New York Farmers Aid the City’s Hungry

At a time when big grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are attracting scores of hungry customers, many local family-run farms are fighting to keep afloat.

“We Tripantu”, the Mapuche people’s new year celebration

"We Tripantu" means "rising of the new sun," and is the new year celebration of the Mapuche people, held over the shortest days of the year in the southern hemisphere, coinciding with the winter solstice.

When the Himalayan Glaciers Recede

Every morning, as Gian Pietro Verza walks up the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier in this Himalayan country’s north-east to take measurements, the wind makes colourful prayer flags flutter noisily. That same wind carries soot particles that are causing the snow on the mountains to melt faster.

Q&A: To Be a Child and HIV-Positive in Ethiopia

U.N. correspondent Stephanie Parker sits down with filmmaker Lieven Corthouts as he opens up about the children in "Little Heaven" orphanage, located in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

A Sustainability Paradise : Ecovillage at Ithaca

Why can't we live a different way? That’s the question asked by a pioneer community of 160 trying to achieve greater sustainability and a higher quality of life.

Youth grow flowers to get money

Farming flowers in slums is becoming an option for jobless youths in cities across Cameroon. Flowers and ornamental trees are planted to decorate compounds ,roadsides, lanes and tourism sites. Aaron Kaah reports.

Snails boost food, medicine production

Starting plantation farming in Cameroon in the 1980’s, and the spraying of pesticides, almost drove certain snail species to extinction. But farmers in the coastal regions of Cameroon are now cultivating the animals for food, traditional medicine and income.

Paradise island fights poverty

“Every child born on this island has got a potential and we have to nourish it through education. This is the answer to poverty and exclusion,” says the Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.   Audio Slide Show

Cameroon farmers plant trees for bees

Honey producers in Cameroon are looking to restore bee habitats by planting trees in areas where deforestation have left the countryside bare.

Southern Africa’ fruit and vegetables come here

The Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market is the hub of fruit and vegetable trade in Southern Africa, with some 10 000 buyers getting their wares here. Siphosethu Stuurman compiled this sound slide.   Audio Slide Show

Kenyan nurses suffer after self-diagnosis

“ … when you are stigmatized, you hide away, you are in denial, you become depressed, and you stay away in isolation. That kills us …”   Audio Slide Show

After Rio+ 20, the Path Ahead

Two weeks after the United Nations conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro has left many lukewarm, activists, government representatives and U.N. officials are looking forward to setting new goals for the future.

Mushroom farmers bloom in Cameroon

In the NW region of Cameroon, mushrooms are a cherished delicacy, eaten by almost every household. Yet in the markets mushroom is scarce and farmer say successful cultivation is highly profitable.

New Initiative to Combat Toxic Threats

Reducing the risks associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats is the goal of a new multi-country initiative known as the Centres of Excellence (CoE).

Mauritius fisherman do not want EU trawlers

Mauritian fishermen are angry about  fishing vessels from the European Union in their territorial waters. And environmentalists are concerned that over-fishing may deplete the Indian Ocean of its stocks of fish.   Audio Slide Show

SLIDESHOW: Pride Parade Draws Hundreds of Thousands in Support of LGBT in Washington DC

On Saturday, Jun. 9 2012, the annual Capital Pride Parade brought together hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people marching with their allies in the sunny streets of Washington DC.

Q&A: Film “Invisible War” Reveals Epidemic of Rape in U.S. Military

The US military is facing one of its biggest scandals, depicted in "Invisible War", Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering's latest documentary.

Mauritius introduces new ways to collect blood

The Mauritius blood bank is introducing new ways to get the youth to give blood. The drive could also help the country reach one of its MDG goals. Audio Slide Show

Partnerships make Sao Tome cocoa grow

Small farmers in Sao Tome are reaping the benefits of entering niche markets. Andrea Serpagli, a spokesperson for the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Sao Tome, told Tinus de Jager that the success of the farmers sprout from partnerships and knowledge gained from other similar projects.

Women and children need climate change education

70% of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Many of these are semi-illiterate, yet they are the most affected by changes in climate.

Traditional farmers adapt to climate change

Experts say small-scale farmers are in a better position to adapt to climate change. IPS’s Tinus de Jager interviews Andrea Serpagli, from the International Fund for Agricultural Development, on their successful programme in Sao Tome.