OgjIRL2Q
@AGRA | @AKADEMIYA2063 | @_AfricanFood

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Why does ringfencing budgets for rural communities, building resilient systems and giving smallholders a seat at the table matter as much as any new technology?

Find out from Chilufya Chileshe, of @SDG2AdvocacyHub on Farming First: https://t.co/THzxgbOP2P

[Farming First @farmingfirst]

Nutrition and profitability can coexist — but only with the right incentives.
@TechnoServe's Dominic Schofield on how Kenya and Nigeria's Micronutrient Fortification Index is making it happen.

Read more on Farming First: https://t.co/YTMpilX65w